Sherlock Holmes The Awakened Reviews
While Sherlock Holmes The Awakened has an incredibly rich story to experience, it feels like you have to work much harder than normal to get to it. The overall gameplay is incredibly smooth and the mechanics balance each other out quite well, but a form of hint is desperately needed for a game like this.
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened, despite visual inconsistencies and limited accessibility for newcomers, remains a solid entry in the series. Its Lovecraftian twist, complex mysteries, and character development engage players. While some areas need improvement, the game offers a captivating experience for Sherlock Holmes and adventure game fans. Frogwares delivers a notable adventure, albeit not perfect.
Frogwares' remake of Sherlock Holmes The Awakened successfully blends the otherworldly with the logical in a compelling and well-written adventure that shows a different side of the iconic detective.
A well-made remake that smartly avoids some of the mistakes we saw in Chapter One.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Sherlock Holmes The Awakened is a solid entry to the franchise by Ukrainian developer Frogwares, and I hope to see some DLC in the future to keep the adventure going.
Nevertheless, the small problem that surrounds this title is that it plays quite a lot like Chapter One and — though better — still has that general feel of Sinking City. It also will serve to frustrate many because of the way it doesn’t attempt to hold your hand as you play. If you don’t mind that duopoly of deja vu — nor a bit of trial and error — then jump right in.
Sherlock Holmes The Awakened combines horror and Holmes to create a wonderful adventure game, but don't expect it to hold your hand.
The Awakened is worth more for what it represents than for the game itself. Between graphics and gameplay it tastes old even if it is new, but it knows how to be a completely independent remake of the 2006 inspirer of the same name.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened combines a faithful remake of the 2007 game and a sequel that builds on the previous entry, Chapter One. The picturesque island is swapped for a horror setting inspired by the underworld, the occult, and, most importantly, H.P. Lovecraft, where a seemingly simple case is set and gradually unravels through the gameplay experience.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened was a fun, albeit uneven, experience. Several of the flaws from Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One were addressed, such as removing the clunky combat system, while others, like pinning specific evidence to uncover clues, remain a frustrating gameplay feature. The overarching story is compelling and will keep you invested all the way through. Although, it does bear repeating to expect some pretty uneven pacing, especially when your leads take Sherlock away from the Lovecraftian elements. Still, this remake is an impressive feat, essentially completely rebuilding the original game from the ground up, with all new story beats never seen in the original.
Just a couple of notes. First, as this is based on the works of Doyle and Lovecraft and set in Victorian times, some questionable ideas are espoused here. For the most part, the game goes out of its way to repudiate such views, like the man abusing his servant. But be aware they are there (the game warns you about this in its loading screens). Second and far less important, the game is relatively short. It took about fourteen hours to complete, and I wasn’t exactly trying for a speed run. I in no way think this is a bad thing, however. The timeframe kept the story tight and meant the game did not outstay its welcome. The game releases April 11, 2023, so if you pick it up let me know what you think in the comment below!
Sherlock Holmes The Awakened is a thoroughly enjoyable detective adventure which is well written and explores some dark themes. The gameplay, mostly notably the absence of action, will not be to every player’s taste but for those who appreciate this style, it will deliver an exceptionally rewarding experience.
Far more than just a remake of the 2007 game, Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened (2023) is a character driven deep dive into the psyche of the titular detective and a competent, enjoyable mystery game to boot. It might not be the most accommodating to newcomers to the series, but if you're a fan of the Frogwares Sherlock Holmes titles, this is yet another cracking crime solver.
The (old) new adventure of Sherlock Holmes was a success. The tentacle madness grabs you by the throat and the first big case of the duo Sherlock and John is on the way to a successful series. The Lovecraftian plot makes the detective much more special and greenlights more cases. The Awakened is more than a successful case of Sherlock Holmes.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
This supernatural adventure of Frogwares manages to surpass the original game by leaps and bounds. Whether you've played the previous game or not, you'll enjoy this new version just as much.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Beautifully blending two realms, Sherlock Holmes The Awakened presents a great investigative game, asking you to do your own research without going too far. For your own good, grab this game if you have even the slightest bit of curiosity. You won't regret it.
For a game that was never meant to exist, Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is a revelation. It has everything a Holmes fan could want; mysteries to unravel, fun dialogue and banter between Holmes and Watson, and plenty of investigations to be had. Playing through with barely any instruction or assistance from the game itself really gives a sense of achievement not often found with other detective games. A compelling and mythical storyline is really the cherry on top of a fantastic, thought-provoking game which will have players exploring every nook and cranny to get to the bottom of the mystery at hand.
Frogwares successfully completes a re-release that surpasses the original in every way, making it one of the studio's best proposals.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is a solid, long-lived detective adventure profoundly different from the original 2007 version. It's a pity that the graphics are not up to the rest.
Review in Italian | Read full review
An enthralling horror mystery that, outside of its relatively short length, doesn't seem to have suffered at all from the difficult circumstances of its development.