Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One Will Tell the Detective’s Origin Story on Next-Gen Platforms

Before taking a detour with the Lovecraftian adventure The Sinking City, Ukrainian developer Frogwares mostly focused on Sherlock Holmes games, and now the studio has announced they’ll be returning to the detective next year. Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One will be a little bit different as you’ll be taking control of a surprisingly hunky young version of the infamous murder solver, who will be joined by a mysterious new sidekick simply named Jon (high odds he ends up to being a young Moriarty). You can check out a quick teaser trailer for Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One, below.

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Need to know more? Here’s a list of Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One’s key features:

The Man Before: As a cavalier young Sherlock on the precipice of adulthood, you’ll earn your reputation in a way no game or story has explored before. We’ve never seen the youthful arrogance and naiveté of the man before the legend—now you’re living it. Global Investigation: You never know where your next clue will come from. Explore and exploit the entire city in your pursuit of truth, using clues, rumors, disguises, tags, and pinned evidence to build a solid case within your mind palace. And Stay Down: Weapons might help you in a pinch, but there’s something to be said for style—and you have it in spades. Spot enemy vulnerabilities with your brilliant observation skills, or exploit the environment to take someone down while keeping your own hands clean. A Different Jon: Before John Watson, there was a different Jon - your best friend. But who is he, really? A Darkening Tide: Set in the 19th century, the vibrant island in the Mediterranean promises anything but paradise. Political corruption and crime run rampant while the islanders cling to tradition and eschew outsiders, making your job even more difficult. Truth and Lies: There are two sides to every story, and the proud islanders have their own ideas about truth and justice. It’s up to you to decide whether uncovering the truth will do more harm than good—and how that will shape the man you’ll become.

I’m not sure anyone was really asking for a sexy young Sherlock Holmes, but that said, Frogwares’ past Holmes games have been good fun, so if they can continue to deliver solid story and gameplay, I’m on board.

Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One comes to PC, Xbox One, PS4, and unspecified “next-gen consoles” sometime in 2021.