Sherlock Holmes Chapter One announced for current and next-gen

Frogwares has revealed the next entry in their Sherlock video game series for current and next-gen consoles as well as PC: Sherlock Holmes Chapter One.

Taking place in the formulative years of the fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One will see us playing as an unrefined Holmes during his first big case.

“This time around we wanted to be more creative with the story we told and found an idea that hasn’t really been touched on by other adaptations – Sherlock’s “first big case” as a young 21 year old adult,” said Narrative Designer Antonina Melnykova.

Enhanced creativity will not only be reserved for the game’s story as Sherlock Holmes Chapter One departs from the murky 19th Century England setting of previous games for a more sunshiney environment.

“While still set in the 19th century, we’re now exploring an isolated, sun-scorched Mediterranean inspired island where class divides and corruption are the foundations of this society,” said Melnykova.

“Sherlock, fans of the series and character can rest assured we’re sticking close to the source material to keep it cohesive. Most people have a firm view of who Sherlock is. Our story isn’t about changing that, but rather exploring how he could have come to be this way, exploring ideas right down to how he acquired his penchant for the violin, his distinct hat and even his addiction to drugs.”

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One will be taking a lot of inspiration from Frogwares’ previous project – The Sinking City –with players having to rely more on their intuition and the various skills, tricks, tools and methods at Sherlock’s disposal.

“We looked closely at the fan and press feedback we got from The Sinking City and previous Sherlock games. This feedback defines the features in Chapter One: investigation, story, combat, exploration etc. For example, the combat system in Chapter One has been built completely from scratch, and many other mechanics are undergoing changes / improvements to make the game pace better overall.”

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is currently set to release sometime in 2021 on PC, PS4, Xbox One and next-gen consoles.