“Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened” is a game made by Ukrainian developers, Frogwares, who also developed the original game in 2007. This version, however, has been completely rebuilt from the ground up with modernized graphics and controls, similar to the recent releases such as “Resident Evil 4,” “Dead Space,” and “The Last of Us Part 1,” but unlike the latter, this Sherlock game really needed the new makeover. I remember playing it long ago and the original has not aged so well. This Sherlock game specifically, deals with the Cthulhu mythos, which piqued my interest as a fan of author H.P. Lovecraft’s stories.
The game is set in the early years of Sherlock Holmes, and with the disappearance of many people, this becomes his first major case. This is also when he first meets his sidekick, John Watson. The story begins with a seemingly normal kidnapping but quickly unravels into gothic horror territory, dealing with many Lovecraftian tropes, such as cults and monsters of course. Like the other Sherlock games from Frogwares, you are primarily traversing from A to B, talking to NPCs, finding clues to mysteries, and deducting what happened. It’s all well and good, but at times can be tedious, some of the maps, while look very interesting, can be a bit of a chore to travel around in. The gameplay and investigation mechanics, however, still fall a little short for me. Investigating and solving puzzles to further the story can often feel more obtuse than they should be. The developers take a hands-off approach most of the time and don’t hold your hand at all, even when they probably should. There are many instances where you question what you’re even supposed to be doing.
The graphics, while a significant upgrade from the original version, may feel a bit dated for what we have come to expect in modern games now that we are in the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series era of gaming. Characters can often look wooden or made of clay and there is an overall jankiness to the controls, I had to keep in mind that this was a game that was made in a country that is going through a very difficult time right now and clearly some sacrifices needed to be made. Having said that though I still need to harp on the UI screen that shows you all of your clues that you’ve collected can be difficult to sift through because it doesn’t separate them. This means that when you’re dealing with multiple mysteries at a time, the batch of clues to look through can feel rather messy.
“Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened” is a very welcomed remake of a game that joins the trend of being “rebuilt from the ground up with modernized graphics and controls.” While it falls short in some aspects, such as the investigation mechanics and gameplay, the overall mystery and Lovecraftian atmosphere of the game make it worth playing. While the gameplay can be tedious and repetitive at times, putting clues together and coming up with final conclusions can be rewarding. It’s satisfying to watch it visualized on the screen and witness the outcome. The overall mystery and Lovecraftian atmosphere of the game captivated me enough to want to see it through to the end, although for gamers with less patience, this title might not be for them.
7.5/10
For more information, visit: https://frogwares.com/
Related: Nick Navarro Reviews
Gaming since I was given an original Nintendo as a kid. I love great storytelling and unique ingenuity. When both collide in a single game, I'm a happy gamer. Twitter/IG @NickNavarro87
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