Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened Review (PS5, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, & PC)

The mastermind detective is back. Sherlock Holmes is no stranger to gaming, with Ukrainian developer Frogwares releasing a couple of entries in the Sherlock Holmes series saga. This one in particular almost didn’t make it to the stores. In fact, an all-new sequel to Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One was underway. Then the Russian-Ukrainian invasion hit, and Frogwares decided to focus on making a remake instead. 

Still, it’s a huge feat to build a remake from the ground up during a full-out war. I’d say, no matter how the remake plays, Frogwares deserves all the praise it can get. I grabbed a copy of the Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened remake. This is how my Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened review turned out to be.

Jack, the Dull Boy

screenshot by gaming.net

Who is Sherlock Holmes without his ludicrous cases? Solving crime mysteries is in Sherlock Holmes’ DNA. So, when he sits around his apartment, wondering when the next case will fall onto his lap, he starts to spiral under the boredom of it all. Luckily, Dr. John H. Watson stumbles across a missing person case, brings it to Sherlock’s attention, and therein the adventure begins.

At first, it seems like this is a case of finding a servant’s missing son. However, as the story progresses, it turns out there are more mysterious disappearances. Who’s ghosting all these people? A dark occultist who worships an ancient God is. In no time, you get thrust into a whirlwind of solving consecutive strange cases, which leads you into a hidden world that bends the rules of reality.

Sherlock Holmes himself starts to lose his sanity. Who could blame him when countless others who’ve walked the path of the legendary Cthulhu Mythos have gone insane too? Fortunately, Dr. Watson is there to help keep him above water. So, ultimately, it becomes a case of whether the famous duo can put a stop to the kidnappings or face the consequences.

A Bite More Than You Can Chew

It takes no time at all to realize Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is an ambitious entry that dares to merge reality with the supernatural. This is a story that will have you looking over your shoulder more times than you can count. I mean, the Cthulhu Mythos is arguably the most terrifying horror rendition of all time. They defy all logic, which makes little sense given Sherlock Holmes’ overreliance on reason and logic. 

Still, this is the perfect way to push Sherlock Holmes’ ways of working to the limits. Driving him to the edge of madness and still asking him to forge on in pursuit of the truth. It’s perhaps the first time Sherlock Holmes has felt truly afraid. Perhaps shattering what little light he could see at the end of the tunnel. Then comes the powerful duo, persevering through it all, working together, and slowly moving from mere roommates to the world-famous crime-solving partners we know and love.

The Best Part

screenshot by gaming.net

Overall, Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened story has everything working in its favor. It’s a plot that’s never been tried before in the series: pitting logic against the supernatural. It also pays tribute to Holmes and Watson’s backgrounds, showcasing their mutual respect for one another and building their relationship before our very eyes. This is one thing 2007’s version didn’t pursue. There was very little character development, while the remake makes it its mission to explore every aspect of Holmes and Watson’s relationship.

It’s truly the best part of Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened. Watching Holmes sink into his eccentric self and Watson always being there to help guide him toward the right path. Their voice acting does a great job of putting you right there with them. And the NPCs aren’t that shabby either. It’d have been worrisome if the remake didn’t reimagine the plot from the original. However, the fact that everything is reworked to bring out a more engrossing story lays the perfect groundwork for how future remakes ought to be done.

Crack a Case, Save the Day

The other essential pillar of Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is the mystery-solving part of things. Most gamers are interested in the detective part of this game. So, to nail it, things would really even out well. Fortunately, Frogwares does a pretty neat job of solving cases. They create some kind of mystery that pushes you to search for clues, find pieces of evidence, and knit them together so they make sense. 

It’s a kind of interesting pattern, especially when the story gives you a rough idea of how things might turn out, then you fact-check your assumptions to see if they're true or not. You might even find eureka moments, especially when solving the more difficult cases. Some of the cases are quite easy, like the first one where you solve the mystery of the missing newspaper. It’s actually the first case you run into that acts as your half-baked tutorial (more on that later). 

However, as you progress, intertwining cobwebs begin to form. You might solve a case and then find the solution in the evidence for a subsequent one. Put simply, imagine yourself walking in Sherlock Holmes's shoes. When you walk into a crime scene, you’ll first observe every nook and cranny so you can first build a pattern of events and then find clues for where to look next. Sometimes, clues will lead you to a suspect, or you may need to interrogate the townspeople. Did they see anything, perhaps?

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Playing Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is exactly like playing detective. You really feel like you’re in charge, conducting the investigation in your unique way. Unlike most current games, the game hardly gives you a helping hand. Which is great and bad at the same time. Solving mysteries without help does feel hugely rewarding. You feel like a genius, as some have described it. 

However, if you get stuck somewhere, it can quickly become frustrating to get yourself back on track. To be fair, it’s highly unlikely you’ll get stuck while solving a case. Especially since you can scan for yellow dots that signal where you might find the next clue. On rare occasions, though, proceeding forward might require moving completely away from a location. There is an aspect to this that, if you don’t have a hint, you may wander around aimlessly for a while.

In regard to solving the cases themselves, it can be a little tricky for newcomers to navigate. In real life, finding a clue and piecing it together with previous discoveries is as easy as quick math. However, Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened will need you to use the controls the right way to close a case. 

Like pinning evidence before interrogating an NPC about said evidence. Or, going to the “mind place,” which starts with a blank canvas and then populates with the testimonies you collect, evidence, clues, questions, and more. Basically, the mind is where you solve the puzzles for each chapter. 

Other potentially frustrating mechanics are the keybinds that reveal information about how to solve mysteries and the map, which barely does a good enough job of signaling where you are or might be headed. If you’ve played Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One though, it should feel like a breeze navigating the remake. 

Verdict

Although Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is a remake of the 2007 entry with the same name, it feels like an all-new entry that stands on its own two feet. Only a few structural elements of the story and gameplay have been replicated. Otherwise, most elements feel fresh and new. 

The idea of intertwining logic-driven Sherlock Holmes with the supernatural results in an engrossing tale. Further making Holmes face the terrifying elements of the Cthulhu Mythos creates an atmospheric adventure that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

The visuals and voice acting don’t lag behind either. Journeying across Europe and the US feels like a distinct experience, and the relationships between the characters and the world-famous duo feel as natural as they can be. 

With a gamer’s sole reason for jumping into Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened being to experience the thrill of cracking a tough case and emerging victorious against all odds, I think Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened nails its purpose fair and square.