I AM PLAYING THE NEW SHERLOCK HOLMES GAME BY FROGWARES. THE NAME “CHAPTER ONE” IS MISLEADING BECAUSE IT SUGGESTS THIS IS A GAME TO BE RELEASED IN INSTALLMENTS, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE. IT IS A FULL GAME IN ITSELF AND “CHAPTER ONE” MERELY INDICATES THIS IS A STORY OF A YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES WHO HAS NOT YET BECOME LONDON’S PREMIER CONSULTING DETECTIVE.
I MUST SAY I AM TREMENDOUSLY IMPRESSED BY FROGWARES LATELY. THE SINKING CITY — WHICH I MENTION FOR REASONS I’LL EXPLAIN DIRECTLY — IS AN EXCELLENT GAME, EVEN THOUGH I’VE NEVER FINISHED IT. ON MY FIRST PLAYTHROUGH, ON XBOX ONE X, I GOT CLOSE TO THE END BUT WAS ODDLY HESITANT TO FINISH THE GAME BECAUSE I LIKED IT SO MUCH. ON MY SECOND PLAYTHROUGH, ON STEAM, I MADE SEVERAL HOURS OF PROGRESS, BUT DUE TO A CONFLICT BETWEEN FROGWARES AND ITS DISTRIBUTOR, THE GAME WAS REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT VERSION THAT MADE MY SAVE UNLOADABLE. NOW I’M IN THE MIDST OF THE REPLACEMENT VERSION AND IT’S STILL AS ENJOYABLE AS EVER. I DARE SAY CHARLES REED IS A MUCH MORE LIKABLE AND INTERESTING PROTAGONIST THAN IS EVIDENT IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THE GAME.
SHERLOCK HOLMES: CHAPTER ONE BENEFITS GREATLY FROM FROGWARES’ EXPERIENCE IN DEVELOPING THE SINKING CITY. IT IS A FULLY OPEN-WORLD GAME, AND THE WORLD, THE MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND OF CORDONA (WHICH, BASED ON MY HALF-ASSED RESEARCH, IS PROBABLY AT LEAST PARTIALLY BASED ON THE REAL-LIFE ISLAND OF MAJORCA), IS BEAUTIFUL AND FASCINATING. I’M ABOUT 20 HOURS INTO SHERLOCK HOLMES NOW AND I’M LOVING IT. AFTER I’M DONE, I EXPECT I WILL FINISH THE SINKING CITY IN THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT FUTURE.
ON THE STRENGTH OF THESE TWO GAMES, FROGWARES IS RAPIDLY BECOMING ONE OF MY FAVORITE DEVELOPERS. THEY DO HAVE AN ASSASSIN’S-CREED-STYLE INITIAL DISCLAIMER ABOUT HOW EVERYONE IN THE PAST WAS HORRIBLE AND WRONGHEADED, BUT IN THE GAME ITSELF THEY DON’T PULL TOO MANY PUNCHES, THOUGH YOU WILL OCCASIONALLY GET RAILROADED INTO MAKING SHERLOCK SAY SOMETHING UNCHARACTERISTICALLY WOKE. BUT THIS IS A MINOR QUIBBLE. BETWEEN THE ADDITION OF A FULL OPEN WORLD, AND THE REMOVAL OF AN EXCESS OF NON-DEDUCTIVE PUZZLES (SLIDING TILES, CHESS MOVES, ETC.) AS WAS SEEN IN THEIR EARLIER HOLMES GAMES, FROGWARES SEEMS TO BE DOING PRETTY WELL LATELY.