Publisher and developer Frogwares today revealed both a new trailer and set of details regarding Sherlock Holmes Chapter One, its upcoming action-adventure game.
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One follows the notorious detective in his younger days, when he is dealing with his very first case on an open-world Mediterranean island, at the end of the 19th century.
What looks like a paradise is home to a loose interpretation of the law which sees the islanders often taking justice into their own hands. Although trusty partner John Watson isn’t there to aid him, he tackles the case alongside Jon, his “best and only friend”.
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One trailer, Takes Around 15 Hours to Beat
“Currently we feel the main story will take approximately 15 hours to complete, while a completionist playthrough will be closer to a 30 to 40-hour mark. We will have 5 main quests that span multiple hours and more than 30 side quests of varying size and complexity, with each offering a moral choice.” said Antonina Melnykova, Lead Narrative Designer.
Each main quest in Sherlock Holmes Chapter One will face you with several suspects, choosing the right one being entirely in your hands. You’ll interpret clues, pick which theories to believe, as well as decide the fate of the person you deem to be the criminal.
“Justice on the island is a bit twisted and our goal is to avoid a black and white morality, so it’s possible you’ll want to side with the wrongdoer.” Melnykova explains.
Although Sherlock Holmes Chapter One does feature combat, you will only be able to engage in it “where it’s justified by the story”.
“You cannot shoot random people on the streets, as we don’t think it fits the character and you are encouraged to take the non-lethal approach. However, if you are cornered in a gunfight or you don’t have enough time to find an enemy’s weakness, it is possible to shoot and kill them. This will have certain consequences, for instance, it may worsen your relationship with your friend Jon, but we do not want to take away this option and make players feel forced to use only one playstyle.” Lead Features Designer Yaroslav Martyniuk said.
The younger version of Sherlock Holmes you play as in Chapter One is also very agile, being able to use this alongside gadgets like smoke bombs or the environment itself to his advantage.
During his investigation, Sherlock has access to the mansion in which he spent his childhood. Although abandoned when you first arrive, over the course of the game, you’ll be able to restore and decorate it. As new rooms become accessible, you’ll learn more about the detective.
Sherlock himself will be able to don different outfits. “Some will be cosmetic, changing how Sherlock looks while others will be required to complete quests.”, Martyniuk explains.
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is currently in a pre-alpha state, Frogwares hoping to offer a deep dive into its detective gameplay in December or January 2021.
Plans are also in place for post-launch support, although the developer stresses that Chapter One won’t be a games-as-a-service title.
A standalone title, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One will release at some point in 2021 and is headed to PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4.
The game will also be self-published, move which comes as a result of the publisher trouble surrounding the developer’s previous game, The Sinking City.
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