Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened Critic Reviews

Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is one impressive achievement, and probably would be even if it wasn’t developed as bombs were raining down on the developers’ homes.

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened is a rewarding investigative experience with familiar gameplay that has you play as both Sherlock and Watson as they follow the phenomenon of Cthulhu around the world while fighting to keep their sanity. Although it's smaller in scope than the previous title and is lacking in terms of side-quests, it's still a fun journey and is presented beautifully to boot.

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened is an amazingly creative way of remaking a game. Taking a piece of your past and making it a building block for your future is genuinely impressive, and it’s a captivating tale that can be experienced now in a deeper capacity. He may not be the same after what he’s just experienced, but Sherlock Holmes has never looked better, and I can’t wait for the next one.

Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is smaller than the game it’s a sequel to. It had to be, due to painful real-world events that affect the developer to this day. But by streamlining mechanics and sticking to what they do best, Frogwares delivers a refreshingly focused experience. Despite its gruesome subject matter, the game is a joy to play, taking care not to cause anxiety through gameplay. This is a masterful detective game, giving you the tools to figure out complicated mysteries on your own. The final chapters may leave certain things open-ended, but that only raises hopes that Frogwares can make another fantastic game next time. Based on their past work, I know they can.

For a game that was never meant to exist, Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is a revelation. It has everything a Holmes fan could want; mysteries to unravel, fun dialogue and banter between Holmes and Watson, and plenty of investigations to be had. Playing through with barely any instruction or assistance from the game itself really gives a sense of achievement not often found with other detective games. A compelling and mythical storyline is really the cherry on top of a fantastic, thought-provoking game which will have players exploring every nook and cranny to get to the bottom of the mystery at hand.

Beautifully blending two realms, Sherlock Holmes The Awakened presents a great investigative game, asking you to do your own research without going too far. For your own good, grab this game if you have even the slightest bit of curiosity. You won't regret it.

Far more than just a remake of the 2007 game, Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened (2023) is a character driven deep dive into the psyche of the titular detective and a competent, enjoyable mystery game to boot. It might not be the most accommodating to newcomers to the series, but if you’re a fan of the Frogwares Sherlock Holmes titles, this is yet another cracking crime solver.

Even if Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened was slightly disappointing, we’d ultimately still be impressed, given the hardship that Frogwares has faced over the course of its development. The fact that it’s actually a very good game its own right shouts volumes about the talent housed within this small Ukrainian developer. Truly, this is a real showcase of passion, perseverance and raw talent. Detective games really don’t come much better than this – especially if you like a bit of the occult thrown in for good measure.

Frogwares successfully completes a re-release that surpasses the original in every way, making it one of the studio's best proposals.

Without reinventing the recipe, Sherlock Holmes The Awakened offers a compelling gameplay experience even if you’re not a good detective. The wide variety of environments in each location that you can explore and the many characters that you meet along the way make this a very enjoyable ride.

In spite of a few weak spots, the remake of Sherlock Holmes The Awakened is a must for every fan of mystery and horror. No need to know the original game, but I strongly recommend playing the oft-mentioned Chapter One first to appreciate the reasons behind Sherlock's behavior.

Frogwares’ remake of Sherlock Holmes The Awakened successfully blends the otherworldly with the logical in a compelling and well-written adventure that shows a different side of the iconic detective.

The graphics are much more modern and multiple tweaks and additions have been made to improve the gameplay.

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened combines horror and Holmes to create a wonderful adventure game, but don't expect it to hold your hand.

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened is a solid entry to the franchise by Ukrainian developer Frogwares, and I hope to see some DLC in the future to keep the adventure going.

A well-made remake that smartly avoids some of the mistakes we saw in Chapter One.

Even though it may feel like a simple reimagination of the original, all the new features are more than enough for those who want more Sherlock Holmes.

If you think about what Frogwares had to go through this past year in Ukraine, it’s an amazing feat that Sherlock Holmes The Awakened came to fruition. Sure, the game doesn’t break any new ground, but the team did it, and it just works! This crossover between Lovecraft and Sherlock is a dream come true for a detective and horror fan like myself. Even though The Awakened re-uses many of the same assets and engine and suffers from some of the same frustrations as Chapter One, it still remains a compelling detective experience from start to finish. There’s plenty of madness to lose your sanity to and lots of cases waiting to be solved.

Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is a competent linear adventure game that seamlessly connects the rebooted story of a young Sherlock Holmes with the twisted world of Lovecraft. While it's a focused effort overall, the presentation is clunky, and the Lovecraftian elements don't get the spotlight they deserve. The enjoyable mystery adventure romp will satisfy fans of the franchise, but everyone else might be better off waiting for a sale before jumping into this case.

Characters you love to be around, a truly thrilling story, and some decent puzzles make for a fun, if perhaps sometimes too frictionless, ride.