Sherlock Holmes Chapter One won't be the first Sherlock-inspired game from Frogwares, it'll be the ninth. The developer loves the iconic character of Sherlock Holmes and takes pride in the opportunity to grow and test the character in new situations. Frogwares takes special interest in the parts of Sherlock's story that Doyle never covered in his works because it gives them the freedom to play with the famous detective's behaviors and skills in unique environments. Sherlock Holmes Chapter One will be the epitome of this, taking an adolescent Sherlock Holmes into the Mediterranean to explore the clues about his mother's passing.
By exploring a younger Sherlock, Frogwares has the opportunity to not only give context for the adult character in its other games but in the wider lexicon of pop culture as well. Frogwares knows that Sherlock's rude streak and skillset didn't just randomly happen upon the detective one day, and the darker aspects of his personality were crafted over years of experience. It's Frogwares's hope that it can show a more rebellious, maybe even naive, side of the younger Sherlock H0lmes who is eager to prove himself in the world. In a recent interview with Game Rant, Sergey Oganesyan from Frogwares stopped by to discuss all things Sherlock Holmes Chapter One.
Q: What’s the story behind Frogwares as a developer?
SO: Well, it’s a long and winding one with lots of ups and also a few downs. We’ve been making games for 20 years, and we are most known for our Sherlock Holmes series and The Sinking City. We love mysteries and investigations - that’s what really rocks our boat so to speak. We also like going inside people’s, and our characters' minds, and see what lurks beneath the surface there. In terms of the more technical side of things, we make games for both PC and consoles, and we love Unreal Engine - that’s our weapon of choice. We are also located in Kiev and Dublin, and there are over 100 of us working on Sherlock Holmes righttps://gamerant.com/sherlock-holmes-chapter-one-gets-intense-story-trailer/ht now.
Q: Why has Frogwares decided to keep returning to create new interpretations of Sherlock?
SO: There are a few reasons. One is that we really like the character. As people that love investigations, it’s hard not to be drawn to the world’s greatest detective. And there are sooo many parts of that character that Doyle hasn’t covered in his books, such as his youth, it’s hard not to let your imagination go a bit wild and see where your favourite character can end up.
The other reason is that we’re not the only ones that love Sherlock. He is one of the most recognizable characters in the world. That obviously makes it a bit easier for us from a commercial point of view, as his name allows us to reach his fans, but it does put a bit of pressure on making sure that we get it “right”. And no matter what name you get for your game, if your game isn’t great, no IP will help you out.
Q: What’s your favorite modern Sherlock TV show or movie?
SO: To me personally, it's the BBC Sherlock series with Benedict Cumberbatch. It was so nice to see a modern interpretation of the classic character done so well. The writing was great, the actors were fantastic. Pretty much, I want more!
Q: Why the decision to go back in time to a younger Sherlock after your games featuring an older version?
SO: Great characters do not simply exist, they become who they are, and their journey is often interesting. Exploring how Sherlock Holmes became who he is, and therefore who he is, truly excited us. We hope to bring answers about the traits and specificities of Sherlock Holmes in Chapter One, exploring from his best qualities up to his worst. His attention to detail, his misogyny, his way to recreate things as they happen, his loneliness, his relation with Mycroft.
Q: In what ways is the new Jon different from the John Watson that fans know?
SO: We don’t want to reveal too much so we don’t spoil the game for people. Although they might not be the same person, they do actually share quite a lot of similarities. Both of them are close friends of Sherlock. And both are in a way emotional support for our main hero. I can say that Jon isn’t an army doctor!
Q: How does the younger version of Sherlock differ from his older self?
SO: Sherlock Holmes is no different than everyone else. All of us, as we grow up, learn many things that often change and shape us. Sherlock is no exception to this. We know older Sherlock quite well though books, movies, and pop culture in general. Eloquent, always composed, and quite secretive. Confident in himself and his abilities, he always knows what to say.
In Sherlock Holmes Chapter One, Sherry (Sherlock) is a bit of a rebellious, cocky, and arrogant young man who is still in fact trying to figure himself out. Sherlock is still discovering who he is, and what truth means to him. And because of that we can have a bit more freedom in terms of what decisions he might make in the game. This can also impact gameplay itself, which once again opens up our creative juice taps too.
Q: What are Sherlock's most important tools in SH Chapter One?
SO: His mind. I know, it’s a bit of a cliche thing to say, but his ability to use deduction is definitely his strength. However, he does have other tricks up his sleeve. He can use disguises to better blend with the environment and open up people to secrets that they normally wouldn’t tell to people in other social classes. He can also use a gun and fight, but that is his last resort.
Q: What do you hope that players will learn about the character of Holmes?
SO: That although Sherlock is portrayed as this unbreakable genius, he is a person, and that he can also break down, make mistakes, and face demons within himself. We want to show that he isn’t that far off from “the rest of us” in this regard. He’s no different from me and you.
Q: What’s the most difficult aspect of making mystery/investigation games?
SO: I guess one thing that stands out to me is keeping this balance between hand-holding and letting the player figure something out for themselves. We do a lot of testing to make sure that we strike that balance, as there’s nothing worse than handing an answer on a plate as well or making the clue so hard to figure out that it becomes frustrating. Pretty much it’s all about activating that intuition in players and making them figure out the crime puzzle themselves.
Q: Why did you decide to take Sherlock out of England and into the Mediterranean?
SO: We thought that it might be interesting to take our character out of a familiar place and put him somewhere new, somewhere where he has to get out of his comfort zone. It’s usually when we are challenged that we grow, and being in a new place and environment certainly teaches you who you are and what you are capable of. With Sherlock discovering who he is, being in a foreign place can certainly speed up the process.
Q: How will the gameplay in Sherlock Holmes Chapter One differ or be similar to Frogwares’ other Sherlock games?
SO: Well, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is the first game in which Sherlock is in an open-world environment. We played around with a semi-open world in The Devil’s Daughter and took the concept all the way in The Sinking City, but this is the first Holmes will have true freedom to roam around.
However, there are a lot of the same mechanics that are present in the previous titles. You will still be able to investigate crime scenes, re-enact what happened on the scene, and use the power of deduction in the mind palace. What’s new in Chapter One is our disguises system, where Sherlock can now dress up and pretend to be someone else. This will not only help you infiltrate other areas with ease, but you will also be able to speak to people more easily too. A barman at a pub frequently visited by sailors will be more open to tell you local secrets if you dress up as a sailor as opposed to coming in in a stylish suit. It’s all about dressing up for the occasion as they say.
Q: How will Sherlock Holmes Chapter One deal with the untold story of Sherlock’s parents?
SO: In Sherlock Holmes Chapter One we focused on the story of his mother. Discovering the past and his family’s history are the main tasks facing our young detective. Young Sherlock is coming back to Cordona, an island on which he spent some time as a young child. By collecting clues, piecing together facts, and using his detective sense, Sherlock will uncover the truth about his mother’s death. There might be a bit of pain to dig through for our young future detective.
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is slated for release in 2021 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.