Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened

About Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened

Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is a point-and-click adventure puzzle game from Frogwares, released in 2023. It’s a cross-genre mashup where Sherlock Holmes investigates Lovecraftian horror in 1884. You play as Holmes, tracking a cult linked to ancient cosmic horrors after a string of disappearances across Europe and the US. The game blends classic Holmesian deduction with eerie cosmic dread, leaning heavily into the Cthulhu Mythos. Frogwares rebuilt their 2007 title from scratch, adding modern visuals and gameplay. This isn’t a typical mystery, it’s a slow-burn horror story where logic clashes with the incomprehensible. The narrative explores Holmes’ partnership with Watson before they became legends, wrapping in themes of madness and existential fear.

Gameplay

The game revolves around exploration, inventory-based puzzles, and dialogue choices. Each scene requires you to examine objects, collect clues, and use Holmes’ deductive skills to solve environmental challenges. Combat is minimal, replaced by tense stealth sequences and sanity-draining encounters with eldritch entities. Puzzles often involve manipulating Victorian-era machinery, deciphering occult symbols, or navigating maze-like locations. The camera angles are a mixed bag, some areas are claustrophobic and awkwardly framed. You’ll spend equal time analyzing crime scenes and solving logic puzzles, with occasional jump scares from lurking Lovecraftian monstrosities. The core loop is methodical: observe, hypothesize, interact. But the game’s biggest flaw is its inconsistent pacing, some cases feel rushed, while others drag.

What Players Think

Community ratings on PlayPile average 4.1/5, but Metacritic’s 73/100 reflects mixed critical reception. 41% of players unlock achievements, with the rarest (“Reawakened”) at 8.7%. Average playtime is 14.7 hours, and 23% finish the game. Players praise the eerie atmosphere and creative Lovecraft-Holmes fusion but gripe about clunky controls and repetitive puzzles. One review calls it “a haunted house with a broken flashlight,” while another says “the horror beats are chilling but the gameplay is often frustrating.” The mood is 78% “terrified,” 61% “confused,” and 49% “impressed.” Frogwares fans appreciate the updated visuals, but many wish the core mechanics had evolved more.

PlayPile's Take

This is a niche pick for Holmes purists and Lovecraft enthusiasts. The game’s 28 achievements and $39.99 price tag make it a low-risk play, but it’s far from essential. If you enjoy slow-burn cosmic horror and don’t mind awkward UI, it’s worth a look. Avoid if you prefer fast-paced action or polished puzzle design. Frogwares’ strengths in narrative and atmosphere shine, but technical hiccups hold it back. For fans of the original 2007 version, the remake is a significant upgrade. For newcomers, it’s a decent but flawed entry in the point-and-click genre.

Storyline

A Lovecraft meets Sherlock Holmes crossover, The Awakened puts you up against the legendary Cthulhu Mythos. Investigate a series of mysterious disappearances, apparently linked to a dark cult that worships an Ancient God. Whatever their plan is, you must put a stop to it… or face unspeakable consequences. For the first time in his life, Sherlock is truly afraid. A man of rationale and reason, he faces an otherworldly entity that defies all logic, and this discovery is as enlightening as it is shattering. The pursuit of the truth pushes Sherlock to the verge of madness, and it’s the only story that Watson will never publish. Taking place in 1884, The Awakened lifts the curtain on how Sherlock and John, mere roommates at the time, became the world-famous crime-solving duo.