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Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One Reviews — Is It Worth Playing?

Reviews find Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One strongest as a detective adventure, while opinions differ on its open-world structure, combat, and technical performance.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is a detective adventure whose strongest appeal is its investigations, story, and Mediterranean setting—but reviews are mixed on whether its open-world exploration, combat, and technical performance support those strengths. The consulted Metacritic page lists a 69/100 critic score from 33 reviews, while Steam shows 75% positive English-language user reviews from 1,694 reviews; both are snapshots taken on October 8, 2026, and may change.

What is Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One?

Developed and published by Frogwares, Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One follows a young Sherlock Holmes as he travels to a Mediterranean island and investigates the mystery of his mother’s death. Metacritic classifies it as a first-person adventure, though its central activity is detective work: gathering clues, connecting evidence, and pursuing cases.

Release dates differ by listing: Metacritic gives November 16, 2021 as the initial release date, while Steam lists November 15, 2021. Metacritic lists PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X; the PlayStation Store has PS4 and PS5 Standard Edition pages. Store listings and editions can change, so check the relevant storefront for current availability and contents. Metacritic · Steam · PlayStation Store

What do reviewers think of Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One?

The overall picture is mixed-to-positive, not universal acclaim. Metacritic’s all-platform page showed 69/100 from 33 critic reviews and 6.9/10 from 164 user ratings when consulted on October 8, 2026. Steam showed 75% positive from 1,694 English-language user reviews on that date. GameSpot’s Richard Wakeling review listing gives the game 7/10. These figures use different sources and methods; they should be read separately, not combined into a single score. Metacritic · Steam · GameSpot

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#1 Best Overall
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One Korean Edition [English Supports] for PS5
  • 100% Official, Genuine Product. This is Physical Disc Version released in Korea. Region Free title so you can play it on your system.
  • Korean Edition supports Multi language Subtitles: English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and so on. Voice is English.
  • Before he was the world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes was a brilliant rebel itching to prove himself. When an old wound compels him back to the Mediterranean shore where his mother died, it seems like the perfect opportunity to do just that—but beneath the vibrant urban veneer of the island, the rhythm of island life strikes a more ominous beat. Crime and corruption, a twisted sense of justice and morality... These are just a few stumbling-blocks in Sherlock’s quest for truth.

Metacritic also displays separate platform critic aggregates, so its all-platform score does not represent every platform’s reception. The available review excerpts point to platform-specific technical experiences, but do not establish a full hardware-by-hardware performance comparison.

What reviewers praise

  • Investigation and case-solving: Review excerpts often identify sleuthing and the investigation loop as the game’s clearest strengths.
  • Story and cases: Reviewers highlight the central story and variety of investigations.
  • Characters and setting: Some coverage praises the cast and the atmosphere of the island, where exploration can give the cases a distinctive backdrop.

Video Chums’ review excerpt praises the sleuthing and visuals while noting an occasional progression issue. GameMAG’s excerpt emphasizes the story, characters, cases, and island exploration. These are review themes rather than a guarantee that every player will enjoy the same parts. Metacritic review listings

Rank #2
WISE WIZARD GAMES Sherlock Solitaire: A Game by Peter Scholtz
  • Acting as a skilled detective, you will venture into Sherlock Holmes’ most famous cases.
  • Take on some of Sherlock Holmes’s most famous mysteries in this smart, quick strategy card game for 1 player (solo) or 2 players (co-op).
  • With careful play and a little luck, you may even be able to thwart the dastardly Professor Moriarty and his agents once and for all!
  • Are you clever enough to survive and solve the case?
  • This game contains 55 game cards and a rules sheet best for a fun family or friends night!

What are the main criticisms?

  • Open-world pacing: Some critics felt the island’s open-world structure was unnecessary or padded, making movement between investigations feel less focused.
  • Combat: Action sections are a point of friction for reviewers who prefer the detective work; some described combat as repetitive or poorly executed.
  • Technical performance: Some reviews mention technical issues. One PC review excerpt reported avoiding frame drops and some glitches reported by PS5 reviewers, but that is a reviewer’s experience, not a performance guarantee for every PC or console.

The core trade-off is how much the player values the investigations relative to exploration and action. Critics who found the case work compelling could still object to the pacing or combat around it. Metacritic review listings

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Is Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One worth playing?

It is most likely to suit players who enjoy methodical clue-gathering, connecting evidence, and following a story-led detective adventure. The case-solving is the main reason to consider it. It is a less certain choice if you want tightly paced missions without open-world traversal, or if combat and uneven technical reports are deal-breakers for you.

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Rank #3
Sherlock Holmes
  • Miniatures are supplied unpainted and assembly may be required.
  • Reaper minatures are 28mm scale.
  • Miniatures vary from 1/4in to 3in depending on the item.

Choose based on your preferred balance: investigative depth and atmosphere on one side, exploration, pacing, and action on the other. Current prices, patch status, and the exact contents of every edition are not established by the cited listings here; check the store page for your platform before buying.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 2
WISE WIZARD GAMES Sherlock Solitaire: A Game by Peter Scholtz
WISE WIZARD GAMES Sherlock Solitaire: A Game by Peter Scholtz
Acting as a skilled detective, you will venture into Sherlock Holmes’ most famous cases.
$9.95
Bestseller No. 3
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Miniatures are supplied unpainted and assembly may be required.; Reaper minatures are 28mm scale.
$11.15
Bestseller No. 4
Portal Games Detective: Season One (POP00390) , Blue
Portal Games Detective: Season One (POP00390) , Blue
Immersive cooperative board game for 1-5 players aged 12+.; 3 distinct cases, with different settings, each about 90 minutes in length.
$19.95
Rank #4
Portal Games Detective: Season One (POP00390) , Blue
  • Immersive cooperative board game for 1-5 players aged 12+.
  • Players take on the role of detectives searching for evidence, questioning suspects, and solving crimes.
  • 3 distinct cases, with different settings, each about 90 minutes in length.
  • Streamlined rules, easily grasped by new players, for the best experience of a murder mystery night.
  • Stand-alone game based on the Award-winning bestseller, Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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