Sherlock Holmes Video Game Series

The first installment of the series, i.e. Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery of the Mummy (known in Poland as Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery of the Mummy), debuted on personal computers in 2002. The action here was viewed from a first-person perspective (FPP), and we moved around the locations in a jumping manner, as in the first parts of the series Myst. The goal of Holmes, on the other hand, was to unravel the mystery of the disappearance of the famous archaeologist.

The sequel, titled Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Silver Earring (published in Poland as Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Silver Earring) hit personal computers in 2004. Here, Sherlock and his faithful companion Dr. Watson were tasked with discovering the identity of the murderer of construction magnate Sir Melvyn Bromsby. This was also the first part of the series, in which events were observed from a variety of "cinematic" shots.

The third installment of the series, viz. Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened (known in Poland as Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened), came out in 2006. In an effort to solve the mystery of a young man's disappearance, Holmes and Watson must unravel a mysterious and dangerous sect whose members worship ancient and powerful beings. To bring the investigation to a conclusion, Holmes and Watson must keep their nerves in check and not let the foreboding entities take their senses. It is worth noting that this was the first part of the series to offer a fully three-dimensional environment.

Sherlock Holmes Versus Arsene Lupin (also known as Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis, while in Poland released under the title Sherlock Holmes vs. Arsene Lupin) hit personal computers a little over a year later, in late October 2007. This time Holmes decided to accept the challenge of the king of thieves - Arsene Lupin - and attempted to capture him, interrupting his series of grand thefts across London.

The fifth installment of the series, the Sherlock Holmes Versus Jack the Ripper (known in Poland as Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper), once again took us to the English capital. The game appeared in 2009. As the title suggests, in it the protagonist had to face Jack the Ripper, one of the most famous serial killers in history.

For the sixth part of the series, that is. The Testament of Sherlock Holmes (known in Poland as The Testament of Sherlock Holmes), we had to wait until 2012. In it, Sherlock was accused of committing murder, by which he not only lost the respect of Londoners, but also began to lose the trust of Dr. Watson himself. Holmes' main task, therefore, was to clear his name. Against the background of its predecessors, the game stood out due to refreshed mechanics and much better graphics, thanks to the new engine.

The seventh installment of the series, i.e. Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments (in Poland - Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments) was released in 2014. This time there was not one, but as many as six cases waiting for Holmes to solve. The authors introduced a number of novelties, led by making choices that affected the course of the plot; the game even allowed you to mispick the perpetrator.

In 2016, the eighth part of the series appeared, titled Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter. In it, Sherlock and Watson had to carry out five difficult investigations and discover the identity of the perpetrators of the crimes that rocked London.

The ninth installment in the series, the Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One, was the first that the Frogwares studio decided to release in-house. The game debuted in 2021 and was a prequel to the entire series, allowing players to take on the role of a young and still inexperienced detective. In it, the protagonist returned to his native Mediterranean island, where he became embroiled in some major intrigue. The title offered, among other things, an open world, which Sherlock could freely roam, as well as introduced action game-like sequences that diversified the gameplay; nevertheless, the detective could only reach for his weapon in moments provided for by the storyline. The game also featured choices that influenced the course of the story.

In 2023, a comprehensive remake of the game went on sale Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened. Compared to the original, the title stood out due to a slightly altered storyline (the developers decided to make it a direct continuation of the game Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One) and modified mechanics (which was modernized and adapted to the third-person perspective). In addition, the visuals were thoroughly refreshed.

In addition to the main installments, over the years the series lived to see various spin-offs. These were productions of a slightly smaller caliber, maintained in a slightly less dark and serious tone, with simplified mechanics, and sometimes enriched with fantastic themes. We are talking about the games Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery of the Persian Carpet (2008), Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Osborne House (2010), Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles (2011), and Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery of the Frozen City (2012).