Frogwares has announced that it is working on a Sherlock Holmes The Awakened remake that sees the game remade from the ground up. Originally released for PC in February 2007, and then a remastered version in 2008, Sherlock Holmes The Awakened, pitted the famous detective against a cult that worshipped the H.P. Lovecraft god Cthulhu. The game let players explore multiple locations as they used investigative skills to solve the mystery of a series of murders around London. It was also one of the first games to use PhysX technology prior to its purchase by NVIDIA and received praise for its visuals and gameplay. The developer has rewritten the game with a new focus on this being the first case for Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
We are thrilled to announce Sherlock Holmes The Awakened, a full remake and substantial rewrite of our 2006 Lovecraft-inspired Cthulhu Sherlock crossover.
Hello everyone, and welcome to Sherlock Holmes The Awakened.
If you are following our social media channels, you might have noticed that we are working on our next game, which is Sherlock Holmes The Awakened. Some time ago we teased our new project as Project Palianytsia. Now we can officially say that our next game is the full from-the-ground-up remake and substantial rewrite of Sherlock Holmes The Awakened. It’s a dark, HP Lovecraft-inspired story infused with the narrative arc of a young Sherlock Holmes taking on his first big case.
To say we are excited about this game is an understatement. As much as we love a good mystery, we also love the idea of having one of the greatest minds lose control. The Awakened remake sees a young Sherlock take on his first major case alongside his newly acquainted sidekick, John Watson. What seems like a straightforward case of a missing person quickly spirals into a web of conspiracies by a nefarious cult that worships the eldritch god Cthulhu and is attempting to bring about an ancient prophecy. The game will take the detective duo across 4 locations — Victorian London, a Swiss psych ward, the New Orleans bayous, and the Scottish Highlands — as they try to separate reality from the supernatural while trying to put a stop to these shadowy madmen.
Gameplay
At the start of each case, you’ll arrive at the crime scene and get a run-down what is known so far (it’s often not that much). Each case takes place in a large, semi-open world map allowing you to explore and proceed with your investigation as you see fit. As the world’s most famous detective you’ll have a few tools and tricks up your sleeve to name just a few. Recreate the sequence of key events using your imagination mode. Interrogate suspects and witnesses by asking the right questions. Zero in on details throughout the crime scenes others have missed using your concentration mode. Pull key clues from various archives by using the intelligence system. Then piece it all together in your deduction space to then present your findings.
Frogwares has opted to use Kickstarter to help finance the new remake due to complications relating to the war in Ukraine. The developer has said that the majority of the game is finished and is even planning on releasing a new trailer soon but additional funding could help with implementing more features and ideas into the final product.
Why Kickstarter?
To bring this game to you, we will be starting a Kickstarter campaign real soon. Why Kickstarter? Well, as you may know, our homeland, Ukraine, is in a state of war. And this war is continually throwing new challenges at us that each time requires we stop, regroup, and adapt. This takes time, effort, and in some cases, money that would normally be marked to fund the production of a game. We have the majority of the game finalized so to speak. However, there is a lot more that we are adding and changing, hence why this is a full remake and not just a remaster.
Our team has rewritten The Awakened’s original horror story. It now features a younger Sherlock and how his bond with Watson was formed through a case filled with truly haunting and traumatic events. We created modern graphics from scratch, remade entire cutscenes, implemented a new third-person camera, did a full UI overhaul, reworked many of gameplay mechanics, and loads more. Our team also plans to record and implement all-new voice acting, create additional side quests and add additional investigation mechanics to expand your set of detective tools. We also have some additional features and enhancement ideas that we are considering if knew we had the additional resources and flexibility to do so. And this is where Kickstarter can help us out a lot.
Source: Frogwares