Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 74 | 72 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 97 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 77% | 72 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 67% | 65 | 17 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 48 reviews sampled · 45 total reviews in window · weighted 22.9 up / 11.1 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (86)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is a big story-driven game with familiar characters, captivating cases to solve, and a big open island to explore. All the fantastical stuff aside, the team at Frogwares treats Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work with utmost respect, and for that we are grateful.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is just the ideal detective game. The story has a meaning and even though the story feels a little bit extravagant due to its original way of narration you can’t simply leave the story untold. Characters including Sherlock and Jon are well-written and even though some character acts strangely or you just don’t like them, there is always some reason behind the behavior. The open-world is the game’s general pride, but it mostly feels empty despite having something to offer. On the other hand, the absence of map and navigation gives a gentle touch to its detective gameplay. Luckily, everything bad is suppressed by everything great the game has to offer. Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is an example of how detective titles should be done.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Chapter One got plenty of mechanics, but those doesn't add up into the solid picture, and the open-world minimizes all of the few good pieces that are there.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“There are a lot of things to admire in Sherlock Holmes Chapter One, and when it works, it all comes together in a fantastic new way. Unfortunately, there are far too many instances of clues that perhaps made sense to the team that made it, but not the player. Just when you start finding your stride, a roadblock appears as you struggle to figure out your next steps. The jump to an open-world setting ultimately feels unnecessary and adds to the confusion. Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is not a bad game at all, but the experimental gameplay feels like a missed opportunity that a sequel could perhaps refine.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is a bold new beginning that steers the franchise in an interesting direction, the young, still-searching Holmes is a refreshing alternative to the all-knowing master detective, and the Mediterranean island setting a welcome change.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“With a strong narrative and exceptional investigation mechanics, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One manages to one-up its predecessors. Sadly, it also doesn't reach its full potential, though we can hope that future titles are more in-depth.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“A work that combines its fascinating story with fun mechanisms and turns the gamer into Sherlock Holmes for hours.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Sherlock Holmes Chapter One should, on paper, be the best game out of Frogwares yet. It brings back all those satisfying detective features of the past and couples them with new mechanics and interactions. However, many of them are either surplus or frustrating enough to where they sometimes detract from the overall experience. And with a lifeless open world that doesn't run particularly well at even the best of times, it's not an easy recommendation. What fans loved from past Sherlock Holmes instalments is still there, but you'll need to do a bit of overtime to find it.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“An extremely well-made Sherlock game, regardless of the genre one chooses to place it in.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The strength of Frogwares previous works is retained within more ambitious, freeform packaging. Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One can be abrasive, both in gameplay terms and in its depiction of an iconic character, but it offers such rich and rewarding depth to its detective drama that it's much easier to accept.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is an exciting game. In a possible sequel, Frogwares has to fix a few things to make it amazing!”
read full review ↗ - 75
“It's not bad. Open world and improved action are both double-edged swords of this game. However, each case is still interesting and the process of investigating has been much more excellently upgraded than ever. And being able to meet young Sherlock Holmes is a great power that can overcome all the shortcomings of the game.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
INDIANTVCZ
3DNews
Pure Xbox
gamefinity
PC Invasion
Zoomg
Push Square
GameWatcher
Enternity.gr
INVEN…and 74 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Major Performance Update plus Free "Plague Doctor Pack" DLC are here!Feb 22, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.04 - Sherlock Holmes Chapter OneFeb 22, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.03 - Sherlock Holmes Chapter OneDec 9, 2021
- Patch 1.02 - Sherlock Holmes Chapter OneNov 20, 2021
- Patch 1.01 - Sherlock Holmes Chapter OneNov 19, 2021