Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened (2023)
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is the remake of the 2007 Lovecraftian adventure that finally brought together the worlds of Sherlock Holmes and the Cthulhu Mythos. Set in 1882, players step into the shoes of Sherlock Holmes as he investigates mysterious disappearances linked to a dark cult worshipping an ancient god. As Holmes delves deeper into the case, he faces otherworldly entities that challenge his rationality and push him to the brink of madness. Holmes and Watson race against time to uncover clues that lead them to confront unspeakable horrors and fight to prevent catastrophic consequences.
- Release date: 04-11-2023
- Developer: Frogwares
- Publisher: Frogwares
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Triggers for this game
Animals & Wildlife
Birds
Chapters 3 & 6
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Chapter 3 — There is an aviary in the middle of the asylum's courtyard. Chapter 6 — At one point, you have to follow birds to get out of the swamp.
- Can't be avoided
Cats
Chapter 2
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A black cat crosses Holmes and Watson's path in Chapter 2.
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Misc. Animals & Critters
Raccoons (Chapter 5); Gators (Chapter 6)
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Chapter 5 — You find severed fingers at Arneson's mansion. After investigating, you learn that a raccoon took Arnseon's finger with the signet ring on it. Chapter 6 — While navigating the swamp, you encounter gators. At one point, these gators are blocking your path while ogling hanging bodies.
- Can't be avoided
Rodents
Rats (Chapter 3)
- Can't be avoided
Snakes
Snake Venom (Chapter 6)
- Can't be avoided
Crime
Being Held Against Will
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Chapter 3 — Sherlock gets tied up and forcibly drugged by Prof. Gygax
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Guns & Shooting
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Chapter 3 — Watson brings a gun to the asylum. Chapter 6 — While navigating the swamp, you encounter gators. At one point, these gators are blocking your path while ogling hanging bodies. You have to shoot the bodies down in an intense QTE. Chapter 8 — John spots that Dirty has a gun and so pulls out his to shoot. There is now a rather quick QTE where you must shoot Dirty Sommers in the designated head area quickly or the time will run out and he will shoot Sherlock.
- Can't be avoided
Hangings
Chapter 5 (in progress); Chapter 6 (dead bodies)
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Chapter 5 — After you realized Davy barricaded himself in the house, you go to speak with Eulah and bring her in for assistance. She isn't where she was initially, so you have to look for her. As you enter the barn, you find her hanging. Thankfully, you get there in time and are able to get her down. Chapter 6 — While navigating the swamp, you encounter gators. At one point, these gators are blocking your path while ogling hanging bodies.
- Can't be avoided
Kidnapping
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Multiple individuals, including Kimihia & Arneson.
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Torture
Chapter 3
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In a letter from Prof. Becker to Gygax, he describes her experimenting on & torturing Gerda. Gerda says her doll Heidi has had her eyes and arms torn off in addition to being tortured; later, you find Heidi and confirm this.
- Can't be avoided
Death & Loss
Abandonment
Chapter 6
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After you find The Stone Alcove, Sherlock decides to abandon Watson while investigating. Watson (whom you control) catches up after getting his lantern working again.
- Can't be avoided
Family Estrangement
Mycroft
- Can't be avoided
Missing Person(s)
Starting in Chapter 2
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Sherlock's case starting in Chapter 2 features a man named Steinweck whose servant — a Māori man named Kimihia — has gone missing. While investigating, Sherlock learns there is an epidemic of men going missing. Chapter 4 — Outside of Arneson’s Mansion, you run into Eulah whose brother Davy works for Arneson. She hasn’t seen him for days and begs for help. As you investigate, you learn that Arneson has also gone missing.
- Can't be avoided
Suicide
Chapter 8
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After engaging in eye-related self-harm (see ommetaphobia warning), Ashmat kills himself.
- Can't be avoided
Disturbing Sounds & Sound Design
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Screams
Chapter 3
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In Chapter 3 — the middle cell as you first walk into block b has a figure in it; if you approach, she lets out a horrible scream.
- Can't be avoided
Sirens & Alarms
Chapter 3
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Alarm sounds when Sherlock lets Napoleon out of his cell.
Wet Sounds
Near water
- Can't be avoided
Drugs & Alcohol
- Can't be avoided
Alcoholism
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Chapter 3 — Alcoholism (Sherlock's roommate in the asylum). Chapter 4 — Barnaby is an alcoholic who owes multiple people money.
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Forced Drug Use
Chapters 3 & 6
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Chapter 3 — Sherlock gets tied up and forcibly drugged by Prof. Gygax. Later, Sherlock forcibly drugs a worker to escape. Chapter 6 — After finding Arnseon, you have to combine Dwale with Snake Venom to create a sedative and get him out of where he's at.
- Can't be avoided
Tobacco & Smoking
Chewing tobacco, smoking
- Can't be avoided
Financial & Resource Management
Extortion & Ransom
Chapter 4
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Barnaby is an alcoholic who owes people a lot of money. Watson has to dress up like Barnaby to enter the auction hall, where the sheriff notices he is in fact not Barnaby. This prompts a conversation where Sheriff Grubb extorts Watson for every penny he has on him.
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Gore
Amputation
Chapters 3 & 5
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Chapter 3 — Gerda says her doll Heidi has had her eyes and arms torn off in addition to being tortured; later, you find Heidi and confirm this. Sherlock discovers an area where bodies are dismembered and their pieces are tossed into a well. Chapter 5 — You find severed fingers at Arneson's mansion.
- Can't be avoided
Animal Violence
Chapters 3 & 5
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Chapter 3 — Sherlock finds a bird dissected. Chapter 5 — There is a dying horse at Arneson's mansion. While this is optional, you can save them by getting them water.
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Dismemberment
Chapters 3 & 5
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Chapter 3 — Gerda says her doll Heidi has had her eyes and arms torn off in addition to being tortured; later, you find Heidi and confirm this. Sherlock discovers an area where bodies are dismembered and their pieces are tossed into a well. Chapter 5 — You find severed fingers at Arneson's mansion.
- Can't be avoided
Guts
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Brains in jar, severed human head (possibly just a model but impossible to know)
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Hate & Discrimination
Ableism
Sanism
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Avoidable — Chapter 3 — Avoidable by not reading notes. In a note, multiple men are listed as crazy because they speak a language other than English or another well-known one. Unavoidable — Chapter 4 — In the cut scene between Chapters 3 & 4, Sherlock tells Watson about his mother's mental illness (as covered in Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One) and his own fear of going mad as she did.
- Is avoidable
- Can't be avoided
Appearance Discrimination
Fatshaming (Chapter 7)
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Chapter 7 — When Mycroft shows up, Sherlock makes several cracks about Mycroft's weight gain.
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Eugenics
Asylum (Chapter 3)
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In the asylum, multiple patients have been harmed by individuals that believe eugenicist thoughts including that mental illness cannot be treated and the brain must instead be violently altered through processes like lobotomy and electric shocks.
- Can't be avoided
Racism
Chapters 2 & 3
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Unavoidable — Chapter 2 — Steinweck only wants to find Kimihia because of his financial investment; he harbors racist thoughts towards Kimihia, such as assuming he doesn't speak English, keeping his wages for "safety" in his own safe, and stating that he "rescued [Kimihia] from savagery." Avoidable — Chapter 3 — Avoidable by not reading notes. In a note, multiple men are listed as crazy because they speak a language other than English or another well-known one.
- Can't be avoided
Horror Themes
Demons & Devils
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Lovecraftian monsters
- Can't be avoided
Mind Control
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The cult regularly engages in mind control, including in chapter 8 where they've done so in the the Underground Caves.
- Can't be avoided
Monsters
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Lovecraftian monsters
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Law Enforcement
Police Brutality
Chapter 3
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The staff at the asylum (who are more police than caregivers) are abusive towards the patients.
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Mental Health
- Can't be avoided
Dissociation
Chapter 3 (mentioned in note)
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Chapter 3 — Mental illnesses mentioned in notes include dermatilomania (Eloise), mania (Maurizio), dissociation (Maurizio), hysteria (Marianna), nervous breakdown (Nix). You could choose not to read the note.
- Is avoidable
Family References
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Unavoidable — Chapter 4 — In the cut scene between Chapters 3 & 4, Sherlock tells Watson about his mother's mental illness (as covered in Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One) and his own fear of going mad as she did.
- Can't be avoided
Hallucinations
Starting in Chapter 2
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Starting in Chapter 2, Sherlock has visions seem to take him to an Eldritch location in another dimension with impossible physics and rules. In Chapter 6, Sherlock can hear drums while Watson cannot. In the end, it's hard to tell what actually happened during the game and what was a hallucination.
- Can't be avoided
Mental Illness
Chapter 3 (mentioned in note)
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Chapter 3 — Mental illnesses mentioned in notes include dermatilomania (Eloise), mania (Maurizio), dissociation (Maurizio), hysteria (Marianna), nervous breakdown (Nix). You could choose not to read the note.
- Is avoidable
- Can't be avoided
Misc. Mental Health
Paranoia; Meta conversation; Watson vs Jon
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Paranoia — In Chapter 1, Holmes is paranoid about an assassination plot. Meta Conversation — In Chapter 8, Rochester mentions that he and Holmes have fought each other before. After disrupting the ritual, Rochester states that he thought "this time" would be different, confirming that he's aware of the events of the 2007 game. Watson vs Jon — In moments of distress, Holmes will sometimes call out for Watson. If he gets really upset, he'll shout for "Jon" instead. Only the player can see from the subtitles that this isn't a case of him switching to Watson's first name in a break in formality — he's trying to summon Jon, his imaginary childhood friend from Chapter One.
- Can't be avoided
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Watson
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Watson mentions serving in Afghanistan multiple times, including sharing traumatic stories. One such story is about how he became the Sole Survivor after his superior ordered him to flee a losing battle, arguing that as a doctor he would be able to help more people. He then became lost in the desert and almost died, only to be found by British soldiers just in time. Also comes up in a DLC side case in Louisiana, with a man who saw his brother's murder at the hands of Sheriff Grubb.
- Can't be avoided
Psych Ward
Edelweiss institute is an asylum
- Can't be avoided
Natural Events
Misc. Natural Events
Fog (heavily used in Chapter 6)
- Can't be avoided
Storms
Rain, thunder
- Can't be avoided
Non-Sexual Abuse & Violence
- Can't be avoided
Blackmail
Chapter 3
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Prof. Gygax is forcing Mr. Schnitzer to house drugs in his warehouse due to his son's mental illness.
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Child Endangerment
Chapter 2
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Mudlarkers — Girvesh's brother is left alone. Asylum
- Can't be avoided
Emotional Abuse
Chapter 3
- Can't be avoided
Gaslighting
Chapter 3
- Can't be avoided
Harassment
Chapter 4
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Watson has to dress up like Barnaby to enter the auction hall, where the sheriff notices he is in fact not Barnaby. This prompts a conversation where Sheriff Grubb extorts Watson for every penny he has on him. After leaving the hall and returning to their ship, Watson & Holmes find someone has thrown all their belongings off the pier and into the water.
- Can't be avoided
Mutilation
Self-harm (Chapter 3)
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Self-harm — Gerda self-harms in her cell while threatening Sherlock; she says her doll Heidi has had her eyes and arms torn off in addition to being tortured.
- Can't be avoided
Narcissistic Abuse
Chapter 3
- Can't be avoided
Phobias
Acrophobia
Chapter 2
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Partway into Chapter 2 (when Sherlock enters the floor — after you see The only way forward is the abyss) — You enter a series of challenges that require Sherlock to jump / fall off high areas.
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Megalophobia
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Large statues of people & sea creatures
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Necrophobia
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Multiple dead bodies
- Can't be avoided
Ommetaphobia
Chapters 3 & 8 (trauma)
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End of Chapter 3 — Prof. Gygax is murdered by having a pencil stabbed in her eye. You find her with her eyes open and the pencil still in. Chapter 8 — When you find Ashmat's corpse, you discover that he gouged his own eyes out.
- Can't be avoided
Thalassophobia
Sherlock actively has a phobia of water
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If he goes in deep enough (roughly to his ankles), he will grow faint and pass out.
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Trypanophobia
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Chapter 3 — After Sherlock breaks out of his cell, you find and use syringes.
- Can't be avoided
Physical Health & Body Issues
Acquired Disability
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'Dirty’ Sommers has a metal eye.
- Can't be avoided
Hospitalization
Chapter 3 takes place in an asylum
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Religion & Sects
Cults
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Lovecraftian
- Can't be avoided
Ritual Sacrifice
Chapters 2 & 8
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Lovecraftian; Chapter 2 — you find a dead body on an alter. Chapter 8 — As you approach the Lighthouse, you’ll see people sacrificing themselves in preparation of The Lighthouse Ritual.
- Can't be avoided
Sex & Erotica (Consensual)
Sex Work
Chapter 4
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A sex worker named Lucy helps Watson after their belongings are thrown overboard by inviting him on her boat and giving him extra clothes.
- Can't be avoided
Traumatic Events
- Can't be avoided
Human Experimentation
Chapter 3
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In a letter from Prof. Becker to Gygax, he describes her experimenting on & torturing Gerda.
- Can't be avoided
War & Military
Historical War
Watson
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Watson mentions serving in Afghanistan multiple times, including sharing traumatic stories.
- Can't be avoided
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