Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One

In this story-driven detective thriller, players step into the shoes of a young Sherlock Holmes on a quest to unravel the mystery of his mother's death on the exotic island of Cordona in the Mediterranean. As Sherlock, players shape their legacy through decisions made in an open-world environment, utilizing deception, violence, deduction, and the guidance of their enigmatic companion, Jon. Players can choose between brute force and strategic wit to overcome challenges, honing their investigative skills as they delve into the dark underbelly of Cordona. Narrative themes include death, political corruption, crime, and trauma. Note: Some gameplay involves Quick-Time Events (QTEs).

• Release date: 11-16-2021
• Developer: Frogwares
• Publisher: Frogwares
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox Series X/S

Triggers for this game

Animals & Wildlife

• Birds

  Chickens, crows

  • Can't be avoided

• Dogs

  • Can't be avoided

• Insects

  Bees

  • Can't be avoided

• Misc. Animals & Critters

  Horses, cattle, goats, sheep, elephant, pig, donkey

  • Can't be avoided

• Rodents

  Rats

  • Can't be avoided

• Sharks

  Dead

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  In 'The Muse From Abroad,' Sherlock encounters a hanging shark carcass in the undergallery

  • Can't be avoided

Crime

• Assassination

  • Can't be avoided

• Attacks on Law Enforcement

  • Can't be avoided

• Being Held Against Will

  Handcuffs, tied up suspects

  • Can't be avoided

• Explosions & Bombs

  • Can't be avoided

• Fights

  • Can't be avoided

• Gangs & Mobsters

  Many gangs in the main game; Saints and Sinners DLC has Righteous Gang

  • Can't be avoided

• Guns & Shooting

  • Can't be avoided

• Misc. Crime

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Poisoning — Siren Song optional side mission

  • Is avoidable
  • Can't be avoided

• Murder

  Multiple cases

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  For the Birds Cordona Story — a man has murdered his family and then disappeared. END GAME SPOILERS — Past the point of no return, Sherlock will discover four possible explanations for his mothers death - that Otto Richter accidentally murdered Violet while trying to save Sherlock from drowning, Otto purposefully killed Violet to "end her suffering and save" Sherlock's life, Jon killed her by coming up with the idea to give her sedatives (and you must get rid of Jon as you can't trust him), or that you made the decision to give her sedatives and are at fault for her death. There is no one correct answer, so you're able to pick out the one that best suits your story.

  • Can't be avoided

• Stalking

  • Can't be avoided

• Theft

  • Can't be avoided

• Torture

  • Can't be avoided

Death & Loss

• Abandonment

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Mycroft

  • Can't be avoided

• Death of Loved One

  You encounter many people whose family members and loved ones have died, and you have to interview / interrogate them to help solve cases.

  • Can't be avoided

• Death of Parent

  Violet (Sherlock & Mycroft's mother) dies about a decade prior to gameplay. Her death is pivotal to the plot, as is Sherlock's trauma & grief around it.

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Their father also dies prior to gameplay. Throughout the game, Sherlock learns that his mother did not die from tuberculosis - in fact, she didn't have it at all but was struggling with mental health issues. Sherlock is determined to learn what the real cause of death was. END GAME SPOILERS — Past the point of no return, Sherlock will discover four possible explanations for his mothers death - that Otto Richter accidentally murdered Violet while trying to save Sherlock from drowning, Otto purposefully killed Violet to "end her suffering and save" Sherlock's life, Jon killed her by coming up with the idea to give her sedatives (and you must get rid of Jon as you can't trust him), or that you made the decision to give her sedatives and are at fault for her death. There is no one correct answer, so you're able to pick out the one that best suits your story.

  • Can't be avoided

• Death of Spouse or Partner

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Violet's husband (Sherlock's father) dies before her. As she struggles with her mental health, she regularly forgets that he is dead.

  • Can't be avoided

• Drowning

  Siren Song optional side mission

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  In this mission, Sherlock encounters a drowned sailor's corpse. You learn that there have been several drowned sailor corpses recently.

  • Is avoidable

• Family Estrangement

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Mycroft

  • Can't be avoided

• Suicide

  Mentions

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Mention of suicide in miners mourning note / the flowers of the good

  • Can't be avoided

Disturbing Sounds & Sound Design

• Wet Sounds

  Near water

  • Can't be avoided

Drugs & Alcohol

• Alcohol Consumption

  • Can't be avoided

• Alcoholism

  • Can't be avoided

• Casual Drug Consumption

  Sacrificial Lamb mission

  • Can't be avoided

• Drunkenness

  Lord Craven

  • Can't be avoided

• Intoxication

  Lord Craven

  • Can't be avoided

• Prescribed Medication

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Violet is prescribed a lot of medication to try to help with her mental health issues.

  • Can't be avoided

• Tobacco & Smoking

  • Can't be avoided

Financial & Resource Management

• Gambling

  • Can't be avoided

• Income Management

  You can buy new outfits and buy back family items, but you must manage your income to do so. You can also 'rent' outfits for free if you do not have the funds to purchase them.

  • Can't be avoided

• Poverty

  • Can't be avoided

Gore

• Amputation

  Main game & Saints and Sinners DLC

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Main game — If you search Chief Inspector Placido's office trying to find his whereabouts, you will find a severed ear in surgical solution. The Missing Shopkeeper optional side mission has dismembered fingers. Saints and Sinners DLC — The DLC is about a priest who was found dead with his hand severed.

  • Can't be avoided

• Animal Violence

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Taxidermied animals on the walls in Gilden's house and Sherlock's house (possibly other areas). Gilden has an elephant without the right space and greenery, and uses a sharp object for "training" the elephant.

  • Can't be avoided

• Blood

  • Can't be avoided

• Body Horror

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Contorted dead bodies

  • Can't be avoided

• Dismemberment

  Main game & Saints and Sinners DLC

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Main game — If you search Chief Inspector Placido's office trying to find his whereabouts, you will find a severed ear in surgical solution. The Missing Shopkeeper optional side mission has dismembered fingers. Saints and Sinners DLC — The DLC is about a priest who was found dead with his hand severed.

  • Is avoidable
  • Can't be avoided

• Guts

  • Can't be avoided

• Misc. Gore

  • Can't be avoided

• Viscera

  • Can't be avoided

Hate & Discrimination

• Ableism

  Sanism, Neurodivergence-shaming

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Sanism — As Sherlock investigates his mother's death, he realizes that she did not have tuberculosis but was struggling with "madness." A Gilded Cage — Arthur Swift is very racist & ableist / sanist. Neurodivergence shaming — In Silence is Golden, Sherlock recalls Mycroft shaming him for speaking up about injustice.

  • Can't be avoided

• Classism

  • Can't be avoided

• Dehumanization & Objectification

  • Can't be avoided

• Islamophobia

  • Can't be avoided

• Misogyny

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  During the first mission, a woman faints and Sherlock proclaims "The feebleness of women."

  • Can't be avoided

• Racism

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  A Gilded Cage — Arthur Swift is very racist & ableist / sanist.

  • Can't be avoided

• Sexism

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  During the first mission, a woman faints and Sherlock proclaims "The feebleness of women."

  • Can't be avoided

Horror Themes

• Demons & Devils

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  In 'The Muse From Abroad,' Sherlock is looking for a missing painting which shows the devil "in an act of love" with a woman while others around them look on in "orgiastic delight."

  • Can't be avoided

• Ghosts & Hauntings

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  The first true mission in the game involves a seance, spiritualism, and ghosts. The Ghost-Hunter Cordona Story involves finding where a ghost hunter has gone.

  • Can't be avoided

• Vampires

  One case revolves around vampires (What was did in the shadows)

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Naturally, the vampires aren't real

  • Can't be avoided

Kink & BDSM

• Bondage & Restricted Movement

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  The Muse From Abroad — In the undergallery, there is a bed underneath wall-mounted metal restraints (although no sexual content is shown)

  • Can't be avoided

• Misc. Kink & BDSM

  Sex with the Devil, BDSM club

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  In 'The Muse From Abroad,' Sherlock is looking for a missing painting which shows the devil "in an act of love" with a woman while others around them look on in "orgiastic delight." In 'Sacrificial Lamb,' Kurt Manchios' mansion is a very kink-focused area complete with Eyes Wide Shut style masks.

  • Can't be avoided

Law Enforcement

• Misc. Law Enforcement

  To complete several missions, you will have to train with the police force.

  • Can't be avoided

• Police Pursuit

  To complete several missions, you will have to train with the police force.

  • Can't be avoided

• Prison & Incarceration

  • Can't be avoided

LGBTQ+

• Being Outed

  A Gilded Cage Mystery

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Paul Perks is a woman in disguise (possibly trans, though not explicitly said to be). He is worried about being outed.

  • Can't be avoided

Mental Health

• Anxiety

  • Can't be avoided

• Depression

  • Can't be avoided

• Family References

  • Can't be avoided

• Grief

  • Can't be avoided

• Hallucinations

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Jon is Sherlock's imaginary friend from childhood. He "cannot remember a time without him. He cannot accept that only I can see him." Over the course of the game, Sherlock learns that his mother was struggling with hallucinations. END GAME SPOILERS — Past the point of no return, Sherlock will enter the garden of his home and see a hallucination of Violet.

  • Can't be avoided

• Mental Illness

  Sherlock's mother Violet

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Violet initially struggled with anxiety, confusion/memory issues, and sleep issues. This then grew after medication to catatonia, apathy, depression, prolonged confusion, delusions, episodes of violence against family and self (self-harm).

  • Can't be avoided

• Misc. Mental Health

  Anger management issues

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Lord Craven

  • Can't be avoided

• Panic Attack

  • Can't be avoided

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • Can't be avoided

Non-Sexual Abuse & Violence

• Altercations

  • Can't be avoided

• Assault

  • Can't be avoided

• Blackmail

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Corporal Mark Ridley is blackmailed.

  • Can't be avoided

• Bullying

  • Can't be avoided

• Child Endangerment

  • Can't be avoided

• Domestic Violence

  In optional mission Blindsided

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Optional — In the side mission "Blindsided," Magda von Staub has bruises across her body.

  • Is avoidable

• Gaslighting

  • Can't be avoided

• Harassment

  • Can't be avoided

• Manipulation

  • Can't be avoided

• Mutilation

  Dead bodies, self-harm

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Self-harm — Violet.

  • Can't be avoided

• Psychological Abuse

  • Can't be avoided

• Stalking

  • Can't be avoided

Phobias

• Agliophobia

  • Can't be avoided

• Emetophobia

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Heard / not seen — In the beginning cutscene, Sherlock is seasick and vomits in a sink after getting out of bed. You don't see it but you can hear it. Seen — The Ghost-Hunter Cordona Story (optional)

  • Is avoidable
  • Can't be avoided

• Hemophobia

  • Can't be avoided

• Megalophobia

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Large statues in the cemetery.

  • Can't be avoided

• Melissophobia

  Hive Master case

  • Can't be avoided

• Merinthophobia

  • Can't be avoided

• Misc. Phobias

  Decidophobia (Fear of making decisions)

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Cynophobia (Fear of dogs), Equinophobia (Fear of horses)

  • Can't be avoided

• Necrophobia

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Dead bodies at crime scenes. Human and animal skulls in the seance room (first mission). Visiting a cemetery, complete with tombstones & graves. The Muse From Abroad — skeleton in an open casket. A Mad Rogue Cordona Story — skull. Following finishing up The Muse From Abroad, Verner Vogel sends Sherlock a skeleton statue. In Sherlock's house, there are multiple random death-related bits, such as skulls, a sarcophagus, a skeleton in a glass coffin, etc.

  • Can't be avoided

• Ommetaphobia

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Optional — In the Blindsided mission, Sherlock overhears people talking about a man who was murdered & had both his eyes shot out.

  • Is avoidable
  • Can't be avoided

• Thalassophobia

  Sherlock actively has a phobia of water

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  If he goes in deep enough (roughly to his ankles), he will grow faint and pass out.

  • Can't be avoided

• Traumatophobia

  • Can't be avoided

Physical Health & Body Issues

• Body Modification

  In the form of dressing up in disguises

  • Can't be avoided

• Misc. Physical Health & Body Issues

  Asthma (Saints and Sinners DLC)

  • Can't be avoided

• Pain & Physical Suffering

  • Can't be avoided

Politics

• Misc. Politics

  • Can't be avoided

Religion & Sects

• Priests

  Saints and Sinners DLC

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  The DLC is about a priest who was found dead with his hand severed.

  • Can't be avoided

• Religion

  Churches, mosque

  • Can't be avoided

• Ritual Sacrifice

  Missions: The Scapegoat, Sacrificial Lamb

  • Can't be avoided

Sex & Erotica (Consensual)

• Adultry

  Beginning cutscene

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  The ship's captain has been sleeping with his staff.

  • Can't be avoided

Sexual Abuse

• Misc. Sexual Abuse

  • Can't be avoided

Traumatic Events

• Accidents

  Multiple

  • Can't be avoided

• Misc. Traumatic Events

  • Can't be avoided

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