Frogwares' Lovecraftian Sherlock Holmes remake has a release date and a new, spooky trailer

Frogwares is finally ready to slap a release date on its remake of Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened. After multiple delays caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Kyiv-based studio has put out a new trailer and announced a release date of April 11, about five weeks from now. The game will (re)tell the tale of Holmes and Watson's attempt to foil a nefarious Lovecraftian cult bent on, well, all the things nefarious Lovecraftian cults traditionally get up to. Human sacrifice, god summoning, portent uttering, things of that nature.

The original Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened was one of Frogwares' first games as a studio, and the idea of revisiting it was brought about by circumstance as much as anything else. A full-on, years-long development cycle on a wholly new game is a difficult commitment to make in the tumult of a literal wartime situation, but renewing something old isn't as big of an ask. Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened's plot is already written and Frogwares can adopt gameplay mechanics from their last game—Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One—to make it feel like a refreshed, modern experience.

We've actually had a bit of time with this one ahead of its release. PCG's Robin Valentine spent some time playing it back in January, remarking that "it looks and feels modern, and the characters, mysteries, and situations have all been extensively rethought and, in many cases, completely changed".

That's certainly reflected in the release trailer, which for all the world looks like a game more in keeping with Frogwares' more recent output than something from 2007, war or no war. It's an impressive effort, and while my only personal experience with these games comes from the excellent Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments, I'll be eager to check this one out when it hits Steam next month.

One of Josh's first memories is of playing Quake 2 on the family computer when he was much too young to be doing that, and he's been irreparably game-brained ever since. His writing has been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He'll play pretty much anything, and has written far too much on everything from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His most profound loves are for CRPGs, immersive sims, and any game whose ambition outstrips its budget. He thinks you're all far too mean about Deus Ex: Invisible War.