Sherlock Holmes takes on The Case of the Hung Parliament in VR

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Single or multiplayer live-action deduction mystery available via AppLab and SideQuest on the Meta Store

While most of the Holmesian headlines are being hogged this month by Frogwares' upcoming remake of The Awakened, Sir Arthur Conan's Doyle's famed detective is featured in another mystery this month as well, in the form of the VR-exclusive Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Hung Parliament.

Technically Sherlock isn't in this game, as his unknown whereabouts are one of the mysteries to be solved. But with the guidance of Dr. John Watson, players will step directly into their familiar world to figure out who or what is behind the deaths of the Home Secretary, the Foreign Secretary, and the Lord Chancellor, all of whom were "found hanging in their own chambers" on their respective birthdays. Prior to their demises, each had received "a card with a mysterious quote written on it," and now the Prime Minister himself has received one. No longer is this just a matter of identifying a killer of past deeds, but a race to unmask him or her before they're able to strike again.

Created exclusively for virtual reality, The Case of the Hung Parliament is being touted as "the first VR game to feature interactive live-action FMV with professional theatre actors." The case represents a "typically absorbing Holmesian whodunit written by prolific theatre writer Anthony Spargo and Les Enfants Terribles' Artistic Director Oliver Lansley, whose collective work spans books, TV, theatre and Amazon productions." To solve the mystery, players must grab their trusty magnifying glass to examine crime scenes for over a hundred pieces of evidence and "interrogate a collection of malevolent misfits, all of whom have good reason to carry out such diabolical deeds." Once you're finished with your investigative legwork, you'll visit Sherlock's Mind Fortress to "construct your case using the clues you have picked up at the locations spread around London." Adding another unique wrinkle, the game can be played either solo or collaboratively "with up to three other friends to pool your deductive skills."

While Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Hung Parliament is still being fine-tuned, a complete "in development" version of the game is available now to download on the Meta Store for Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro devices via AppLab and SideQuest (the VR equivalent of Early Access).