Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Hung Parliament Preview

There has been a murder here!... and there... and pretty much everywhere in Sherlock Holmes The Case of the Hung Parliament! After three murders, it seems the Prime Minister is in danger, and it is up to you — a new detective — to solve the mystery. Can you do it?

Despite what the title might make you think, the game doesn't have you taking control of the titular character. Instead, you receive a quick introduction by John Watson to the case at hand and some information about it, and then it'll be your job to solve it — with or without everyone's favourite detective.

Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Hung Parliament sets itself apart from other titles set in the universe by being a VR adventure with a multiplayer focus and — perhaps most uniquely — a fully-acted cast of characters. You won't see any NPC models or sprites, as every important personality is played by a real actor; this was an interesting premise that set it apart from other titles.

Although I was quite intrigued by the acting, there were some scenes with John Watson that were a bit uncomfortable in the eyes. Likely a case of the 360 camera not stitching the world together properly, he sometimes would pass through it, and in an attempt to understand what was happening, my eyes would strain. This gave me a slight headache at times and made these sections a bit less enjoyable than the others, but as an experimental process, issues are expected.

To solve the case, you will need to go through various areas in the world, some of which you can walk around whilst in others you are standing still in the centre of the room. Each of the sections in the game has a time limit that you can see on your clock, adding a sense of urgency to all of the areas that you need to do. Whether you are investigating the crime scene with your magnifying glass or interrogating suspects, the clock will be ticking to end your section and force you into the next one.

Every time you progress, you will be given the opportunity to return to your office to organise your thoughts and sift through evidence. Everything you gather in each area will appear as a photo that you can move and adjust to corresponding images to get a better visual of everything. Pinning the right evidence is crucial to the case, as you won't be able to return to the areas once your timer has run out, meaning that even with new evidence, you can't reinvestigate and analyse the case with a new perspective.

That said, Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Hung Parliament is a relatively short experience that you'll be able to finish in just a few hours. If you make a mistake somewhere along the way, not only is it not damning because you can find more information in the future, but you will also be able to replay another run and ensure that you are searching for the right things, like a time-travelling detective!

Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Hung Parliament is available now for you to play on Meta Quest App Labs!