Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

I'll have to start with a disclaimer: This is not the kind of game I usually play. I'm more into fast-paced, action-driven and gameplay-focused titles. However, I also like Sherlock Holmes, and I got a recommendation from someone who played a lot of these "detective"-themed adventure/puzzle games, and who recommended Crimes and Punishments especially as a good introduction into this sub-genre. And he was right. Sure, the gameplay is quite relaxed and casual. Ultimately, what you do is travel to different (but not many) locations and click on all of the hotspots, and solve some puzzles or other mini games in between (most of these can be skipped if you one doesn't get them or simply doesn't like them). However, looking at it that way is somewhat ignoring what this game really is about: It presents a really atmospheric world, six different cases with different vibes in each, but all still tied together in the same world of Sherlock Holmes. The portrayal of the character itself is really on the point - it's not so far over the top like I perceived the Benedict Cumberbatch TV movies, but presents a real human being, still with the genius, eccentricity, wit and also arrogance this character requires. The other characters and the stories for the cases are also well-written. You will get some more or less subtle clues sometimes. The puzzles and mini games are nicely integrated into the stories and contribute to the overall atmosphere. They are also varied, often used only once in the whole game (apart from the lock-picking which you have to do lots of times, but I liked that one). Also, each case is short enough so that it can sustain the puzzles and mini games - it does not feel like these were just thrown in to stretch the play time at all. In summary: If you have some interest in the character of Sherlock Holmes and detective-themed puzzle games, you should give this one a try.

I absolutely love how this game combined elements from my favourite games to create a unique Sherlock Holmes experience! This entry remains faithful to Sherlock Holmes's ability to scrutinize the tiniest elements of each suspect and Person of Interest. Each case also with its several possible conclusions and gives you the opportunity to make a moral decision, just like how the canon Sherlock Holmes usually does. I consider this entry just as good as 'The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: Case of the Rose Tattoo', which I hope that GoG would be able to stock one day. There is the issue that some of the instructions for the minigames were confusing. I refer to arm wrestling (push (tap) left mouse button to push) and the blocks in Blood Bath. I was trying to vertically rotate each individual block to no avail. It left me frustrated, but ultimately the rest of the game was more than enough to make up for it.

Phenomenal artwork, animation and audio, immersive and atmospheric. Runs smoothly on a system that other titles in the series stuttered on. Intuitive and simple interface. Excellent deduction system (though it does take a little practice to be familiar with.) Well-written and often challenging cases with results dependent on one's determination to find all the evidence. I hope to enjoy more Sherlock Holmes with this system in place. (Note: (For those who think that Sherlock gets in the way of the view in third-person, especially wearing his top hat, simply press "R" to toggle between first and third-person.)

As of October, 2019, this is best Sherlock Holmes game ever to be released. The combination of atmosphere, gameplay mechanics, and story is unmatched. After playing this game, you'll be miffed that they didn't offer DLC for it. Highly recommended!

Actually enjoyed this more than I expected. I purchased this game without knowing much about the Sherlock Holmes books or films and neither the gameplay so it didn't know what to expect when playing this. I will start with the things I didn't like: Controls, there is a very weird delay when moving around, while I understand this is not an action game, sometimes I got to stop playing the game only because I got motion sickness and I think it were the delayed camera movement. The minigames, while most were satisfying to resolve, others were very confusing, sometimes I tried to figure it out by myself because the instructions didn't explain very clearly what did I have to do (or maybe I am dumb). And some other puzzles were kind of tedious, because even if you see an element, the game didn't tell you that you needed another thing to be activated in order to continue. The good parts. The game is very immersive, not the best graphics there and I had some performance issues, but it felt great. The sound effects and the music helps a lot with the immersion as well. I loved the voice acting with some exceptions, I think foreigner characters had stupid and exaggerated voice acting but specially Sherlock Holmes voice acting I think it was fantastic. The plot of course is the best part of the game, like I said before, I've never been a Sherlock Holmes follower, so what I played here was probably my first experience with something from that and I enjoyed it much more than I thought. In conclusion I think it is a very enjoyable game, for me it's a change of pace from the more action oriented games I mostly play.