Posted on: August 1, 2020

chlop

Games: 2575 Reviews: 106

Not quite there

Crimes and Punishments is the best Sherlock Holmes game I played, but that's not saying much. Especially since this game feels like it'd benefit from a sequel, which will fix the flaws of the first, and remove what didn't work. Problems both technical – such as the slowdowns and freezes, and the occasional crash, but more importantly problems with the plot, the mechanics and the voice over work. Overall, this game is very good, especially its graphics, which get enhanced with very good lighting effects. The mysteries chosen are also a decent fit for Holmes, but partly because 3 of them are from the Sherlock Holmes stories. One doesn't mention Holmes by name, another is completely forgettable, and the third is often adapted to screen, making it very familiar. But even with more unique mysteries, the feeling of actually solving a mystery would still be missing. Levels are small and filled with invisible walls, so you're constantly herded in the right direction. You're told where to search for clues, when to use Holmes special vision - vision that helps him spot hard to find clues, and when to move on from the crime scene. In fact, you're given quests to fill, called tasks, so whatever mystery you're trying to solve, you'll do it in a paint by numbers way. You're not forced to collect all the clues, but without every clue, it's a game of guesswork. You can complete the game by reaching the wrong conclusions, but what's the fun in that? It's bad enough that the correct conclusions don't always make sense, and sometimes seem to ignore previous clues. You also can't fully investigate a crime scene, or ask relevant questions, because those actions are only unlocked once you receive an obvious clue telling you to search that place, or ask that question. There's also a nice variety of mini-games, but they get repeated far too often, and ultimately feel like padding. Watson is decent now, but mostly because the bulk of his dialog is in the opening, parody-esque, scene.

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Posted on: April 2, 2022

kyarr772

Verified owner

Games: Reviews: 2

Nice introduction detective puzzle games

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.

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Posted on: November 5, 2019

Ariko

Verified owner

Games: 172 Reviews: 1

The best bits of LA Noire and Telltale!

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.

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Posted on: December 27, 2020

MrKevvy

Verified owner

Games: 248 Reviews: 6

Beautifully done and highly enjoyable

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.)

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Posted on: October 28, 2020

leonnchu

Verified owner

Games: 728 Reviews: 25

Detective simulator

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.

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