Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments Reviews
Over the last decade, Frogwares has been steadily eliminating the impossibly bad elements from their games, and what remains is the closest anyone's ever come to an authentic Baker Street experience.
Despite the nagging feeling that the game's mechanics are held up by a certain amount of smoke and mirrors, there's more than enough substance here to hold your attention for the fifteen to eighteen hours it takes to finish the game.
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is a member of an unsung breed of games: the kind that rewards critical thinking and judgement over twitchy reflexes, strategy, or putting the right pegs in the right holes.
All six cases are interesting and brilliantly written, filled with characters that not only fill a role, but perform exactly as you'd expect from the Sherlock tales of old. The developers have wisely avoided pigeonholing the game's moral code into black and white (again fitting in with the original Sherlock character, who was hardly a saint), and it these shades of gray to explore that makes each case as well as the interplay between Sherlock and Watson so interesting. Sherlock's mind is presented in such a way that he is clearly a man treading the line between madness and brilliance, which makes this opportunity to play him all the more riveting and an opportunity not to be missed people who enjoy genuine detective fiction.
Crimes and Punishments is a great adventure game that's unfortunately plagued with iffy clues, an unrealized morality system, and puzzles that that get a bit repetitive.
What we have here is the first, full-on, legitimate mystery game for the current generation.
Fun puzzles, inventive murders, and new crime-solving features help make up for a morality system that needed far more fleshing out to be effective.
A great example of how player choice can shape a gameplay experience. Most cases offer a variety of conclusions
In terms of pure gameplay this is perhaps the best serious detective game so far, but the issues with the script and characters remain more than a one pipe problem.
All-new game mechanics, first-rate graphics, and involved sleuthing make Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments a great adventure game.
Overall I enjoyed Crimes And Punishments as it managed to include many of the important features a detective game should have. Being able to punish the wrong people, and getting cases wrong is something that should be in all detective/crime games, but surprisingly most a very linear in that regard. The gameplay also features a nice variety of activities so it doesn't become too repetitive. If you are a fan of nonstop action games then give this game a miss, but if you like a slower paced game were you have to think and explore then this is the perfect game for you.
That said, we thoroughly enjoyed our time with Sherlock Holmes Crimes and Punishments, which is our favourite game starring the drug-addled sleuth so far. From the crisp and detailed graphics to the huge variety in gameplay, this is a solid puzzling adventure that will please anyone after a good yarn.
While an excellent step in the right direction and a guaranteed hit among fans, the layperson may find too many faults to enjoy the experience extensively.
It would be easy to give Crimes & Punishments the typical "for fans of the genre" recommendation, but I think it aspires to and accomplishes more than that. Sure, it has some rough edges, and not every case is a home run, but the Deduction system makes it all worthwhile.
Overall Crimes and Punishments serves as a deliberate, well put together mystery game. It serves as a great change of pace from the shooters and action fodder out there now and that will undoubtedly follow in the coming months. Unfortunately, lack of a cohesive story, feeling of being on a set, and the overall vapid nature of those sets lead the game to a somewhat boring end.
It's a must play for series fans, and a great choice for anyone looking for a deeper take on the genre.
[C]lunky controls, frequent and time consuming travels between areas and the ability to literally skip through all of the challenging sections are real setbacks to what could have otherwise been a very enjoyable game.
Being new to Frogwares' 'Sherlock Holmes' games, I wasn't altogether sure what to expect. As a big fan of old school adventure games, I was surprised by the distinct fun and challenge presented in 'Crimes and Punishments' as well as some of the modern touches both in terms of gameplay and story. With the PS4 being so young in its life, I'm glad to see a classic genre making headway on the platform. While some clues are really hard to find and others are laughably easy, 'Crimes and Punishments' finds the perfect balance between frustration and inspiration. A pleasant surprise for all aspiring sleuths.
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes And Punishments is a perfect example of only being able to recommend something to either fans of the source material or of the genre of games. It's neither amazing nor terrible, but will satisfy anyone interested.
This is a game that will make you think and it will show you lots of pretty pictures and scenery whilst doing it. Unfortunately, the combination of all the technical issues makes Crimes and Punishments an imperfect game. However it is still a playable and thoroughly enjoyable imperfect game.