Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments Reviews
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.
Overall Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is a fitting title and if it weren't plagued with various problems like load times it would have been an even better title. It is a great crime thriller and if you are into that sort of game I would certainly recommend picking it up.
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.
Overall, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishment made an excellent addition to the Holmes Adventure games. The new modern approach really benefits the game as a whole, and the new engine brings out the best in the Holmes games that the others just couldn't convey. I would highly recommend this game to anybody who enjoys the Sherlock Holmes universe as well as to anyone who enjoys detective/mystery games as well.
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.
If you want your fix of Sherlock and don't feel like whipping a book open, this game is a safe bet to whet your appetite. Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments has a ton of charm, uniqueness, and freedom, and with the right gamer, this will be a dream.
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.
What we have here is the first, full-on, legitimate mystery game for the current generation.
Crimes and Punishments is a game that is otherwise fantastic in nearly every aspect it devotes its time to. It's a game that reminds us of how great Sherlock Holmes is, and why the character has endured for so long. But it's also one that reminds us why Conan Doyle wanted to abandon the character. You can't escape him. He'll always decipher the clues, always find you, always see through the most perfectly planned murder. He marches ever onward, against the flow of time, holding on steadily. He'll always be there, Watson in tow, ready to take the next case. And God help us, there's still some appeal in that.
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is more than just an excellent detective adventure, it also absolutely nails the essence of being the pride of Baker Street and in doing so provides an exciting roadmap for where Ukrainian developer Frogwares will take the series next.
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.
This latest puzzling offering is more than elementary then, we'd say. Multiple cases presented well (ignoring the loading issues) all with a variety of possible outcomes which can be achieved using various tools and the power of your own deduction. You do get to feel like Holmes if we're honest; searching for the evidence, logical reasoning and grand espousing - it's very Conan Doyle. The fact it can all be played in bursts or short sessions given we're looking at discrete cases, and the way the game gives feedback on your choices compared to the reality of the situation - and compared to other gamers - adds to the experience the same way similar feedback does in many interactive novel games around at the moment. Ultimately Sherlock's alright - not much more, but alright might be all you need in the quiet autumn evenings.
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments is an enjoyable collection of different cases putting you once again in the shoes of the one man that can solve them all. The synapse style deduction board is a giant leap forward for the series, allowing you to finish cases with inaccurate information. I did end up sentencing an innocent man to death, but the game does allow you to go back and adjust your conclusions before proceeding to the next case.
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments delivers a good system for finding clues and solving murders with a complex clues and deductions system, plenty of puzzles to be had, and good mysteries to boot. The gameplay can be a bit repetitive at times, however if your willing to overlook that, it can turn into quite a mystery game. The visuals and art are sure to impress, and you can expect hours of content from this title, all with a unique moral system to track how you compare to others who play the game.
Overall, this is the best Sherlock Holmes game we've encountered and a very auspicious debut for the consulting detective on Switch. This is far from a lazy downgrade, with developer Frogwares presenting a full-featured and compelling experience from start to perhaps-too-soon finish. It looks great and plays brilliantly, with only occasional annoyances and some weak (though thankfully skippable) puzzles to knock it down a peg. The fact that the game is willing to allow you to get it wrong means it feels less prescribed and inevitable as other titles in the detective genre, and that's quite refreshing. A little ironic that it took one of the form's oldest characters to finally land such a novel approach.
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.
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.
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.
With clever puzzles and a dash of modern sensibilities inspired by the BBC show, Crimes and Punishments is an easy recommendation to armchair detectives - and the first to let players really experience being Sherlock Holmes.
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.