The Sinking City Reviews

The Sinking City is ranked in the 40th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
85 / 100
Feb 25, 2021

There's a lot to like in The Sinking City on PlayStation 5. With updated textures, 4K/60 FPS support, faster loading times, and activities support, it's a solid detective story. While the combat may be shallow, and it has enough havok bugs to make a Deep One scared, it represents some of the best work Frogwares Studio has made. If you are an H.P. Lovecraft fan, don't let this one sail past you.

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50 / 100
Sep 12, 2019

After looking at all the evidence, I must say I almost enjoyed The Sinking City. There is a solid game here buried under technical problems and tedium. The interesting characters and quirky protagonist were almost enough to keep me interested, but sloppy combat and plentiful walking eventually wore me down. This is a paranormal call I recommend walking away from.

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70 / 100
Jul 2, 2019

The Sinking City is held back by extreme technical issues, weak presentation, and monotonous combat, but the high quality investigation mechanics and incredible worldbuilding make it a one-of-a-kind ride.

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Jun 26, 2019

The Sinking City is yet another Lovecraftian horror game that fails to live up to expectations, largely thanks to a flood of technical issues and tedious gameplay.

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Guardian
Top Critic
Jul 2, 2019

Moral dilemmas and gruesome beasts abound in a deliciously gothic and disturbing flooded city

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86 / 100
Mar 5, 2021

The Sinking City arriving on next-gen is a surprising yet greatly welcome arrival. With such a rich world and narrative, compelling investigative segments, and some truly horrifying features like experiencing hallucinations when your sanity meter drops, this was a title classic horror fans simply must try. The graphical upgrades are monumental in elevating the eerie, unsettling world which is already dripping with atmosphere into a new level, and the haptic triggers heighten the tension with every bullet. There are still some texture issues – particularly with the hair and teeth – that don’t fit in with the rest of the next-gen polish, and the strange NPC programming can definitely detract from the moment-to-moment situation. Beyond those minor gripes, this is still an exemplary outing into the world of H.P. Lovecraft and a beautiful horror experience well worth your time.

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6 / 10
Feb 25, 2021

While it's great to see The Sinking City return to PlayStation consoles, the PS5 version does little to make this worth an additional purchase for existing owners. DualSense support and shorter load times are nice additions, but performance and gameplay are still on the rough side. For newcomers, the lack of direction in particular can turn the engaging story into a backtracking slog very quickly. There's a great and engaging detective game buried here, but there are much better offerings out there to scratch your itch.

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40 / 100
Sep 18, 2019

The Sinking City is the type of game that will appeal only to the most hardcore of H.P. Lovecraft, or noir fiction fans. Everyone else will be left wondering how so much could go so wrong in what really is an excellent idea for a game.

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ZTGD
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Aug 8, 2019

The Sinking City is a great game that I am sure will become a cult hit, especially when it makes its way to Steam next yea

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7.4 / 10.0
Jul 3, 2019

What goes down must come up. The Sinking City is more than the sum of its glitchy b-game parts. Balanced detective work makes up for shoddy gunplay. A gruff and well-realized cast makes up for brain-dead AI. This is unironically a highwater mark for both detective fiction and Lovecraftian Horror in video gaming.

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GameMAG
Top Critic
6 / 10
Jul 11, 2019

The Sinking City is a very raw and conceptually flawed product with awful shooting, mindless crafting and an unnecessary RPG-system. It is better to read the latest novel "Ghosts of the Depths" by Christian Robert Wind.

Review in Russian | Read full review

6.5 / 10.0
Jun 26, 2019

The Sinking City is a flawed gem, marred with technical issues and repetitive gameplay. The interesting worldbuilding and story elements are insufficient to carry the game in the face of poorly applied mechanics. The Sinking City could have benefited from an additional delay and a tighter game play loop.

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Jun 25, 2019

The latest Cthulhu game has its charms, but mostly if you already love your Lovecraft - otherwise The Sinking City's rough edges might hold you at bay

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Jun 25, 2019

Lousy combat and a low-res, buggy, lifeless land are blemishes for sure, but overall while this may not be the best of the bunch, The Sinking City is certainly the most ambitious of all recent Lovecraftian horror games.

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8.4 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2019

Even with its (few) flaws, The Sinking City manages to shine right where other games of the same genre have failed to impress. It doesn't abuse jumpscare and useless boss fights, but instead Frogwares focused on a well thought out and engaging investigative system and on pleasant action parts, which naturally lead the player to discover the monstrosities of the abyss and to bitterly repent of their own curiosity.

Review in Italian | Read full review

7.8 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2019

The Sinking City is probably the Lovecraft inspired game currently available on the market, thanks to its oppressive atmosphere and its story, which utilizes the lore masterfully without deviating from the canon. AI and technical issues, as well as the clunky combat, are often immersion breaking, but the excellent investigation mechanics and exploration features make it easy to look past these issues. Highly recommended to survival horror fans and those who live and breath Lovecraft.The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.

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Jun 25, 2019

A treat for fans of H. P. Lovecraft's works, mystifying settings, and followers of the Cthulhu Mythos. Unfortunately, its weaker combat and exploration mechanics remain asleep at the bottom of the ocean.

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7 / 10
Jun 25, 2019

The Sinking City is a captivating detective undertaking that dives into the hauntings of H.P. Lovecraft with a compelling narrative that is sure to question your viewpoint as well as reality itself. If you can look past its presentational shortcomings and mediocre combat system, the plight of private eye Charles Reed is one worth seeing for yourself.

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6.7 / 10.0
May 11, 2021

The Sinking City is a good investigation game that is weighed down by repetitive and tedious combat, along with some outdated technical details. If you are a Lovecraft lover you should give it a chance.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Mar 5, 2021

Frogwares is a master in mystery. While their pedigree is mostly rooted in Sherlock Holmes, this foray into Lovecraftian horror is an admirable effort made even better by the technology of the PS5. Loading times are vastly improved on The Sinking City PS5, and the game looks better than it ever has before thanks to improved textures, lighting, and resolution. This version is also free of Frogwares' publisher drama with Nacon, and paints a pretty exciting picture for what the developer can do with mystery games on the PS5.

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