The Sinking City Reviews

The Sinking City is ranked in the 40th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7 / 10
Jun 25, 2019

If you’ve ever been a fan of Lovecraftian horror or just mystery stories in general, The Sinking City is one stop you’ll want to make a little time for on your trip down the rabbit hole.

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8.4 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2019

Playing The Sinking City feels oppressive, as it should. Oakmont is a terrible, rotten, half destroyed place where lawlessness abounds. Half the city believes in racial purity and the others believe in the long-dormant Elder Gods beneath the ocean. Even with the sometimes clunky dialogue and stiff animations, The Sinking City is a fascinating study of the human condition.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2019

Frogwares expertly blends its Sherlock Holmes gameplay formula with Lovecraft's universe to create one of the best Lovecraftian experiences in years

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4 / 5.0
Jun 25, 2019

It would be nice to see the world and combat tightened up a bit, but its incredibly rewarding mystery-solving makes it a stellar investigation game that succeeds at such a naturally mystifying genre where many others fail.

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Unscored
Jun 25, 2019

Goodness, I was very interested in The Sinking City. I really wanted to love it. But I’m afraid rain may have stopped play this time.

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Unscored
Jun 25, 2019

Great investigations and ancient horrors are hidden by frustrating action

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7 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2019

Frogwares creates an open world and a story that both fit perfectly inside Lovecraft's mithology, but The Sinking City fails to stay aside the best games of the genre.

Review in Italian | Read full review

71 / 100
Jun 25, 2019

The Sinking City is a faithful adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft´s universe, and has some interesting mechanics, but the game has many technical flaws and the open world structure feels "empty".

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Jun 25, 2019

The Sinking City's engrossing premise is ultimately betrayed by counterintuitive systems and bleak monotony.

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Jun 25, 2019

The enjoyable Cthulhu detective story is enough to be worth seeing through, but it’s a mystery why the other parts of the game couldn’t be as strong.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2019

The Sinking City struggles under the weight of its ambition, but it's compelling mysteries and horrific world make it a compelling journey.

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Andy Kelly
Top Critic
66 / 100
Jun 25, 2019

An occasionally entertaining detective game blighted by poor writing, rote combat, and a dreary open world.

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No Recommendation / Blank
Jun 25, 2019

Frogware's most ambitious title to date sees it take on the Cthulu mythos, but unfortunately it makes for one of its most flawed games too.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2019

The Sinking City has a fantastic story, atmosphere, and investigations, leading to something that feels genuinely unique. It's just a shame that it's brought down by an overabundance of crummy combat and glitches.

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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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7 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2019

The Sinking City is a great game for fans of Lovecraftian horror and delivers some stellar quest writing but unfortunately stumbles due to overused and uninspired mechanics, a bland protagonist and general lack of life

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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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6.5 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2019

Despite featuring elements from many video games that I love, The Sinking City still fell flat for me.

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IGN
Top Critic
7.8 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2019

While occasionally frustrating, The Sinking City's compelling stories, exciting environments, and memorable characters make for one of the better Cthulhu lore games around.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2019

The mystery of what is really going on in Oakmont, and with lead character Charles Reed, kept drawing me in and often kept me playing far longer then I intended to.

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