The Sinking City Reviews
At time of writing, this feel of roughness coating what is otherwise a good experience at core, holding it back on Switch as much as on the other platforms, even if some extra work went into the audio department to make things feel more authentic.
The Sinking City is an ambitious game with a great story which was bigger than what the small team at Frogwares could deliver. The final result is a moderate game with many mechanics that are lower that today’s standards. On the other hand, the numerous bugs throughout the Oakmont city and the full-priced tag don’t help this game at all. Nevertheless, the Lovecraft-inspired story, great characters and engaging in-game cases make this game a worth-trying experience.
Review in Persian | Read full review
The Sinking City feels like a victim of low budget. There's solid core gameplay (except terrible shooting), interesting story, and the feeling that it could have been be so much more.
Review in Russian | Read full review
The Sinking City on Nintendo Switch is an excellent port with an intriguing narrative hook and Lovecraftian visual style let down by clunky combat and an empty open-world.
The Sinking City is an intriguing game that is sadly let down by its many glitches and lifeless combat.
So, if you like lateral thinking, great [branching] storytelling and excellent voice-acting, and can look past a drab, repetitive sheen that is less gameplay heavy and more set-dressing, you’ll still find a gem in this H.P. Lovecraft love letter to the sea, left in an old bottle to wash up on your shore.
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
The Sinking City feels more like it is based on a Sherlock Holmes novel rather than a game inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's work. The part of the story focusing on supernatural elements is pretty weak, but side-quests more than make up for it. This game has a very strong “one more place to visit” or “one more conversation” vibe. It’s clunky but effective.
Review in Polish | Read full review
The Sinking City is easily the best H.P. Lovecraft game yet, throwing players into a well-realised but characteristically melancholy town that's coming to terms with its cosmic fate. It's a classic detective game through and through, which rewards smarts and isn't afraid to let you explore and immerse yourself with no handholding. It's just a bit of a shame that's hindered by some rudimentary combat, shoddy technical issues and an open world that's a little too big for its own good.
The Sinking City is a playable version of a Lovecraftian detective horror story and with all the mystery solving and investigation going on, this has (almost) all the conditions to satisfy those who enjoy dark, sombre and terrifying environments and an adventure component. The Sinking City does less well on its control system, which feels too removed and unnatural, as well as on some graphic performance issues but those looking for a captivating and chilling experience, this is the right option to go for.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
While it's carried over its fair share of clunky elements in the transition to Nintendo's console, The Sinking City on Nintendo Switch is a fully-featured and mostly well-optimised port. The mixture of psychological horror and detective skills is a positive step beyond the developer's previous work on Sherlock Holmes titles, and while its sanity mechanic doesn't quite hold up to the likes of Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, and it's not without bugs, it offers an enjoyable if not particularly scary descent into madness and delirium.
The SInking City Is a pretty good adventure game, with a good universe, but the open world feature is annoying and the game suffers from multiple graphic diseases.
Review in French | Read full review
The Sinking City is a near-miss, and a unique foray into surivival horror. It doesn’t coddle you, and it certainly doesn’t do any hand-holding, which makes it a unique detective outing let down in its execution by a number of tiny flaws.
The investigative open world of Frogwares is an ambitious game, characterized by an excellent atmosphere but by imperfect gameplay.
Review in Italian | Read full review
I'm not sure if it's worth the $60 pricetag, but if you're a Mythos fan, you should definitely pick it up when it's on sale.
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
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
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.
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.
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.