Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 294 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 199 out of 294
  2. Mixed: 62 out of 294
  3. Negative: 33 out of 294
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. tsakiym
    Jun 8, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It was a nice game and I enjoyed it very much. No comparison with la noire.la noire was better.but this game has a nice vibe. I liked the stories and the road to the decisions… Expand
  2. HARALD
    Oct 8, 2014
    9
    I WANT MORE I WANT MORE.... Yeah i am a fan boy, but this is the best Sherlock Holmes game made to date. It was challenging at times, and I just felt like doing one more thing for i saved the game.

    The best cases where some of the best gaming i have ever done. The houers just fled buy and the frustration of having to relay work to get the facts right. And when the story started to make    I WANT MORE I WANT MORE.... Yeah i am a fan boy, but this is the best Sherlock Holmes game made to date. It was challenging at times, and I just felt like doing one more thing for i saved the game.

    The best cases where some of the best gaming i have ever done. The houers just fled buy and the frustration of having to relay work to get the facts right. And when the story started to make sense you felt like well Sherlock Holmes.

    Sherlock Holmes is not about the best game play and at time you can get a bit frustrated of the devs forcing you to follow there steps. And all the hints of where you are to go can get very annoying in some of the cases. But then you get to play the well written well thought out case, all the anger and frustration is gone. The pipe and the hat is one and you have a case to solve.

    For fans this game is the best Sherlock game ever made. For the people dreaming of being Sherlock, this is you're game.

    And for the devs:
    GIVE MORE CASES TO SOLVE if not ill take up Sherlock Holmes habit and its youre fault!!    … Expand
  3. kyriores
    Oct 12, 2014
    9
    A very well made adventure/detective game. Games like this are quite rare nowadays, since most publishers tend to go for cheap "cartoony" graphics instead. Luckily, this game is not all about the graphics either. Every single one of the 5 cases that I've played so far has been interesting and unique. The voice acting is great too. If I were to name one of the game's weak points then itA very well made adventure/detective game. Games like this are quite rare nowadays, since most publishers tend to go for cheap "cartoony" graphics instead. Luckily, this game is not all about the graphics either. Every single one of the 5 cases that I've played so far has been interesting and unique. The voice acting is great too. If I were to name one of the game's weak points then it would probably be the difficulty of the puzzles, as they are not too hard for the seasoned adventurer, but definitely not "casual easy" either.… Expand
  4. Pixelhive
    Oct 12, 2014
    9
    Pros:

    + Interesting storyline
    + Nice deduction/investigation system
    + Soft and nice graphics
    + Good voice active (for most of the game)

    Cons:

    - Long loading times between locations/cutscenes
    - Dragging/putting actions sometimes bug, making it hard to place anything
  5. Jthecrazed
    Nov 5, 2014
    9
    The game is incredibly well designed for it's genre, although not better than LA Noire, It is a great mix between puzzles and exploration, even taking in elements like a sort of eagle vision. That's not forgetting the amount of content it has. 9/10
  6. jonas505
    Jan 9, 2015
    10
    This is a really fun game and a lot better than the previous Sherlock Holmes games. The individual cases are great because it keeps the game interesting. Each case is of a different kind and has its own settings. Its even fun to play this game with a partner and to discuss the clues and leads. The only weak points are some of the mini games (lock picking..) and loading times betweenThis is a really fun game and a lot better than the previous Sherlock Holmes games. The individual cases are great because it keeps the game interesting. Each case is of a different kind and has its own settings. Its even fun to play this game with a partner and to discuss the clues and leads. The only weak points are some of the mini games (lock picking..) and loading times between scenes. All in all highly recommended!… Expand
  7. Mpbpl
    Jul 10, 2018
    9
    Maybe best detective game ever?
    In this game you are Sherlock Holmes on his crime solving cases, and when I say you are him... YOU ARE HIM! The game doesn't spill out the cases and what is the solution for you, you have to find the clues and form deductions on how the case went, and find out if are right.
    It's amazing how in control of all the information you are, so it never feels like    Maybe best detective game ever?
    In this game you are Sherlock Holmes on his crime solving cases, and when I say you are him... YOU ARE HIM! The game doesn't spill out the cases and what is the solution for you, you have to find the clues and form deductions on how the case went, and find out if are right.
    It's amazing how in control of all the information you are, so it never feels like one impossible to find information that's given on the last cutscene by Sherlock to surprise you and make you say "He's so smart", NO!, you get to be super smart with Sherlock and make him choose all the right deductions, or the wrong ones.
    No case gets finished until you make choices on possible deductions, meaning that with all the clues gathered you can actually miss because of an afterthought.
    It is like a Point & Click game, so don't expect too much action, but that is not focus... the mystery and the solving is. Great mysteries, great acting, great graphics, close to a masterpiece.    … Expand
  8. MetaCthulhu
    Oct 28, 2018
    9
    Very entertaining detective game. Probably the best out there atm. A must buy for genre fans.
  9. eelegendo
    Oct 8, 2014
    8
    I've been waiting for this since the last Sherlock came out. It was a great game, for me it would hav been enough to polish it a little, ad some new cases, more freedom and it's a 10 game. Sadly C&P took a new turn and a step back in many regards. I didn't finish the game yet, but I think my opinion would not change too much after have it done.

    The cons: - Sherlock gets to be more and    I've been waiting for this since the last Sherlock came out. It was a great game, for me it would hav been enough to polish it a little, ad some new cases, more freedom and it's a 10 game. Sadly C&P took a new turn and a step back in many regards. I didn't finish the game yet, but I think my opinion would not change too much after have it done.

    The cons:
    - Sherlock gets to be more and more a console game, now we have checkpoints. Sh.tty checkpoints... Why can't I save my game as I used to? Is it really so hard to program it?
    - No translated voices - every game in the series was dubbed up to this point. This was almost a deal-breaker for me. (The only reason I still bought it is to support the devs, so maybe later they can make a perfect Sherlock game.) There was some "explanation" for the missing dub on their website, but it is pure BS. They say they didn't translate voices, because lip-syncing would be an enormous job... Who believes that? Every Sherlock game had been dubbed, besides hundreds of other games. This is no excuse. I think they lost many consumers there....
    - Besides and this is the funniest the eng dub out of sync! Many games come out with only english dub and unsynced lips for other languages. No problem: the fans who don't understand english still can understand the game without reading subs. The devs could have just put the dubbed voices over the english lip-sync, no one would have noticed - now we have the unsynced result, but without foreign dub... Smart.
    - The game eats up tons of resources. On a rig that runs Crysis3 on high around 20 fps, C&P delivers 15-17 and C3 looks 5 times better, with grass, big areas and monsters fighting with you.
    - Looong loading times, I didn' experience such long ones since The Witcher 1, and that was the worst.

    Pros:
    - Long loads, but at longer travels you can use your notes to prepare yourself during the wait. A really good idea.
    - Overall good/great ideas for detective work, this is a great game, or at least there was the potential to be one of the best games ever, if they could just somehow not scr.w up almost everything around it. The puzzles are great, playing the detective is also fun. I've never would have written so much on the subject if I'd thought C&P was an average.

    So this is not a bad game, but it could have been soo much better. The devs should go back to the oldschool pc save, polish the framerates and have dubs again. There are literally hundreds of bad console games, don't try to make one yourself too. Now Sherlock is one of a kind. If you go on the console path, it will be a featureless, unremarkable, one of a thousand game. I still give it an 8 and hope there would be a better one next.

    UPDATE: Measurement puzzles are still a chore... What is the point of it? You measure the same 100 times and then it just clicks and you've found a clue you knew from the beginning, it just didn't measure it. Anyone betatested this?
    There is alway around 10 m2 where you can move around, after that you just stop - I mean it was loading for 2 minutes! What was it loading. In ACIV they load a whole town in 2 mins. BTW I have 16 gb of RAM - the whole game could fit into the memory, TWICE! Still it loads for ages. What kind of abysmally bad coding is this?
    Watson is ridiculous, dumb and always blocking the way - Sherlock's scornfulness and disdain for him is not surprising... He is just a pain in the a.se.
    You can Alt+Tab out when loading to do anything else and the scene still loads - dissappointing solution for a game to be enjoyed, but works.    … Expand
  10. Spirit25
    Oct 5, 2014
    10
    This game is a 10. I can hardly find any fault with it. You are the detective and you make the decisions. You decide on the outcome and what your actions shall be. If you are a veteran when it comes to this genre then you might find it easy . . . . cause lets face it - you played them all, you read books, you watch CSI and to appease you is impossible (I actually consider myself a veteranThis game is a 10. I can hardly find any fault with it. You are the detective and you make the decisions. You decide on the outcome and what your actions shall be. If you are a veteran when it comes to this genre then you might find it easy . . . . cause lets face it - you played them all, you read books, you watch CSI and to appease you is impossible (I actually consider myself a veteran in this genre). If you are a novice you will find this game "very hard" or perhaps you just went with every 1st conclusion that popped up instead of looking further.

    Now about the game: There isn't just 1 conslusion that ends the case, there are a few and it is up to you to choose one. So ignore all reviews and comments saying that this is a linear game as linear would indicate only 1 answer was availible. The graphics arn't tripple A, but they are still gorgeous and really draws you into the world. Another thing that I love is that it isn't just ONE story, but multiple stories, more than one case that needs solving. There were times where I had the conclusion, but still had to go back to my notes as to pick the "right person" who actually done the murder. Great acting, great animation. Laughed at certain points and frowned at others. This is the most accurate Sherlock Holmes I have ever come across outside the books

    Bad points: I really can't find any bad points to be honest. Loading times arn't bad except for when the maps where rather quite large and while the game is loading you are watching sherlock driving in a cab with whoever he brought along. Like the game knows if Sherlock is driving alone, when he brought the "best nose in the empire" or with Watson. Now the Map doesn't just appear right after the loading has finished, no you have to click, which is nice as it makes sure you don't miss anything but at first I was reading the hints, waiting for it to load just to find out it already loaded and was waiting for me to click it.

    This game helps you along the way, but it doesn't spoon feed you. If you hover over something it will notify you that you can examine it, but it will not highlight everything across the room with the click of a button. I can't say that the "mini games" like lock pick and such were very challenging, but still interesting. The "detective mode" isn't really well thought out and I think it should have been better if it was just removed entirely - more like a clone of X-ray mode from the latest batman games.

    I give this game a ten as I am wanting more. Perhaps drop the "detective mode" (you know where you press "T") and add more challenging "mini games" but keep everything else the same.
    The best review I could find that I agree absolutely with is: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/gaming/sherlock-holmes-crimes--punishments-review--no-cumberbatch--and-nothing-elementary-9762682.html    … Expand
  11. adff500
    Oct 5, 2014
    8
    +++ Pros +++
    1. Graphics and voice-overs are really good.
    2. Decent lenght of the game (6 chapters with various cases). 3. Your conclusions and decisions matter = a possible replay value (just dont hold spacebar to spoil your next game experience). - - - Cons - - - 1. Lots of travelling between locations = very long loading times (fortunately you can make conclusions and check    +++ Pros +++
    1. Graphics and voice-overs are really good.
    2. Decent lenght of the game (6 chapters with various cases).
    3. Your conclusions and decisions matter = a possible replay value (just dont hold spacebar to spoil your next game experience).
    - - - Cons - - -
    1. Lots of travelling between locations = very long loading times (fortunately you can make conclusions and check evidence meanwhile).
    2. Some minigames (rope walking) and puzzles are annoying,they can be skipped,though (but quick time events cant).
    3. Controls and camera are very limited (no key bindings,no zoom - just set 1st/ 3rd person view).

    If you like immersive interactive movies/ adventure games with strong narrative and detective feeling like L.A.Noir, Beyond: Two Souls or Murdered: Soul Suspect, then this game is for you.    … Expand
  12. HarryCYUL
    Oct 4, 2014
    10
    This game is amazing, looks amazing, plays amazing, sounds amazing, run out and buy it now or wip out your credit card and download this motherf**ken awesome game :)
  13. Thilus
    Oct 31, 2014
    9
    This is definitely a win for the Sherlock Holmes series. After the Testament of Sherlock Holmes I thought that the whole series is on a downward spiral, and that this title is just going to be a nail to the coffin, but Crimes & Punishments turned out to be everything I wanted to see in a Sherlock Holmes game - the crimes, the drama, witty puzzles, some action. I really hope this is a lifeThis is definitely a win for the Sherlock Holmes series. After the Testament of Sherlock Holmes I thought that the whole series is on a downward spiral, and that this title is just going to be a nail to the coffin, but Crimes & Punishments turned out to be everything I wanted to see in a Sherlock Holmes game - the crimes, the drama, witty puzzles, some action. I really hope this is a life saver for this series, and I just can't wait for the next one.… Expand
  14. ador11
    Oct 5, 2014
    10
    it's like a point an' click game with very good gfx..some features are very new and exciting like creating a character profile...overall great game and u have to do some brain work while playing. :) :)
  15. art4321
    Oct 20, 2014
    10
    Brilliant game .
  16. ekolet
    Oct 13, 2014
    10
    As a huge Sherlock Holmes fan I can say this is probably the best Sherlock Holmes product except the Sir Doyle's work and the TV series Sherlock. It allows you to solve the case with different deductions (some of them are wrong) so has replayability.
  17. billd75
    Oct 18, 2014
    10
    In one simple word this game is a Masterpiece! I have played may Sherlock Holmes games since the 1980's and there were a few great ones for their time. This one though, WOW. So well done. From every standpoint, this game is excellent. From the examining of a person to profile them, to looking for clues and the locations and speaking of locations, the graphics are beautiful and theIn one simple word this game is a Masterpiece! I have played may Sherlock Holmes games since the 1980's and there were a few great ones for their time. This one though, WOW. So well done. From every standpoint, this game is excellent. From the examining of a person to profile them, to looking for clues and the locations and speaking of locations, the graphics are beautiful and the animations are so real and have such depth to them you'd think they were real people. Right down to the pores in their skin. The voice acting is spot on and the story is classic Sherlock Holmes style. I positively loved this game from the first 20-30 min I played it and I am hooked. Really good game and well worth a look!… Expand
  18. martingale
    Dec 11, 2014
    9
    This is a very good game. The voice acting, which is a most problematic point in this genre in general is excellent (especially, Holmes). The graphics are very nice, and you can switch freely between the third person and the first person points of view. Having said that, those that have played earlier Sherlock games (especially The Testament of Sherlock Holmes) may be a bit disappointedThis is a very good game. The voice acting, which is a most problematic point in this genre in general is excellent (especially, Holmes). The graphics are very nice, and you can switch freely between the third person and the first person points of view. Having said that, those that have played earlier Sherlock games (especially The Testament of Sherlock Holmes) may be a bit disappointed seeing the monotonicity of the lock picking puzzles. But, again, the game is about the story, so it's pretty easy to forget about this weakness. All in all, I'd like to see more games at this high level, and I hope that this series of Holmes games will continue for a long time.… Expand
  19. Wesp5
    Feb 3, 2021
    9
    A nice Sherlock Holmes game that catches the atmosphere of being the great detective very well.
  20. sdgdsgsdgs
    Dec 31, 2015
    10
    Very stylish and interesting game. The game has an interesting story and interesting quests, the characters are also very charismatic and stylish levels.
  21. Krzych
    Dec 30, 2016
    8
    Different approach than Testament, this time 6 standalone investigations. Aside from some inconsistencies and one or two investigations that I feel didn't gave enough information, I have nothing wrong to say about the game. Character design, voice acting and general setting is very good, graphically the game looks very good and is very significantly improved from previous game, also it hasDifferent approach than Testament, this time 6 standalone investigations. Aside from some inconsistencies and one or two investigations that I feel didn't gave enough information, I have nothing wrong to say about the game. Character design, voice acting and general setting is very good, graphically the game looks very good and is very significantly improved from previous game, also it has much less annoying parts then The Testament and is a bit more friendly for player and more realistic, not throwing puzzles at literally every step. Thanks to 6 standalone investigations and stories the game is much more diverse, environments differ a lot, as well as characters. Really good game.… Expand
  22. RagingPoet
    Jul 4, 2018
    8
    Adventure/detective game with interesting cases, beautiful and surprisingly varied locations, great voice-acting and a lot of skippable minigames/puzzles.
    Detective gameplay itself could be more interesting and complicated, it's just slightly better than L.A. Noire.
  23. LoletinAlexis
    Jul 31, 2019
    8
    Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments is the new installment of the detective's adventures, which fulfills its mission despite the attached problems.

    The proposed cases are followed with interest (although some do not make 100% sense) and the personality of Watson and Holmes greatly illuminate the history of this video game. Crimes & Punishments is the game that is thanks to its    Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments is the new installment of the detective's adventures, which fulfills its mission despite the attached problems.

    The proposed cases are followed with interest (although some do not make 100% sense) and the personality of Watson and Holmes greatly illuminate the history of this video game.

    Crimes & Punishments is the game that is thanks to its mechanics, which work correctly, but with problems: the loading times are very long (considering the fact that you have to change the map quite a few times) and some puzzles are quite ridiculous.
    Now, the investigation works quite well, without objections.    … Expand
  24. MartinEzy225
    Aug 22, 2020
    9
    For an indie game, this was very niche and pleasant. I have a soft spot for the detective genre, especially in the victorian era. Gameplay was very simple and controls were easy to understand. The detective cases weren't as challenging as I thought but I can see that a lot of ideas were put into this game.
  25. Ak7s
    Apr 23, 2020
    10
    Some long loading times when travelling from a location to another not enough to change my 10/10. Beautifull environments (caught myself gawping at some really interesting objects of no use or some walls etc). Time well spent.
  26. Woolee
    Nov 20, 2021
    8
    Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is hands down the best detective game I've ever played and one of the most enjoyable experiences of the 2014 gaming year so far.
  27. Fyxhcl
    Dec 28, 2021
    8
    Adventure game in which you have to solve six different cases by exploring certain ambients, collecting evidence and talking with people.

    The gameplay is slow and favours exploration and observation (except a some skippable minigame and rare QTE events there is no action at all), searching the environments to find every clue, than combining them in a specific menu in order to make    Adventure game in which you have to solve six different cases by exploring certain ambients, collecting evidence and talking with people.

    The gameplay is slow and favours exploration and observation (except a some skippable minigame and rare QTE events there is no action at all), searching the environments to find every clue, than combining them in a specific menu in order to make deductions and eventually solve the crime. The cases are interesting enough that this structure works well, motivating the player to keep playing in order to understand what happened.

    The main pro of the game is undoubtedly its graphics: I'm playing this 2014 game in 2021, and while obviously it's not on the same level of the newest games, it's still very good and realistic, the environments are detailed and a joy to explore: some london alley, a big plant exhibition, train stations in the countryside are just some of the ambients recreated fully in details, from furnitures full of objects to billboards hanging on the walls that can be read.

    The game has also flaws, mostly because it's too railroaded: the player can only interact with highlighted objects and Sherlock will be the one solving the cases, since apart from the exploration there is not much to do, and all the deductions will basically be made automatically once the clues are collected. The only choice given to the player is the final one, to decide who is responsible to the crime and what happens to them, and since there is only one right solution for each case, the choice is limited to pick the wrong or the correct culprit. Another problem is in the structure of the cases: each one will have several suspects, and there'll be a motive and a possibility for each of them to commit the crime, and while it's possible to use logical reasoning to decide who is most likely to be the correct one, there is no way to single out the culprit with 100% certainty. I feel this works better in literature than in a game. Another little issue is with the clunky commands, but this can be solved by switching to first person view, that in my opinion works way better and is also better for looking at the details of the environment while exploring.

    To conclude, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments is a good investigation game, not devoid of flaws, it doesn't give too much agency to the player, but it's very nice to see and play, and tells interesting cases. If you're fan of the genre and think you can stand its railroaded nature, this is a must play.    … Expand
  28. levoxyl
    Mar 17, 2023
    9
    Best detective game I have ever played. It surprised me with the creativity and multiple things it has. It is easy to play and super fun
  29. Polthank
    Mar 12, 2022
    8
    Very good game , excellent mechanics by joining evidence to reach different conclusions , very much to my liking the percentages with respect to how and what decisions other players made , yes buy it.
  30. pashockys
    Dec 2, 2022
    8
    This is a solid game that i enjoyed a lot. chill and smooth. you can skip all the hard puzzle and concentrate at big picture

Awards & Rankings

97
#97 Best PC Game of 2014
88
#88 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
90
#90 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. Softpedia
    Feb 8, 2015
    85
    Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishment isn't anything groundbreaking, but it's probably one of the best narrative-focused mystery games on the market. It's definitely a polished experience and may very well be the best Sherlock Holmes video game ever created, with a tense atmosphere, satisfying cases, and varied mini-games and puzzles.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Dec 13, 2014
    70
    A solid game that lacks distinctiveness. I’m not sure I’m going to remember it in a couple months’ time. [Dec 2014, p.78]
  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Nov 25, 2014
    74
    A playthrough of Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments leaves little negative emotions. There could be much more positive ones of course, but perhaps that’s a goal that’ll be reached in the next episode. After all, we really are talking about the most rapidly progressing modern quest series. [Dec 2014, p.70]
See all critic reviews »