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
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  1. 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
  2. applecookie
    Dec 11, 2022
    6
    A guessing game worth playing

    What the hell is the lady standing by the window every time I look at the telescope?
  3. 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
  4. Fatihinhho
    Apr 16, 2022
    7
    I Love the Game, the story and chapter designs are nice, the cases and characters are also interesting.
  5. 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.
  6. DreamOfHero
    Feb 17, 2022
    7
    Very nice game, for its years.
    Very varied and funny cases.
    it's like a drug, the more you play the less you can detach yourself, and when you finish it you want more ...

    The only serious flaw is that I had to activate DirectX 9 because with 11 I flicked some textures, making the game graphically ugly and with some clues unreadable
  7. 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
  8. r03vg
    Dec 25, 2021
    7
    Как сумели, так на гитаре сыграли и спели. Получилось бодренько, интересно.
  9. 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.
  10. AxeWould
    Jul 21, 2021
    7
    Это рили годная игра, неожидал что так затянет, но есть минусы, много было вылетов, и честно пару заданий были просто не интересны, но в целом игра понравилась!! советую
  11. Ordnik
    Apr 11, 2021
    5
    I wanted this game to be fluent but turns out it's exactly the opposite. Sherlock is not a slow minded person, he is supposed to be a genius but he doesn't sound smart at all. Investigating and observing people gives you some choices but not quite enough, I should be able to observe almost everything on a person but its just "check this one" and not "its your pick"

    -Sherlock was    I wanted this game to be fluent but turns out it's exactly the opposite. Sherlock is not a slow minded person, he is supposed to be a genius but he doesn't sound smart at all. Investigating and observing people gives you some choices but not quite enough, I should be able to observe almost everything on a person but its just "check this one" and not "its your pick"

    -Sherlock was portrayed wrong as much as possible. (He speaks very slow and acts like an ordinary person.)
    -Lack of observation/investigation choices.    … Expand
  12. Wesp5
    Feb 3, 2021
    9
    A nice Sherlock Holmes game that catches the atmosphere of being the great detective very well.
  13. Mehrshad_MB
    Jan 7, 2021
    6
    Generally speaking, the game is actually good in its genre, great graphics, voice-acting, environment design and intriguing stories. However the all six cases in the game, wasn't challenging at all. It was easy to find murderer. Thus, it became boring at some times.
    It can be considered as one of the best "detective games".

    (December 2020 - January 2021)
  14. ghosttoyou
    Oct 15, 2020
    6
    6/10 .......................................................................
  15. 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.
  16. kezzyhko
    Aug 6, 2020
    7
    ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍
  17. KarolP
    Aug 4, 2020
    7
    Light, pleasant, not too long (in a good way!) adventure game. Interesting puzzles with great background/stories behind them, strongly based on Doyle's fiction. Dialogues sounds quite artificial, but sometimes characteristic Sherlock's jokes or zest makes them funny. Action takes place in really restricted areas. Invisible walls and lack of movement possibilities of the protagonist areLight, pleasant, not too long (in a good way!) adventure game. Interesting puzzles with great background/stories behind them, strongly based on Doyle's fiction. Dialogues sounds quite artificial, but sometimes characteristic Sherlock's jokes or zest makes them funny. Action takes place in really restricted areas. Invisible walls and lack of movement possibilities of the protagonist are sometimes frustrating. Nevertheless, game is full of beautiful views and good-looking textures, despite simplifications and limitations from time to time. Music is well suited, builds atmosphere and tention. Mechanics and interface is simple enough, but it could be irritating when you miss one clue or sign. Nice idea with adding moral choices and selecting paths of puzzles solution. Interesting, successful proposition of book based game.… Expand
  18. bancandrei
    May 17, 2020
    4
    Too little detective work, too many loading screens. Events trigger things, and you cannot proceed without them, even when you figured things out. No real "story"
  19. 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.
  20. LordTiger
    Apr 11, 2020
    6
    I like the idea of the game but it seems they had limited budget. unfortunately most cases are linear and game tell what to do and where to click also places are so small.
  21. 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
  22. MetaCthulhu
    Oct 28, 2018
    9
    Very entertaining detective game. Probably the best out there atm. A must buy for genre fans.
  23. 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
  24. 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.
  25. dubesor
    Jan 16, 2018
    6
    Graphically and UI-wise a step up from the former sherlock holmes games. Unfortunately I found all the cases very, very easy. There is a severe lack of proper puzzles and every case is so much handholding that finding the right culprit is a given even without any thought whatsoever. Feels a bit too catered towards an extreme casual audience. Still enjoyed it here and there but it trulyGraphically and UI-wise a step up from the former sherlock holmes games. Unfortunately I found all the cases very, very easy. There is a severe lack of proper puzzles and every case is so much handholding that finding the right culprit is a given even without any thought whatsoever. Feels a bit too catered towards an extreme casual audience. Still enjoyed it here and there but it truly contained no challenge.… Expand
  26. 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
  27. 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.
  28. meediocre
    Jul 16, 2015
    6
    The game does a great job with the locations and atmosphere, on what I presume was a limited production budget. Obviously the actual detective work is over-simplified, all you need to do is explore and interact, then interrogate some suspects and piece together the clues. Except for one other thing you need to do, which for me, personally, dragged the entertainment/immersion factor downThe game does a great job with the locations and atmosphere, on what I presume was a limited production budget. Obviously the actual detective work is over-simplified, all you need to do is explore and interact, then interrogate some suspects and piece together the clues. Except for one other thing you need to do, which for me, personally, dragged the entertainment/immersion factor down considerably. The PUZZLES ... are very frustrating and annoying. It's possible to skip them, but others you can't. They are tedious, and completely counter-intuitive. Other mild criticisms include: having to wait about 10 seconds every time you change location (even on an SSD), Watson is useless, and finally I guess this down to personal taste. But I would have preferred to have a the case completely solved correctly, rather than just making a guess based on the evidence.

    This was my first Sherlock Holmes game, and I admit I didn't get past the fourth case, but I would consider looking into the next one, if someone could please kill or radically improve the annoying puzzles!    … Expand
  29. 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
  30. aadms
    Mar 28, 2015
    3
    This isn't my cup of tea. Ha-ha. The game play consists of scanning the area and pressing "x" over glowing circles that tell you where to go, what to look at and who to talk to. You have a special scan mode by pressing "R1" that turns the world gray while the clues glow gold for you to click on, then Sherlock Holmes tells you what you are looking at. Interrogations with suspectsThis isn't my cup of tea. Ha-ha. The game play consists of scanning the area and pressing "x" over glowing circles that tell you where to go, what to look at and who to talk to. You have a special scan mode by pressing "R1" that turns the world gray while the clues glow gold for you to click on, then Sherlock Holmes tells you what you are looking at. Interrogations with suspects consists of you selecting all the question options and scanning up and down the person and the immediate surroundings. Then you click "x" when Sherlock is suppose to give his response to the person or persons to tell where this investigation is going. So, it's point and click to unlock the story. God help me, I was so bored. Below-average graphics, below-average voice acting. Horrible loading times invade you when your asking questions! What? Considering this game is only 3.5 GBs, expect a low-low budget experience. This belongs in the "B" game bin,or the $5 bin. I can't imagine what the people on the PS4 thought of this experience.… Expand
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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

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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]
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