The Sinking City

 PC
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 246 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 96 out of 246
  2. Mixed: 75 out of 246
  3. Negative: 75 out of 246

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  1. tlalka
    Dec 6, 2019
    7
    Buy this game if you like:
    Lovecraftian horror games.
    Immersive story-telling. Detective games. Do not buy this game if you like: Shooters/action games. Fast-paced games or hand-holding (such as auto-map markers). This is NOT a triple-A game, so be prepared for something that is rough around the edges. The combat is terrible, and traveling the city is tedious, but everything    Buy this game if you like:
    Lovecraftian horror games.
    Immersive story-telling.
    Detective games.

    Do not buy this game if you like:
    Shooters/action games.
    Fast-paced games or hand-holding (such as auto-map markers).

    This is NOT a triple-A game, so be prepared for something that is rough around the edges. The combat is terrible, and traveling the city is tedious, but everything else is great. The detective work is challenging, but not so hard you get stuck, the writing and characters are A+. It's a visually stunning game. I play on max settings, and it looks basically like a triple-A, but with tons of flavor and style. The environments and characters are bursting with personality and fit the mood and theme of the game perfectly. I'm not scared easily, but playing this game for a few hours in the dark will spook me out.    … Expand
  2. REEDDLES
    Jul 19, 2019
    7
    Main evaluation criteria:
    -Story: 7
    -Atmosphere: 8 -Characters: 6 -Graphics and design: 7 -Gameplay: 7 -Sound and Music: 7 -Bugs: 7 -Interface: 8 -Completeness of the world: 7 Аdditional evaluation criteria (Do not really affect the assessment): -Freedom of choice: 7 -Coop in Story mode: 0 -Multiplayer: 0 -Mods and the ability to change the game: 0 Scores from 1 to 10,    Main evaluation criteria:
    -Story: 7
    -Atmosphere: 8
    -Characters: 6
    -Graphics and design: 7
    -Gameplay: 7
    -Sound and Music: 7
    -Bugs: 7
    -Interface: 8
    -Completeness of the world: 7

    Аdditional evaluation criteria (Do not really affect the assessment):
    -Freedom of choice: 7
    -Coop in Story mode: 0
    -Multiplayer: 0
    -Mods and the ability to change the game: 0

    Scores from 1 to 10, the higher the better    … Expand
  3. 0wn3df1x
    Jul 3, 2019
    5
    Концовки оказались куда слабее и бюджетнее, чем сама игра. В плане открытого мира у них вышла скорее технодемка. В плане общего сюжета что-то на уровне Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments. Но прошёл от начала и до конца со всеми допами.

    Можно сказать, что это шаблон под хорошую игру. - Мир нужно избавить от огромной кучи косяков и глитчей. - Вещи в одинаковых зданиях всё таки    Концовки оказались куда слабее и бюджетнее, чем сама игра. В плане открытого мира у них вышла скорее технодемка. В плане общего сюжета что-то на уровне Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments. Но прошёл от начала и до конца со всеми допами.

    Можно сказать, что это шаблон под хорошую игру.
    - Мир нужно избавить от огромной кучи косяков и глитчей.
    - Вещи в одинаковых зданиях всё таки разложить по разным местам.
    - Вместо статической картинки с озвучкой сделать мелкие анимации при просмотре предметов (Когда дырка расширяется)
    - Вместо озвучивания выводов после расстановки последовательности в происшествии, сделать ролик с полным воссозданием этого момента
    - Если шутинг и оставлять, то над ним нужно работать, ближний бой, перекаты, прыжки
    - Но вместе с шутингом надо работать и над монстрами, чтоб та же серия заданий со страшилками направляла игрока не в дом, где один из четырёх стандартных монстров, а в дом, где именно то чудище, что описано в записке.
    - Концовки можно оставить и текущие, но они точно должны длиться куда больше пяти секунд и должны хоть как-то делать выводы из решений игрока.

    А так, тому, что получилось, можно поставить 5/10. Задумка хорошая есть, но видимо бюджета, опыта и сил не хватило на реализацию подобных масштабов.    … Expand
  4. dajew
    Jan 7, 2020
    7
    Of course the game has many disadvantages, but still when playing it I felt it was one of these games that have a soul. Plus it's one of the few Lovecraft-ian games.
  5. Kingdim
    Jan 7, 2021
    7
    I'm not gonna lie, this game has lots of issues : combat gameplay is horrible, menus freezing, bugs, repetitive (houses look like the same) but I give a 7 for the atmosphere; it's not a big budget game, you have to take that in consideration. I enjoyed playing it despite of these big flaws.
  6. Babutto
    Jul 21, 2019
    6
    Good things:
    - Lovecraftian mythology;
    - Story (more or less); - Detective gameplay. Bad: - Open world. It doesn't work and unnecessary. The world seems dead. And boring. - Used too many contradictory storylines based on Lovecraft mythos. - Combat and healing gameplay. - Cut scenes. Terrible. Predictable and boring. This game I assume is even a bigger failure than CoC 2018,    Good things:
    - Lovecraftian mythology;
    - Story (more or less);
    - Detective gameplay.

    Bad:
    - Open world. It doesn't work and unnecessary. The world seems dead. And boring.
    - Used too many contradictory storylines based on Lovecraft mythos.
    - Combat and healing gameplay.
    - Cut scenes. Terrible. Predictable and boring.

    This game I assume is even a bigger failure than CoC 2018, because with this one we had more expectations.    … Expand
  7. masterwishx
    Jul 2, 2019
    7
    One more very interesting game from Frogwares, Detective plus Lavcraft. One of the best game of the year.
    Very Good project.
  8. AleixoAlonso
    Jun 29, 2019
    7
    I first heard about the title "The Sinking City" a few months ago when IGN uploaded a circa 10-minute long video showcasing the game. I wasn't immediately hooked but became interested rather quickly. I went to the Epic store and pre-purchased the Necronomicon edition of the game to get all the bonuses that were available.
    I was given free access to one of the developer's previous titles    I first heard about the title "The Sinking City" a few months ago when IGN uploaded a circa 10-minute long video showcasing the game. I wasn't immediately hooked but became interested rather quickly. I went to the Epic store and pre-purchased the Necronomicon edition of the game to get all the bonuses that were available.
    I was given free access to one of the developer's previous titles "Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter" and played that for hours! I thought to myself "If The Sinking City is anything like this, then I will most likely have a good time!"

    So, the game came out and was excited as ever! I was hoping for it to be the next L.A. Noire but quickly learned that it's nowhere near the 2011 Detective Thriller by Team Bondi.
    The first introductory case shows you the main mechanics of the game and teaches you the controls. I did enjoy finding the clues and piecing together the big picture and eventually solving the case, but a few things were off-putting; the clues you need to find aren't hidden at all, a white diamond hovering above the clues makes it pretty easy for the player to locate them. Other than in L.A. Noire, you can't progress until you have found and examined all the clues. This means, that if you did overlook a blood-splatter or forgot to use Charles' (the character you play control) psychic powers, you have to wander around until you find all the evidence which can be frustrating.
    If you're used to characters that feel "weighty" or that have "mass" to them, you're out of luck, because Charles can spin around like a Beyblade if you want him to, which can break your immersion, since the human body isn't able to do a 180° turn in the snap of a finger.

    The open-world is filled with interesting-looking scenes that, sadly, serve no purpose at all. You see lots of crashed vehicles, some of them still on fire, yet you never see a car in motion. There are tons of NPCs roaming the streets, but none of them interact with Charles.

    But it's not all bad! Like I mentioned before, if the game bears resemblance with the Sherlock games, then I'd have a good time and, thankfully, it does! The developers took the best parts of the Sherlock games and polished them for "The Sinking City". Searching for information that will help you with your current case in Oakmont's archive is a neat challenge. The "Mind Palace" we already know from Sherlock Holmes, has been updated and works tons better in "The Sinking City".

    As for the story, I have to admit, I have yet to complete the game, but I am well into the game at this point. That being said, I can tell you that in my opinion, the story is compelling, mysterious and somewhat scary! Other than L.A. Noire, you don't have multiple, disconnected cases. There is one main story that connects all main cases with one another and the side cases are a nice addition to them.

    Sure, the game isn't the prettiest, it has some bugs and I would love to have a first-person view because Charles likes to get in the way, but let's not forget that this isn't a triple A title.

    My verdict: The Sinking City is a solid detective game, telling a compelling story, in an interesting setting!    … Expand
  9. acestealth
    Jul 14, 2019
    7
    Played it to completion and would give it a 7 given I'm a Lovecraft fan. The negatives are the combat is clunky, it definitely feels like a map simulator at times (you will spend an inordinate amount of time using the map to hunt down street names for objectives), the skill system is uninspired, sometimes they overuse notes/memo's to relay the horror that is going on in the game when a bitPlayed it to completion and would give it a 7 given I'm a Lovecraft fan. The negatives are the combat is clunky, it definitely feels like a map simulator at times (you will spend an inordinate amount of time using the map to hunt down street names for objectives), the skill system is uninspired, sometimes they overuse notes/memo's to relay the horror that is going on in the game when a bit more seeing it actually happen even outside a cut scene would have been far more impactful, and the endings seemed a bit short and anti-climactic.

    Now the positives...The world itself was to me quite immersive. As each case unfolds you are allowed to make choices on who you side with, what you do, and there is impact to these choices as far as the individual cases and even a few main story points as you go. I was also impressed at the moral ambiguity of some of the choices. If your RP'ing it, they generally give you enough clues to find and determine what would be the most "moral" choice is, but at times its up to your own determination of if the ends justified the means. While many will complain the population outside of the main characters are lifeless, I beg to differ. While non-interactable there was a lot of attention to detail and making the city feel immersive. If you pay attention as your running around you will see people fighting their own battles over food, haggling, begging, etc, but better yet as things in the game unfold you start to see changes. After a mission involving poisoning of food given to the people for example, for the duration of the game after I noticed people being sick on the street as I passed. The districts of the city as they were also seemed distinct and well done with minimal rehash of the buildings/interior maps (even then the interior details were rearranged often).

    Overall, I enjoyed this jaunt into Lovecraftian lore. If your into also, you likely would enjoy the game as well.    … Expand
  10. covex
    Jul 5, 2019
    6
    Honestly I wanted to give more this game, but I can't. I catch myself on idea that I don't wanna come back and play that game and it's not a good sign. What's good in this game is plot and sound. They made my score so high and other than them everything other is disappointing.CoCombat system is
  11. gameking
    Mar 18, 2020
    5
    Very good potential and very bad game. The mechanics are very bad. The graphics looks like a very old games.. And you can loose your mind because the travel is very very long and bored. Maybe you can finish this game in 20 hours but minimum half of them is travel. Fast travels are useless too many times.In this game just detective parts and atmosphere good. Other tings are very bad. IVery good potential and very bad game. The mechanics are very bad. The graphics looks like a very old games.. And you can loose your mind because the travel is very very long and bored. Maybe you can finish this game in 20 hours but minimum half of them is travel. Fast travels are useless too many times.In this game just detective parts and atmosphere good. Other tings are very bad. I don't want a write about optimization because it doesn't have.… Expand
  12. fingerfest
    Jul 5, 2019
    5
    В этой игре посредственно практически всё: открытый мир, геймплей, визуал. Только сценаристы старались выдать что-то более-менее стоящее, и в некоторых моментах у них это даже получалось. Но чем ближе к финалу, тем всё ниже падала планка сюжета.

    Настоящих детективных расследований, как в том же Шерлоке – тут нет, всё максимально казуально и линейно. Выборы, сделанные по ходу игры, не    В этой игре посредственно практически всё: открытый мир, геймплей, визуал. Только сценаристы старались выдать что-то более-менее стоящее, и в некоторых моментах у них это даже получалось. Но чем ближе к финалу, тем всё ниже падала планка сюжета.

    Настоящих детективных расследований, как в том же Шерлоке – тут нет, всё максимально казуально и линейно. Выборы, сделанные по ходу игры, не имеют никакого отношения к финалу.

    Игра просто утопает в однообразии. Начиная с однотипных декораций и сайд-квестов,
    заканчивая репетативным геймплеем. Интерес к прохождению подпитывает только история. Обычно я люблю, когда продолжительность сюжетно-направленной игры составляет 10+ часов, но это не тот случай.

    Советовать игру никому не стану. Если вы фанат сеттинга и цените сюжетную составляющую, то вы скорее всего уже поиграли и сделали свой вывод. Если же вы сомневаетесь играть или нет. Лучше не стоит. Приберегите 20 часов своей жизни на что-то более увлекательное.

    5/10 за первую половину сюжета, персонажей, озвучку и местами интересные моральные выборы.    … Expand
  13. Mehrshad_MB
    Oct 29, 2020
    6
    Probably it is the best Lovecraftian game. Because, however, game developers are not interested in making Lovecraftian games and there's no AAA game based on Lovecraft's book. So Sinking City is best in its genre so far.
    Before I started playing the game, the thing I was expecting (based on trailers and wallpapers of game) was totally different with game itself. I expected a dark city    Probably it is the best Lovecraftian game. Because, however, game developers are not interested in making Lovecraftian games and there's no AAA game based on Lovecraft's book. So Sinking City is best in its genre so far.
    Before I started playing the game, the thing I was expecting (based on trailers and wallpapers of game) was totally different with game itself. I expected a dark city with mysterious people and places. However the game couldn't really create the atmosphere I wanted.
    The game is open-world but there are not so many things to do in it except shooting random people in the head, which game does NOT ALLOW! (Oh, I was about to forget...the other fun thing is watching people aimlessly walking into walls and then turning back!)
    It's kind of bad that options in customizing character has been decreased in comparison with Sherlock Holmes Devil's Daughter.
    The only thing I can surely admire is missions in the game. The story itself is...eh...not bad. But cases, including side cases are so intriguing and they're not similar or boring.
    I wish I could tell "the story progresses with choices you make" but making decisions does not affect anything at all and the story is same until last. Game has 3 endings and the last mission is the only mission your choices matter.
    Generally, it was not totally bad or so great but it's definitely worth playing. Specially if one is interested in detective games.
    (October 2020)    … Expand
  14. Panacea_Bullet
    Nov 7, 2019
    6
    As a fan of HPL this is a serviceable game; however, the glitches are somewhat unforgivable this long after launch.
  15. watchm824
    Apr 27, 2021
    6
    This game pissed me off very often. The game has an interesting investigation system and a good plot.
    But everything else is pretty bad. Terrible combat system. Constant and annoying running around the dull and boring city. And also bad graphics and animation.
    It would be better if the developers paid attention not to the scale of the city, but to its detail and quality.
  16. gromalay78
    Aug 4, 2020
    7
    Как игра она интересная, но выглядит и играется прям привет из нулевых. глядя на нее нельзя сказать что игра 2019 года. По Скидке можно смело рекомендовать, сюжет тут добротный! А концовка "дно" дно тонущего города)
  17. ErayTellezi
    Nov 18, 2020
    5
    Grafikleri ve combat'ı 15 yıl öncesinden kalmış gibi. Hikayesi belki iyi olabilir ama bu devride oynanabilirliği çok düşük.

Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019
20
#20 Most Shared PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 47 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 47
  3. Negative: 0 out of 47
  1. Games.cz
    Aug 19, 2019
    60
    Creators of the Sherlock franchise have hurled themselves into a watery abyss full of monsters and completely drowned their own brilliant investigative formula. The world is open, but terribly empty, the fights are dull, and the RPG mechanisms are lacking. Only the investigation remains fun - and it is not enough.
    Read full review
  2. Softpedia
    Aug 15, 2019
    80
    Despite its shortcomings, the story and the oppressing atmosphere of The Sinking City recommend it as one of the best Lovecraft inspired game to date. If you can get past the clunky combat and technical issues, there's much to like in The Sinking City.
    Read full review
  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Aug 2, 2019
    66
    For the entire game you’ll have the feeling that something significant is going to happen soon – but it won’t. Story never takes a sharp turn, every interesting character is introduced in the first third of the game and there are no meaningful rewards to find in Oakmont openworld. [Issue#239, p.56]
See all critic reviews »