Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments
Genres: Puzzle, Mystery, Point & Click, Story Rich, Atmospheric, Adventure
Release Date: 29-9-2014
Developer: Frogwares
Our verdict
8/10
- Difficulty: Medium
- Players: 1
- Playtime: 12–16 h
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is a detective adventure from Frogwares made of six standalone cases, from murders to a train that vanishes mid-journey. You search scenes, interrogate suspects, use Holmes's observation skills and link clues on a deduction board, then name a culprit and decide whether to condemn or absolve them. It suits solo players who like investigation games where you can get the answer wrong.
Players rate it Very Positive, with about 90 percent of over 2,700 reviews in favour. Reviewers like that the game does not hand you the solution: you can accuse an innocent person, so you stay careful. They praise the Victorian atmosphere, voice acting and graphics that have aged well, and several name the train case, Riddle on the Rails, as a highlight. Compared to earlier Frogwares games it leans less on cryptic puzzles and more on deduction.
The caveats are clunky movement, annoying lock-picking style mini-puzzles and quick-time events, which you can skip. One reviewer felt the later cases get more linear and easier to solve. Each case takes about one session. It is a strong buy for Sherlock and detective fans, and very cheap on sale.
Pros
- Deduction board lets you reach the wrong verdict and live with it
- Six varied cases, with the vanishing train case a fan favourite
- Choose to condemn or absolve each culprit
Cons
- Movement feels stiff and dated
- Mini-puzzles and quick-time events annoy some players
- Later cases get more linear and easier to solve
About
Become the most celebrated detective of all time: Sherlock Holmes! Use your impressive talents as a detective to solve six thrilling and varied cases: murders, missing persons, spectacular thefts and numerous investigations that sometimes lead you into the realms of the fantastic.
Will you follow your moral compass, or will you apply the letter of the law?
The great freedom of action in Crimes & Punishments allows you to conduct your investigations in the manner you deem appropriate. Use the 14 extraordinary skills of detection for which Sherlock is famous, choose the avenues of enquiry you wish to pursue, interrogate your suspects and, from your deductions, name the guilty parties... you can even determine their fate! The ramifications are far-reaching, and your decisions will exert a real influence through your reputation or the surprising consequences that will arise where you least expect them…
