The Sinking City

Push Square

Brett Posner-Ferdman·Feb 25, 2021

Critic60/100

Agreement—

While it's great to see The Sinking City return to PlayStation consoles, the PS5 version does little to make this worth an additional purchase for existing owners. DualSense support and shorter load times are nice additions, but performance and gameplay are still on the rough side. For newcomers, the lack of direction in particular can turn the engaging story into a backtracking slog very quickly. There's a great and engaging detective game buried here, but there are much better offerings out there to scratch your itch.

Nintendo Life

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln·Sep 13, 2019

Critic70/100

Agreement—

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.

Game Informer

Jeff Marchiafava·Jun 28, 2019

Critic75/100

Agreement—

A rich theme and atmospheric world shine through forgettable gameplay.

GameSpot

Calum Marsh·Jun 26, 2019

Critic30/100

Agreement—

Clumsy design, tedious storytelling, and often game-breaking technical limitations sap The Sinking City of any real terror or intrigue.

GamesRadar+

Jordan Oloman·Jun 25, 2019

Critic50/100

Agreement—

The Sinking City’s engrossing premise is ultimately betrayed by counterintuitive systems and bleak monotony.

Push Square

Liam Croft·Jun 25, 2019

Critic70/100

Agreement—

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.

IGN

John Borba·Jun 25, 2019

Critic78/100

Agreement—

Though occasionally frustrating, The Sinking City stands out from its Lovecraftian peers.

Rock Paper Shotgun

Alice Bell·Jun 25, 2019

Critic—

Agreement—

Goodness, I was very interested in The Sinking City. I really wanted to love it. But I’m afraid rain may have stopped play this time.

Polygon

Jeffrey Parkin·Jun 25, 2019

Critic—

Agreement—

Great investigations and ancient horrors are hidden by frustrating action

Eurogamer

Malindy Hetfeld·Jun 25, 2019

Critic75/100

Agreement—

The Sinking City is Frogwares' latest, and it's the team behind The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes series - a series that…

PC Gamer

Andy Kelly·Jun 25, 2019

Critic66/100

Agreement—

A detective game with a Lovecraftian twist.