Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments

If there is one character that can still shamelessly cling to a classic whodunit, it would be the titular persona in Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments. Complementing a sleuthing design with ample mini-games, clever conversations and a mesmerizing appearance only makes it that much better.

Going on an adventure throughout Victorian times with the famed detective starts off with a bang, simply being presented with the environmental design. It uses a darkly-filtered appearance on fine textures for crested walls, neatly curving furniture and carefully contrasted flora.

That beard though.

The sheer level of expertise used to achieve a pristine look is admirable in and of itself. Surfaces cast off a shimmering reflection and blur their generic backdrop into an illusion that is better than its reality. Use of motion rattles hard to focus objects that would give away flaws. Lighting further paints on the specific blemishes on characters’ faces, from tiny spots to different shaving styles. An adroit use of depth of field moves around a scene to enhance the realism level and that of paler faces in particular.

This game masters every trick in the book, even Flintstones-like carrousels, to be able to cut corners and give off an atmosphere that’s as awe-striking as possible. That, without even addressing the genuine British character used in speech, fabric and color tones, is something that makes for an extraordinary universe to behold. On that alone, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments commands respect and manages to even overtake its contemporary high pay-grade productions on pinpointed aspects.

For more than just visual entertainment, Sherlock Holmes and assistant Watson rely on their wits to solve a series of crime investigations, usually involving some odd murder. Doing so will take the pair all over the British countryside, from rural little towns to the high society of London. Each location has something specific to offer. Conversations tie the whole together, setting the detective up with leads. To get a full picture on things, however, a keen eye is also required on the surroundings. A painting may have scrapings next to it that reveals a secret compartment or some blood may look suspicious only to the eye of an expert. Different clues require different approaches.

Yup, there's even some FPS in there.

Beyond just getting a view of a suspect or a setting, Holmes can attempt to reassemble something that seems lost, through various methods. On the spot, a simple reconstruction or more complex linking of impulses can tell a story. For other means, it’s off to the headquarters in Baker Street, where an item can be redeemed by the power of chemistry or a scrap of info is connected to an article found in the archives. There’s a whole arrangement of tools at the disposal and that only broadens the arsenal of mini-games that keep every investigation feeling fresh and rewarding, piece by piece.

Clues also need to be tied together to conclude a pattern that breaks open the case, since not just every finding is necessarily related. To keep the challenge elevated, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments allows for wrong connections to be made, which lead to logical conclusions. So, it’s possible to come up with a motive, but it may not be the right one. Even with every piece of info at hand, some of these tight-lipped suspects aren’t easy to read.

Eventually, a chain of events can lead to a culprit and the case can be solved or, rather, closed. Here again, the game has multiple choices. It’s possible to be merciful or crack the whip of justice hard. Both have their consequence, certainly if there was a flaw in the process. It can be a nail-biting affair this one. Unfortunately, some of that crippling self-doubt can be sullied by the ability to check findings, though it’s clearly indicated within that this is the quitter’s way out. A gentleman steers ahead into failure.

Scenes like this make the game worthwhile as it is.

If there is a blemish in the otherwise nearly immaculate design of Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments, it would be that its cohesion is on the low side. It’s not that much of a flaw, more than a lacking of overarching story for a majority of the game. Holmes gets a case, receives an amazing set piece on its own regard, then it’s closed up and the trial starts again. It works fine, but even for a sober game such as this, it leans on the pragmatic side to have it just lobbed in sparingly to justify a plot.

On a more practical side, characters also have a rather odd control scheme that makes them wobble around. This is redeemed by the fact most of the locales require lots of stopping and looking around, which works well. Additionally, prompts can be seen from a short distance, to avoid the need to have to maneuver towards certain objects.

Foibles are put a speck of dust though, when doused in the game’s radiance. Special circumstances can heighten Holmes’ senses and scope out hard clues. Some clues can be lost, making a solve that much harder. Set pieces build scenes that resemble the romanticist paintings of the game’s historic setting. Even subtleties like art direction or composition make for some grandiose events. There are few things here that don’t feel exemplary and it’s rare for a game to hit so many clever marks.

For all the hard work it puts in, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments deserves an audience, a big one, worthy of its time. Not only is its production a true spectacle, towering over many others, but its sophisticated gameplay elements are many, varied and rewarding to boot. It does a nearly flawless job to include an abundance of content that stays original, but also furthers a sense of intelligence importance with players from conquering all those different angles. Well played, sir.

Daav Valentaten, NoobFeed (@Daavpuke)