Aarglefarg
Member
The PS4 version is the only one I played but has a lot of screen tearing.
I finished it yesterday. Having moral judgements adds a lot to the game.
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Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Tizoc
- Start date
I finished it yesterday. Having moral judgements adds a lot to the game.
This game was brilliant. Kept me interested throughout the entire game.
The cases were varied and some required some deep thinking to work out the culprit. And even when you work out who did it it gives a choice in the form of either absolving or condemning the person you accuse.
But unlike a lot of games where there's an obvious good choice and bad, this really brings out how murky your decision on a case could be especially in the 1890s.
For instance do you think someone deserves hanging for their crime? Does the circumstance of the murder make you want to be more lenient?
The game I feel borrows a little from the Sherlock BBC show which is apparent in a couple of game mechanics. The first is when you speak to someone for the first time you can look over a person to learn more about them. For example, you can notice that they used to wear a wedding ring from an untanned band on their finger or that a hankercheif they have in their pocket has a similar crest to the the estate of the victim.
The second is a mind space where you form connections between clues in the cases which then let you form hypothesises about what could have happened. As you pick of more clues and make connections you have to form a set of deductions that follow on from each other. For example, if you notice that the large garden is well tended you can ask the widow about a gardener. If the widow states that there isn't a gardener it may be a dead end. Until you find bootprints that don't match the people accounted for. You can then form the conclusion that there is someone else that was involved and it opens that as an avenue of investigation.
A touch that I quite liked was that at the end of a case it tells you the percentage of players who made the same decision.
Honestly, this game is a must play. Only downside I found was that Watson's character in the game is one of a fool even though he's supposed to be a doctor and writer. A lot of time when you speak to him he'll say something similar to "Holmes! I never know what you're thinking"
The cases were varied and some required some deep thinking to work out the culprit. And even when you work out who did it it gives a choice in the form of either absolving or condemning the person you accuse.
But unlike a lot of games where there's an obvious good choice and bad, this really brings out how murky your decision on a case could be especially in the 1890s.
For instance do you think someone deserves hanging for their crime? Does the circumstance of the murder make you want to be more lenient?
The game I feel borrows a little from the Sherlock BBC show which is apparent in a couple of game mechanics. The first is when you speak to someone for the first time you can look over a person to learn more about them. For example, you can notice that they used to wear a wedding ring from an untanned band on their finger or that a hankercheif they have in their pocket has a similar crest to the the estate of the victim.
The second is a mind space where you form connections between clues in the cases which then let you form hypothesises about what could have happened. As you pick of more clues and make connections you have to form a set of deductions that follow on from each other. For example, if you notice that the large garden is well tended you can ask the widow about a gardener. If the widow states that there isn't a gardener it may be a dead end. Until you find bootprints that don't match the people accounted for. You can then form the conclusion that there is someone else that was involved and it opens that as an avenue of investigation.
A touch that I quite liked was that at the end of a case it tells you the percentage of players who made the same decision.
Honestly, this game is a must play. Only downside I found was that Watson's character in the game is one of a fool even though he's supposed to be a doctor and writer. A lot of time when you speak to him he'll say something similar to "Holmes! I never know what you're thinking"
Aarglefarg
Member
I didn't notice this. I don't think it's in the PS4 version (and I assume other console versions).
Tizoc
Member
Well there goes all interest. I can't stand screen tearing...
Here's the interview we had with Frogwares. Tried to link to the time, but if it doesn't work for you, it starts at about 53 minutes into the show.
simplythebest
Banned
Does anyone know the true outcome of the black peter case?
TheFLYINGManga_Ka
Member
This looks pretty good.
Last Uchiha
Banned
This game has grown on me. It's flawed but i'm enjoying my time playing it. Ideal for a grey autumn sunday 
I'm glad i bought it. Just did case 3 so still a few to go. I'm taking my time with it, soaking up the great atmosphere and visuals, music and sound effects.
I was wondering: how do you know if you solved the case correctly?
I'm glad i bought it. Just did case 3 so still a few to go. I'm taking my time with it, soaking up the great atmosphere and visuals, music and sound effects.I was wondering: how do you know if you solved the case correctly?
Last Uchiha
Banned
At the end of the case If you press the touchpad button (PS4 Version) you can see the correct answer and how many clue you found
Same for me, add in a v-sync lock and I'll buy it.
Hard to believe it even has screen-tearing.
I don't like screen tearing but it hasn't bothered me at all in the PS4 version. In fact, i noticed very little tearing (currently in case 5) but maybe that's just me... I played the game in 1st person view.
Edit: yup, there is definately more screen tearing in the later cases, especially in case 5.
Thanks.
What? That's not what the game showed me when I wanted to see if I was right or wrong
PrivateRyan
Member
Halfway through the second case, shaping up as my favourite Sherlock game by far. Puzzles don't seem to be nearly as obtuse as the previous games. Screen tearing is still a pain in the arse though (and the 3rd-person camera is basically unusable)
Aarglefarg
Member
It did for me (
it says Patrick Cairns, and he is the harpooner
That's what it said for me, too. That was the "green" answer.
Hmmm.. what were the clues that it was him?
Hamlet Machine
Member
Just finished the third case and this game is great.
Didn't expect it to be this fun.
Didn't expect it to be this fun.
Bummer, i got case 5 wrong but i don't understand the reasoning behind that one.
Major spoiler ahead so do not read if i don't want to read the solution:
Major spoiler ahead so do not read if i don't want to read the solution:
I found evidence (recording 320) that made Sherlock state that the lady could not have left the laboratory all morning. So i based my reasoning on that fact and left the lady out of my solution. Can somebody make any sense out of that?
Well yes, she did told that, but after that you come to the conclusion that she had about 20 minutes to help Martyn to kill Dunne - Albert had about 10 minutes.. I choice White for only one reason, Albert was mourning the death of his father - it was visible on his eyes, and maybe she had better (or stronger) reasons to kill him - he was going to fire here from work, she didn't had any money except for his money which he was giving her and her family wasn't going to help her in that situation.. and she didn't seem to be much shaken by his death as opposite to Albert
I was wrong in the first 3 cases, 4 case was really easy and straightforward, 5 case was maybe the best one and now I'm at the last one of them which is from a graphical standpoint maybe the best looking
P.S. does the morality/reputation system even in some form exist or work? Aside from the letters, do people react to Sherlock differently or is it just a silly gimmick which doesn't have any effect in the game?
From the official website of the game: Your choices will not only influence how people react to you (see Reputation), but will also affect how your story progresses. Don’t be surprised to receive letters and correspondence from people you have helped or, conversely, threats from those you have incarcerated! The morning papers will be the first to praise your exploits... or to drag your name through the mud.
Bear in mind that your choices will have repercussions on the way people interact with you. Don’t expect people to be well-disposed towards you if it becomes known that you conducted the investigation in a less than professional manner and sent an innocent person to jail!
@misho8723: (it would be great if you could put some of that between spoiler tags for the people who haven't played it yet)
About the morality system, i think it is restricted to the letters and to the different endings to each case. I haven't finished yet (last case now) so it might still come up at some point in the game's ending. I haven't send someone wrongly to jail so far. It might have an effect on how people behave when you do that? That would be a nice touch. I really like the morality system. It does have a big influence on how each case ends.
I agree that she had more reasons and i would have picked here. But finding that evidence that she must have stayed in the laboratory all morning confused me and convinced me that she couldn't have been involved. Thinking about it now, i assume they meant that she didn't move to other locations during that morning (contrary to the other persons) but might have slipped out to close that door (which she did). Also, in that particular case, it was really cool to see that there was a conclusion you could make where he acted alone, without someone helping him.
About the morality system, i think it is restricted to the letters and to the different endings to each case. I haven't finished yet (last case now) so it might still come up at some point in the game's ending. I haven't send someone wrongly to jail so far. It might have an effect on how people behave when you do that? That would be a nice touch. I really like the morality system. It does have a big influence on how each case ends.
Last Uchiha
Banned
I just finished the game. It was a fantastic expirience. I solve 5 out of 6 case correctly :]
I absolutely loved this game. The "puzzles" were more like contextual toys to play with, and all were extremely polished and well done.
I can't wait to see what these guys do with the Lovecraft license.
That said, I bought The Testament of Sherlock Holmes, the game previous to this. It was a bit rougher, but still had the charm. Then I got to the first puzzle, which was this ridiculous 7th Guest logic thing. I immediately quit the game, quite sad. I hate games with arbitrary puzzles like that. Really unfortunate as the rest of the game seemed great.
I can't wait to see what these guys do with the Lovecraft license.
That said, I bought The Testament of Sherlock Holmes, the game previous to this. It was a bit rougher, but still had the charm. Then I got to the first puzzle, which was this ridiculous 7th Guest logic thing. I immediately quit the game, quite sad. I hate games with arbitrary puzzles like that. Really unfortunate as the rest of the game seemed great.
Hamlet Machine
Member
At first it confused me, like you, but then, I came to the conclusion that even thought the recording is long enough, she could have recorded it at another time. Since the crime was premeditated, and they thought about the caterpillars, the plants, the timing etc... There is no way they couldn't think about pre-recording the thing. Also, she had more time than Albert to do it. So, aside from the "clue" that they left (the recording) there was no evidence that she didn't move. On the contrary, she may even be the one that buried the bottle with the caterpillars, plus she had access to the protective mask. She, overall, had a stronger motive than Albert.
Just finished all six cases with the correct conclusions and I must say this game was quite satisfying and well done. Are there any DLC announced ? Like more cases ? The structure of the game could allow it.
itsinmyveins
Gets to pilot the crappy patrol labors
Bought it on a whim, didn't expect much but I quite enjoyed the game. Solid adventure. If it's true that they're gonna make a Lovecraft-game I'm all in on that.
Orniletter
Banned
Man, this will be one of the first games I´ll buy when I get my PS4 next year.
Never heard of this series before, but I think it will be right up my alley.
Never heard of this series before, but I think it will be right up my alley.
I finished the game yesterday (got 5 out of 6 cases correct). I'm new to the franchise so i had no big expectations when i bought it but this turned out to be my surprise game for 2014. I loved it and thought it was one of the most enjoyable games i've played this year (GOTY material). I was sad to see it end.
To be honest, my first impressions weren't all that good. I was annoyed by the loading times and the backtracking in the first case. But once i used the loading times for notebook and deduction, these things didn't bother me at all anymore.
There were some issues with gameplay (it's a mix of good and not so good gameplay elements) and on a technical level (especially notable in case 5) but the atmosphere, the visuals, the characters and the cases kept me interested until the very end. As such, i can't wait until a new game in the series is announced and released. I'll be there day one this time without a doubt.
To be honest, my first impressions weren't all that good. I was annoyed by the loading times and the backtracking in the first case. But once i used the loading times for notebook and deduction, these things didn't bother me at all anymore.
There were some issues with gameplay (it's a mix of good and not so good gameplay elements) and on a technical level (especially notable in case 5) but the atmosphere, the visuals, the characters and the cases kept me interested until the very end. As such, i can't wait until a new game in the series is announced and released. I'll be there day one this time without a doubt.
I finished it yesterday -really good game, the biggest problem that I have with the game is that morality/reputation system (he basically doesn't exist) - , and I would like to ask the ones who too finished the game : what was your last decision? I went with the
even though I know the "real" Sherlock wouldn't pick that choice.. yeah, and that's another my question : did you choose your desicions as "this is how SH would do it" or the desicions were all how YOU would reacted in those situations
I went with the
"fight club" ending
Toreal
Member
This one caught me by surprise, its quite good so far, just started the second case and it really scratches my adventure/crime mystery itch.
I love that you can pin the crimes on the wrong person, and you still have to do some thinking even if you find all the clues.
Never paid any attention to this series , are the other Sherlock Holmes games any good?
I love that you can pin the crimes on the wrong person, and you still have to do some thinking even if you find all the clues.
Never paid any attention to this series , are the other Sherlock Holmes games any good?
Finished!
Definitely better than Testament, the single case structure allowed for a more solid narrative since they didn't have to come up with some "grand plan".
Case 3 was probably the best, the others felt somehow too guided toward a single culprit. DLCs with more cases would be sweet.
What's up with some costumes not getting used by the way?
Definitely better than Testament, the single case structure allowed for a more solid narrative since they didn't have to come up with some "grand plan".
Case 3 was probably the best, the others felt somehow too guided toward a single culprit. DLCs with more cases would be sweet.
What's up with some costumes not getting used by the way?
The_Hitcher89
Member
Just bought this on Steam after watching the QuickLook, seems great. Something about the setting in the case they showed at least is really comforting to me. Didn't expect the game to have a good atmosphere, but it looks like it does.
It has controller support, right?
It has controller support, right?
Aarglefarg
Member
Yes, they used a controller in the quick look.
The_Hitcher89
Member
Just finished the first case, really enjoyed it. Satisfied enough with my ending that I'm not even really bothered about what else could have happened.
Next case will be a bit of a slog since I watched the entirety of the GiantBomb quicklook, which was said case
Next case will be a bit of a slog since I watched the entirety of the GiantBomb quicklook, which was said case
Freewheelin'
Member
Bought this game this morning from Psn store, really enjoyed the first case, solved that successfully I think.
The second case was a bit confusing, but I think I got it right the first time (
)
The second case was a bit confusing, but I think I got it right the first time (
it was the Chileans and the Mexicans going to war bascially right?
Bought it during the current PSN sale in EU for PS4 and have solved 4 of the 6 (I believe) cases. Having played the previous entry The Testament of Sherlock Holmes (and the games before), Crimes & Punishments is a definite step up and the most enjoyable of the series so far.
Throughout its iterations it has morphed into an entertaining mix of The Walking Dead: Season 1, L.A. Noire and your regular point and click adventure. Highly recommended if you like the idea of that combination and can look past some technical imperfections (occasional screen tear, pop-in and in general a bit rough around the edges).
Throughout its iterations it has morphed into an entertaining mix of The Walking Dead: Season 1, L.A. Noire and your regular point and click adventure. Highly recommended if you like the idea of that combination and can look past some technical imperfections (occasional screen tear, pop-in and in general a bit rough around the edges).
The_Hitcher89
Member
I want to visit these locations in the time period
So calm and atmospheric
So calm and atmospheric
The Horror the horror
Banned
Seems all the impressions for this game are based on the PC or PS4 version.
I want to grab the game for the PS3. Besides a visual-hit, any performance issues or other concerns for the version?
I want to grab the game for the PS3. Besides a visual-hit, any performance issues or other concerns for the version?
Ravensmash
Member
Sorry to bump but this is on sale now and I picked it up.
Really good game so far. If you like adventure games then id highly recommend it. Great atmosphere and so far it's proving to be the experience that I hoped LA Noire to be (which I still enjoyed).
I love the idea of the deduction system, as I'm constantly aware that I may mess up.
Really good game so far. If you like adventure games then id highly recommend it. Great atmosphere and so far it's proving to be the experience that I hoped LA Noire to be (which I still enjoyed).
I love the idea of the deduction system, as I'm constantly aware that I may mess up.
Sad bump.
My missus is going to be introduced to this tonight. She has never played a videogame before but we love trying to work out motives and killers in TV shows like CSI etc so I am hoping she will at least give this an honest chance. I myself have not played this yet but seeing as it's free on PS+ I thought I would give it a crack. "It" being that I hope my SO can see that videogames are a lot different than the games she imagines from the 80s. (Yes, she is that far behind).
My missus is going to be introduced to this tonight. She has never played a videogame before but we love trying to work out motives and killers in TV shows like CSI etc so I am hoping she will at least give this an honest chance. I myself have not played this yet but seeing as it's free on PS+ I thought I would give it a crack. "It" being that I hope my SO can see that videogames are a lot different than the games she imagines from the 80s. (Yes, she is that far behind).
EzekelRAGE
Member
Only played the first case so far, but it was good. If you guys like guess the motives for killing and who the killer is you guys should like it. Very fun game.
EzekelRAGE
Member
If you have a ps3 and plus, it's free there.
Its a good couples game, only one gun shot.
Another PS Plus bump. I finished the game yesterday and overall found it very engrossing. Slow-paced, but with nicely detailed graphics, solid writing and voice-acting, and very faithful to the spirit of the original stories. The gameplay struck me as a good compromise between 1990s-style point and click adventures and Telltale-type interactive stories. Few of the individual puzzles were hard, but the game does a good job of keeping you constantly thinking about the case and the characters, and allows you to fill in a lot of details using your own imagination instead of spelling everything out for you. The Dostoyevskyan themes could have been fleshed out a bit more (
).
This was the first game in the series that I've played, and the consensus seems to be it's the best one so far..? I hope they make another one soon.
I really, really liked the last case, but even there it was more Demons than Crime and Punishment. And the morality system was a nice touch, but they could have done so much more with it
This was the first game in the series that I've played, and the consensus seems to be it's the best one so far..? I hope they make another one soon.
I decided to take a gamble on the PS4 version in a sale, despite already having the PS3 version via PS Plus. I'm generally a bit wary of adventure games, but I enjoy the old Sherlock Holmes books and I fancied a change of pace.
I'm really glad I went for the PS4 version because it actually works really well via Vita Remote Play with Suspend/Resume. I've managed to play 30 minute bursts here and there when in bed, or even in a cafe during my lunch-hour.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Finally got around to playing this on PS3 (PS+ freebie).
Cool game so far but it runs like absolute dogshit on the PS3. Massive screen tearing, framerate is ass (sub-30 and very stuttery), and the loading times are loooong.
I don't know why it's so poorly optimized. Graphics don't look all that demanding: the models are decent, but the environments have very low res textures, they're not very large, no need for complex animations or many enemies and complex AI and whatnot.
But at least the game is fairly fun. I really like the screen where you piece together the clues and try to make the deductions. Only played 2 cases so far but I've gotten both the right solution:
1st case
2nd case
Cool game so far but it runs like absolute dogshit on the PS3. Massive screen tearing, framerate is ass (sub-30 and very stuttery), and the loading times are loooong.
I don't know why it's so poorly optimized. Graphics don't look all that demanding: the models are decent, but the environments have very low res textures, they're not very large, no need for complex animations or many enemies and complex AI and whatnot.
But at least the game is fairly fun. I really like the screen where you piece together the clues and try to make the deductions. Only played 2 cases so far but I've gotten both the right solution:
1st case
was easy. The tobacco pouch belonging to the harpooner was the smoking gun, really. I let him go, 'cause the victim was a piece of shit murderer. xD
2nd case
was trickier. The damn Robinson device and insurance paper was a complete red herring and that annoyed me, I kept trying to connect it to the rest of the evidence but it always meant abandoning the clues about the Mexican barges and the shifty Mexican dude, and those clues added up with everything else far more. So I went with the drowned Chilean theory and set Lestrade on 'em.