Sherlock Holmes The Devil's Daughter

About

"Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter" is an immersive adventure game that allows players to take on the role of the famous detective. The game combines investigation, action, and exploration, and includes features such as freely exploring different neighborhoods, interrogations, and combat. Each decision made affects the overall story, leading to a unique and exciting experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Sherlock Holmes The Devil's Daughter screenshot

+11

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,174 reviews

story850 positive mentions

grinding130 negative mentions

Engaging storyline with interesting cases that keep players hooked.
Diverse gameplay mechanics including deduction, puzzles, and mini-games.
Allows players to make moral choices that affect the outcome of the cases.

Controls can be clunky and frustrating, especially during action sequences.
Some puzzles feel tedious and are more about trial and error than logical deduction.
The overarching plot feels forced and lacks a satisfying conclusion.

story
2,206 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
55%
7%
The story of "Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its engaging narrative and character development, particularly the relationship between Sherlock and his daughter, Kate. However, many critics point out that the overarching plot feels rushed and poorly integrated, often overshadowed by frustrating gameplay mechanics and action sequences that detract from the detective experience. Overall, while the game offers intriguing cases and a compelling atmosphere, it struggles with narrative coherence and depth compared to its predecessors.
- “Great action sequences, immersive environments, and wonderfully done storylines have kept me hooked on this game.”
- “The story is woven with two interrelated plots presented as chapters (or short stories).”
- “The story keeps you gripping your seat, with amazing voice acting, and touching dialog.”
- “The main storyline features holmes' adopted daughter from 'the testament of sherlock holmes', but you don't really have to play it to understand the story here.”
- “The story was lackluster to say the least, and I felt confused being dropped into the game without any context or cut scenes to set the stage.”
- “The overarching plot does not capture the intellectual rigor and deductive brilliance traditionally associated with holmes, leaving much to be desired in terms of compelling storytelling.”
gameplay
1,205 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
63%
8%
The gameplay of "Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its reliance on familiar mechanics from previous titles, particularly "Crimes and Punishments." While some appreciate the diverse gameplay elements, including deduction mechanics and mini-games, others criticize the clunky controls, poorly executed quick-time events, and a lack of clear tutorials, leading to frustration. Overall, the game offers an engaging detective experience but suffers from inconsistencies and a feeling of being less polished compared to its predecessor.
- “From the very start, I was captivated by its intricate storyline and engaging gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is fun and extremely diverse; the stories told are quite curious and the meta story, while not unraveling its full potential if you ask me, comes with satisfying conclusions.”
- “The gameplay is challenging enough without being too confusing; I never got stuck for long, the puzzles were challenging but solvable (enough help around without feeling like the game is holding my hand).”
- “The gameplay relies way too heavily on scripted set-pieces that are garbage, as they are similar to the kind of low-effort QTEs you would find in a Telltale game or something.”
- “The game kept Crimes and Punishments' frame gameplay and diluted it with pointless, clunky, and annoying mini-games in a failed attempt to sneak in some action sequences in a very cheap way.”
- “The gameplay is not great, at all; I would even venture to say truly bad, at least for a detective game.”
graphics
801 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
43%
4%
The graphics in "Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter" have received mixed reviews, with many praising the attention to detail and atmospheric design that enhances immersion. While some players noted significant improvements over previous titles, others pointed out inconsistencies and dated character models that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are generally considered good for a game of its age, though not without technical issues and occasional graphical shortcomings.
- “The attention to detail in the graphics and the atmospheric soundtrack only add to the overall immersion.”
- “The graphics and artwork are stellar, and the developers have also managed to come up with some ingenious new puzzles and booby traps that will keep players guessing and trying for hours.”
- “The graphics are stunning, the facial expressions are really on point.”
- “These graphical shortcomings break the immersion frequently, making the game feel unfinished.”
- “The graphics are jumpy, the storyline is questionable, and don't even get me started on how poorly the swamp scene is executed.”
- “It's disappointing that the graphics are so abysmal, because this game could otherwise be something worth playing.”
music
142 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
56%
2%
The music in the game is generally described as atmospheric and fitting for the thriller genre, enhancing immersion and complementing the game's setting. However, opinions vary widely; while some find the soundtrack hauntingly beautiful and well-suited to the narrative, others criticize it as forgettable or generic, with repetitive tracks that detract from the experience. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, though it lacks standout moments that would make it memorable.
- “The music sets you in a 'mystery' vibe that helps you get immersed in the game.”
- “The atmosphere of the game is amazing and the soundtrack is great!”
- “I love piecing together the clues while eerie music is playing in the deduction scene, or looking through suspects' belongings as the mysterious music chimes.”
- “I have no strong opinions about the soundtrack, mostly because of how unremarkable and generic it is.”
- “The music is forgettable; it could have been more emphasized. I cannot really remember any musical score at all.”
- “I mean, the music is okay, but when you hear the same trash soundtrack for over 4 minutes, it's not normal.”
grinding
138 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
4%
94%
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for its tedious and repetitive gameplay, with many players finding the minigames, puzzles, and action sequences to be overly long and lacking in excitement. While some appreciated the option to skip particularly tedious sections, the overall sentiment suggests that the game suffers from a lack of engaging content, making the experience feel more like a chore than an enjoyable adventure. Despite some redeeming qualities in the story, the frequent grind detracts significantly from the overall enjoyment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “If a Sherlock Holmes game is supposed to embody boring, tedious, and redundant gameplay, elementary my fair Frogwares.”
- “The gameplay itself can be pretty tedious and iffy, but I guess that's not really why you'd play.”
- “Why bother putting up with any of the minigames or action events, when every last one of them is tedious and unfun to play?”
atmosphere
135 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
33%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive depiction of Victorian London, enhanced by detailed graphics, a fitting soundtrack, and rich world-building that captures the era's essence. However, some players noted that technical issues and a shift towards fast-paced gameplay detracted from the overall experience, making it feel less cohesive compared to previous titles in the series. Despite these criticisms, many found the atmosphere to be a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's enjoyment and storytelling.
- “The attention to detail in the graphics and the atmospheric soundtrack only add to the overall immersion.”
- “The atmosphere is astonishingly good, walking around old London with all the sights and sounds and almost the smells too!”
- “The (visual and sound) artists and designers really nailed the atmosphere of each building, whether it's the streets of London, the pub, or the opium-addict apartment; it all felt amazingly right.”
- “This game was clearly intended to be more fast-paced and action-oriented, but the series really did not need a change of pace and the end result is just a shoehorned series of QTEs and tedious stealth segments which don't fit the atmosphere of the game at all and are a bother to go through.”
- “This ruins the atmosphere so much because it just doesn't have the Sherlock touch to it anymore.”
- “As someone has already pointed out, the game suddenly takes on the atmosphere of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes film series (which I think is a terrible adaptation of the original novel), and leans too much more on action rather than elaborate storyline and deduction process.”
optimization
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
45%
41%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, even on high-end hardware. Despite some minor improvements noted in updates, the overall experience remains unstable and frustrating, detracting from the gameplay and narrative engagement. While a few users found it somewhat stable, the consensus is that the game is poorly optimized and often unplayable, especially during extended sessions.
- “I used vkbasalt with fakehdr filter and sharpness 10, and it greatly improved picture quality without noticeable performance impact.”
- “Performance-wise, it's the most stable of any Frogwares game - no glitches, no crashes, no bugs (at least any that I encountered).”
- “Good performance and graphics.”
- “This game from 2016 is a stuttering mess that drops frames on 2022 higher-end hardware.”
- “I had to restart the game every 30-60 minutes, otherwise it became unplayable with 10-20 fps and constant stuttering even during prerendered videos.”
- “Moreover, the performance/optimization is atrocious: after less than an hour fps dropped below 20, and there were stutters.”
emotional
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The emotional aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the attempt to add depth to Sherlock Holmes through personal stakes and character development, while others criticize it as forced and lacking subtlety. Many found the emotional moments to be jarring or ineffective, particularly in the final act, leading to a lack of investment in the story. Overall, while some players felt a genuine connection to the narrative and characters, others felt that the emotional elements detracted from the classic detective experience.
- “I know that this may sound silly, but this game really made me feel like I was Sherlock Holmes, observing little things nobody else did.”
- “The overall narrative is really intense and if you get invested in stories emotionally like I do, you're really going to get into this.”
- “Frogwares continue the story thread from the Testament of Sherlock Holmes in which he adopts Moriarty's daughter after his death and attempts to infuse the story with emotional stakes by making Sherlock Holmes play the hapless father figure who doesn't understand the teen girl he so adores.”
- “Boring story and lots of ridiculous new mini-games, like balancing on logs.”
humor
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a blend of clever pastiche and absurdity, with standout moments like the hilarious "exorcism" scene that left players in stitches. While some cases are genuinely funny, others mix humor with darker themes, creating a unique balance that enhances the narrative experience. Overall, the game features quirky characters and witty dialogue, though some players noted a lack of the sharp humor found in previous installments.
- “There is a pastiche Cthulhu background to each case (and the archive) hilariously, along with horror references to big titles of Eastern Europe from the early 21st century.”
- “The 'exorcism' in particular was hilarious.”
- “I played the previous game and I loved the experience; some of the things I loved the most were Sherlock's quirks and his sarcastic humor.”
replayability
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
51%
22%
Overall, the game has limited replayability, with many players noting that the short playtime and lack of significant choices diminish the incentive to replay. While some find the initial experience engaging and enjoyable, the consensus is that once the cases are solved, there is little reason to return, making it more suitable for purchase during sales.
- “The cases are engaging and the replayability is decent.”
- “Graphics are good even on lower settings, the cases/overall story is interesting and engaging, 100% has replayability and the times you're putting a case together makes you feel like you're the smartest person in the world.”
- “[Great deduction system, interesting story arc, case endings are replayable].”
- “Yes, I do recommend that game but only on sale: it's sadly way too short and not really replayable.”
- “It's sad that this kind of game - a puzzler with generally one correct ending - doesn't last very long in terms of replay value.”
- “There is limited replayability, as while your choices have some consequences and you can pick different ones, there is a 'right' choice that normally seems somewhat obvious.”
stability
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
4%
89%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and performance issues such as freezing and low frame rates, particularly after extended play sessions. While some users noted that it is the most stable title from the developer Frogwares, others found it unplayable due to technical problems. Overall, the game appears to have significant stability concerns that detract from the experience.
- “Performance-wise, it's the most stable of any Frogwares game - no glitches, no crashes, no bugs (at least any that I encountered).”
- “The game is not buggy at all, except for some graphics issues, but nothing major.”
- “The graphics are fine, and the game isn't buggy.”
- “My game freezes up every few minutes, utterly unplayable.”
- “At first it would run nicely, but as you play for nearly an hour or more, the game's performance stagnates to micro-freezes, stutters, and constant low framerate, which makes the already annoying QTE minigames more frustrating.”
- “Sadly, I can't play this due to the multiple graphical glitches, wonky loading screens that ruined a few mini games, and the excessive lag and skipping effects despite my settings.”
character development
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
63%
10%
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the character designs and voice acting as superior to previous installments, while others criticize the lack of depth and coherence in character arcs. Many players found the changes to iconic characters like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to be immersion-breaking and felt that the main villain lacked sufficient development throughout the story. Overall, while the character designs are visually appealing, the consensus is that the game does not deliver on substantial character development.
- “I bought this game as it was in the Christmas sale and wasn't expecting a massive amount since it's a slightly older game, but once I started to play, oh my goodness, this game is now one of my favorites! The character designs for Watson and Sherlock were an amazing take, and I loved how you had the opportunity to customize Sherlock to a certain extent!”
- “I really liked the details of the images and places, and the story was very intriguing. Perhaps a more extensive character development would be desirable.”
- “Unexpected ending and character development were well done.”
- “Due to the loosely-connected stories and character design change, it's hard to pinpoint where the events in this game took place, or even a reboot, but it seemingly took place after the Testament of Sherlock Holmes as it follows a plot from there.”
- “Also, the main villain could have used a bit of character development during the course of the game, and not only have a hysterical outbreak at the end of the game.”
- “Basically, if you are looking for real character development, plot-twisting stories and mind-blowing adventures, you are looking at the wrong game.”