The Sinking City
- February 26, 2021
- Frogwares
- 20h median play time
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Get on Epic Games Store"The Sinking City Deluxe Edition" is a mystery adventure game set in a 1920s semi-open world, inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. As private investigator Charles Reed, you'll explore a flooded city, combat supernatural creatures, and uncover a dark conspiracy. The Deluxe Edition includes a digital art book, soundtrack, and additional missions.
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Reviews
- Awesome art style and very good graphics.
- Interesting detective mechanic that works well and is engaging.
- Great atmosphere and sound design that immerses players in the Lovecraftian world.
- Combat is clunky and lacks variety, making encounters frustrating.
- Limited NPC interactions and towns feel lifeless, reducing immersion.
- Every ending is underwhelming and lacks significant payoff.
- story1,085 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "The Sinking City" is generally praised for its engaging narrative and strong Lovecraftian themes, immersing players in a detective-driven plot filled with cosmic horror elements. However, many reviews highlight that while the main storyline is compelling, side quests often feel repetitive and lack meaningful impact, leading to a sense of monotony in gameplay. Overall, the game is recommended for its atmospheric storytelling and intriguing characters, but players are advised to focus primarily on the main quests to avoid the less rewarding fetch quests.
“The premise of this game is amazing: a private detective on an actual mission to solve cosmic horror madness.”
“The story direction and dubious choices the protagonist has to make creates a compelling scenario.”
“The story is engaging, with characters fitting what you can expect from the setting.”
“The main quest is a pastiche of the Call of Cthulhu; the NPCs are all facsimiles of Lovecraft characters, and the side quests are all rehashes of Lovecraft’s many novellas and short stories published in the pulp magazines of the early 20th century.”
“The story isn't interesting; at least it doesn't provide any interesting hooks at the beginning.”
“The plot starts off strong but quickly becomes forgettable, and the combat is a mess.”
- gameplay475 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "The Sinking City" is a mixed bag, with many players praising its engaging investigative mechanics and atmospheric world-building, reminiscent of classic detective games. However, the experience is marred by repetitive tasks, clunky combat mechanics, and a lack of variety in gameplay design, leading to a sense of monotony over time. While the detective elements are well-executed, the overall gameplay loop can feel tedious and unpolished, making it a title best suited for fans of the genre who can overlook its flaws.
“The gameplay is a mix of investigation and gunplay, which keeps it engaging.”
“The investigation mechanics are solid, and the story does a great job of blending personal and cosmic horror.”
“The gameplay is intuitive and engaging, immersing the player in the investigation of unspeakable horrors.”
“This wouldn't be a problem if coupled with some variety in gameplay and design, but unfortunately it is not the case.”
“Unfortunately, gameplay is really, really shallow, with many lazy design choices.”
“The gameplay is repetitive and bland, the map is big but it's practically empty with visual glitches all around.”
- atmosphere281 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "The Sinking City" is widely praised for its rich, Lovecraftian influences, creating a deeply immersive and eerie experience that captures the bleakness of the flooded city of Oakmont. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke feelings of dread and hopelessness, complemented by strong world-building, sound design, and visual aesthetics. However, some critiques mention that technical issues and repetitive gameplay can detract from the overall atmospheric experience.
“The lore and atmosphere of the city is amazing with the Lovecraft influences.”
“The atmosphere and story were captivating, and I loved exploring the vast open world.”
“The atmosphere is superb.”
“The atmosphere is bleak and boring; the city doesn't have any interesting or cool places.”
“The problem with the sinking city is that the amount of errors, bugs, and aesthetic sloppiness prevent that Lovecraftian atmosphere from fully forming.”
“The atmosphere itself is kind of lacking.”
- graphics205 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the unique art style and atmospheric visuals that effectively convey a Lovecraftian horror theme. However, several players note that the graphics feel dated, with issues such as low-resolution textures, repetitive environments, and various glitches detracting from the overall experience. While some find the visuals immersive and fitting for the game's narrative, others express disappointment in the technical execution and performance, particularly on higher settings.
“The graphics are stunning and truly transport the player to the decaying streets of Oakmont, where the very fabric of reality is unraveling.”
“The atmosphere and art style are very convincing; it draws you deeper into the game.”
“If you are a fan of Lovecraft, you really need to do yourself a favor and play this game; the graphic design and detail in the city are so well done.”
“The graphics are quite dated and some of the faces just look really bad.”
“The graphics are pretty low-res even when turned up to the highest, and the player-character has really odd glitches like the rifle and shotgun being held at a weird angle.”
“For a game from 2021, it leaves a lot to be desired: poor gameplay, poor graphics, and a story that is boring.”
- stability79 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with many players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly detract from the overall experience. While some users noted improvements in the final version, persistent problems such as character clipping, freezing during combat, and inconsistent NPC behavior remain prevalent. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess," with many players expressing frustration over its technical shortcomings despite appreciating its story and atmosphere.
“The final version of the game is indeed more bug-free, although there are still some crazy things happening that make you laugh at what algorithm possessed the game at certain points.”
“Big bonus points: it runs great on Steam Deck.”
“The game is buggy and a mess.”
“It's really buggy, overall a bad game.”
“It's a buggy tedious mess.”
- grinding72 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is overwhelmingly tedious, with players frequently expressing frustration over excessive back-and-forth travel in a largely empty open world, clunky combat, and repetitive investigative tasks. Many noted that the lack of a robust fast travel system exacerbates the monotony, making the gameplay feel like a chore rather than an engaging experience. While some elements, like the detective mechanics, were appreciated, they often became overshadowed by the overall tediousness of the game.
“It can be a bit grindy sometimes, but the rewards make it worth it.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding, but the sense of achievement is incredible.”
“Grinding can be intense, and you'll definitely need a second life for it!”
“An absolute tedious chore this game is to play... why can't devs just make games fun anymore?”
“It's set in an open world that has very little to do, and ultimately just leads to a lot of very tedious traveling back and forth in what's essentially a mostly empty, lifeless environment.”
“The loop became tedious, with boring traversal and repetitive tasks.”
- music64 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its ability to create an eerie and atmospheric backdrop that enhances the Lovecraftian themes, while others find it unremarkable or lacking in variety. Many appreciate the ambient sound design, which complements the visuals and narrative, but some feel that the music is often too subtle or non-existent during gameplay. Overall, while the soundtrack effectively contributes to the game's unsettling atmosphere, it could benefit from more variety and presence.
“Combined with the music, the grotesque appearance of the monsters (and some of the locals) and just how fragile your detective is, you'll be on edge more often than not.”
“The overall vibe from this game was chilling; the music and ambience were spot on, cosmic horror at its finest.”
“The soundtrack is tense, slowly drilling a sense of helplessness into your mind.”
“The decent music mainly consists of unobtrusive background audio which helps set a menacing, horror-ish tone without drawing attention to itself.”
“The soundtrack is lonely, depressing.”
- optimization51 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 51 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues such as frame rate drops, stuttering, and bugs that detract from the overall experience. While some users noted that performance could be stable at lower settings or on specific platforms like the Steam Deck, many others experienced severe lag and graphical glitches, leading to a consensus that the game is poorly optimized and in need of substantial improvements.
“Performance is good on Steam Deck.”
“A new version of the game with all the optimizations and content will be arriving soon.”
“The sinking city so far runs smoothly on the Steam Deck and I run all settings wide open.”
“The game is poorly optimized; I'm on a pretty beefy setup, and I am getting massive frame drops when 3-4 enemies are active and sanity starts dropping.”
“Unfortunately the game is unpolished and full of performance issues and bugs.”
“The performance is terrible, the world is empty and assets are reused to the point of it being comical.”
- humor24 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "The Sinking City" is a blend of self-referential jokes, absurd situations, and quirky NPC interactions that often lighten the otherwise dark atmosphere. Players appreciate the balance between humor and horror, with amusing dialogue and unexpected comedic moments arising from game glitches and character behaviors. However, some find the humor can detract from immersion, particularly when bugs lead to bizarre visual gags or repetitive animations.
“I died laughing once I put two and two together.”
“I'm finding The Sinking City to strike the right balance of humor vs. horror beats.”
“Also, make sure you don't shoot the monsters in the streets as this rather hilariously has people yell 'he's gone mad!' and then the cops open fire on you instead of the towering monster slaying the local population.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's replayability varies among users; some find limited value after completing the campaign, while others appreciate the open investigation system and branching storylines that encourage multiple playthroughs to explore different choices and endings. Overall, many agree that the engaging detective gameplay and character interactions enhance the desire to replay the game.
“Even finishing it, it has replayability to try different options or do some of the other quests, and I actually enjoyed the character enough to want to play again!”
“High replay value thanks to an open investigation system: each case can be solved in a number of ways, with different possible endings depending on your actions.”
“It's also very replayable with a lot of different branching storylines and many different outcomes and ways to approach choices.”
“Not a lot of replay value beyond a couple runs through the campaign, but I still think this game is well worth purchasing and experiencing firsthand.”
“In the end, I can say the game is worth buying on sale just because of the detective part of gameplay; it's engaging and satisfying. The story isn't bad either, and different choices might bring more replayability.”
“Definitely replayable due to choices, to see if/how the story differs.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "The Sinking City" is a mixed experience; while it offers a challenging and immersive detective narrative that can evoke deep feelings, technical issues like poor facial animations detract from the overall emotional engagement. Players who embrace the game's complexities may find it rewarding, but others might struggle to connect due to these shortcomings.
“If you are ready for a challenge, both mentally and emotionally, then I highly recommend diving into the depths of the sinking city.”
“☐ heart touching”
“I really enjoyed this part, and it really made me feel like a detective.”
“The game tries to be heart touching, but it falls flat and feels forced.”
“I expected an emotional journey, but instead, I felt disconnected from the characters.”
“While the game aims for emotional depth, it often comes off as melodramatic and unconvincing.”
- monetization5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a mixed sentiment regarding monetization, with some users perceiving the game as a cash grab despite its solid performance and absence of intrusive ads. While the game is praised for its quality, concerns about potential IP theft and the presence of typical DLC monetization practices have been raised, suggesting a lack of transparency in the game's financial practices.
“This version is solid, with no game-breaking bugs as far as I can tell, no crashing, and no ads.”
“I really want to like this game, but at the end of the day, I still think this game is a cash grab.”
“Publishing a game without the consent of involved parties and doing a quick cash grab on customers is just plain scam.”
“It's an awesome game, but there doesn't appear to be anything missing, outside of the usual DLC cash grab.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is enhanced by well-executed design and animations that create an immersive experience. While the vivid world and memorable characters like Harriet and Daryl stand out, players express a desire for a more dynamic development system that reflects growth in perception and understanding as the game progresses.
“The character design and animations are well-executed, contributing to the overall immersion in the game world.”
“Both world and character design seem incredibly vivid and make you feel like diving into a real parallel world.”
“I wish that the character development system simulated you developing and unlocking new perception and understanding as the game advanced.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional and lack meaningful growth throughout the story.”
“There is little to no impact from the choices I make regarding character development, making it feel pointless.”
