Fighting and defeating enemies provides some benefits, however, as Reed earns experience points that can be used to unlock new skills in the three different skill trees. Ammo is extremely limited in the game, so players must pick their fights carefully unless they want to run out of ammo when they need it most. Combat is somewhat basic: players can use a melee attack or shoot with the equipped weapon. While not prominent, fighting against the fearsome creatures that now populate Oakmont still plays an important role, with even some bosses making an appearance. New for an investigation game developed by Frogwares are the combat mechanics.
The Mind Palace from the Sherlock Holmes games also makes a comeback, allowing players to put clues together naturally to reach the solution of the case. Most of the time, hints are provided by documents and dialogues, so players will have to search for clues and new locations based on these hints alone. What sets The Sinking City apart from the Sherlock Holmes games is that players get no hints or waypoints regarding locations, even on the easy difficulty setting, which is a very welcome feature for those who are looking for total immersion. Particularly well done are the Retro Cognition mechanics, which allow Reed to basically turn back time and see what really happened while investigating cases. The investigation mechanics are almost identical to the Sherlock Holmes games: thanks to them, it's possible to highlight clues that are related to each case. The game is basically a third-person survival horror game with investigation mechanics and a much bigger location to explore, filled with optional sidequests and secrets. The Sinking City gameplay is not as good as the story, but it definitely gets the job done in a competent way. The story also tackles some themes like racism, religion, and occultism in a mature and thoughtful way. NPCs involved directly in the story are also well-written, and all contribute to making Oakmont a fearful place where no outsiders should truly stay for more than a short while. Reed's journey is masterfully crafted so that it keeps players on their seats, slowly revealing more details on his past, explaining why he has the supernatural powers that aid him during investigations. Despite this, knowledge of the universe is not required to enjoy the story, though your understanding of everything may not be complete.Īs for the actual story itself, it is a well-made mystery and horror story.
The story is filled with references to the Lovecraft universe, and every little piece of dialogue contributes to building the world. While not based on any specific Lovecraft novel, it makes use of the lore in an extremely good way, creating an oppressive atmosphere that I feel is unrivaled as of now. The Sinking City's story is definitely among the game's best features. Little does he know that his journey to the town will test his sanity as he comes to learn the history of the town and the truth behind the Flood. Eventually, Reed is invited to Oakmont by Johannes van der Berg to discover the causes of the nightmarish visions that have been plaguing him. Reed is not new to visions and strange occurrences, as he has been experiencing them for years. Great War veteran, private investigator and U.S Navy sailor Charles W. Or on those different from themselves, as Oakmont has a long history of racism between the different unique individuals that populate it. The situation in the town is made tenser by the arrival of several refugees from The Flood and the fact that Oakmont citizens don't look too kindly on these outsiders. Due to this event, most of the town is now underwater, and its residents are being plagued by visions and hysteria. The Sinking City is set in the town of Oakmont, a town made up of seven districts which have been recently affected by an event known as The Flood. Frogwares' The Sinking City is definitely among the games that nailed the atmosphere perfectly, making players feel part of a universe where nothing is as it seems. Not too many games have managed, however, to capture the true sense of fear that comes from Lovecraft's work, as it's based on a subtle type of fear, the fear of the unknown which all men must inevitably face. Over the past few years, we have seen a lot of games based on the terrifying universe created by H.p: Lovecraft, which is hardly surprising, considering how the setting is just perfect for a story filled with fear, tension, and horror.
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