THE SINKING CITY / DEVELOPER: FROGWARES / PUBLISHER: BIGBEN INTERACTIVE / PLATFORM: PC, PS4, XBOX ONE (REVIEWED) / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Given the recent surge of interest in the works of cosmic horror maestro HP Lovecraft, it comes as no surprise that several HP-themed games have made their way into stores, all arriving within a relatively short space of time. The latest of these, The Sinking City, follows a similar path to developer Frogwares’ own Sherlock Holmes games – explore your surroundings, talk to a rather shady cast of characters, find clues, and solve the mystery.
Detective Charles Reed travels to the largely forgotten town of Oakmont, Massachusetts, to investigate reports of hysteria and visions that are being experienced by many people in the area. It seems that those suffering from these undesirable afflictions are being drawn to Oakmont by the presence of something great but unknown, and it’s Reed’s job to work out exactly what that might be.
Players of last year’s Call of Cthulhu may well feel like they’ve been here before. Although The Sinking City‘s location has changed, and we’re now in an open world rather than taking part in a linear adventure, the gameplay is very familiar.
It’s possible that efforts to make the investigations a little more involved have resulted in them being more long-winded than they need to be, with several steps necessary before Reed is able to solve each case. On top of searching the environment, taking photos, and interacting with objects and people, Reed must pay close attention to any documents he finds, in order to identify important locations before marking them on the map to visit later. This is the only way you’ll find your way around Oakmont – the game offers no hand-holding whatsoever, so a keen eye and an almost unhealthy amount of patience is needed.
Reed also uses his “Mind’s Eye” to see visions emerging from the various pieces of evidence he finds, which in turn need to be pieced together in chronological order to gain new information. The final step to solving a case involves a visit to the “Mind Palace” where clues are stored – combine the correct pieces of information together, and Reed will make his deductions from the available evidence. Cases can be interpreted in several different ways, so there are multiple possibilities to each case but the final conclusion is ultimately the player’s own choice.
Oakmont’s inhabitants – and indeed the town itself – hide plenty of secrets, and it’s quite a treat to explore this world. The lack of a clear route through the game may be off-putting for some, but those of an adventurous and inquisitive nature should feel right at home. There are plenty of twists and turns lying in wait for those who persevere.
