3/5 ★ – ElementaryGaming's review of Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments.

This game has a great atmosphere and really puts you in the front seat of solving mysteries in the 19th century. The historical accuracy can be felt, and exploring in first-person view in particular is quite satisfying. Exploring the detailed, lived-in environments are by far the best part of the game. It is also satisfying to deduce the culprit of a crime yourself. It is regrettable that there is no overarching plot that connects the stories, instead making the game feel like a series of self-contained short stories. Though the fact that this game lets you accuse multiple different suspects, and allow to condemn or absolve them, gives the player autonomy which is not often seen in mystery games (even though I prefer a more linear story). Also, using the horse carriage as a loading screen where you can still check your game notes is brilliant. Unfortunately, there is an uneven quality to the cases- some are top-notch with interesting characters and great environments to explore that don't become too large and nonlinear (chapter 1, the sailor one, and 4, the murdered husband one), while others become overwhelming in their scope (the train stations, chapter 2) or feature puzzles that are lengthy and simply not fun (the door gate switches at the ruins, chapter 3). There is also a very acute attention to detail on the part of the player necessary with regards to how the game progresses, and if you forget what to do or did not click on every possible item, it can be easy to fall into a lost, "what-do-I-do" feeling, which is a killer of enjoyment in any game. A guide is recommended to have nearby for these moments. As a final note, the abundance of lock puzzles was truly dreadful, but thankfully they are all skippable. When Crimes and Punishments is good, it's very good, and is overall a pleasant crime-solving experience that respects the source material. It just lacks that extra push to make it a truly memorable game, has clues which can be too easily missed, and feels uneven in its case quality.