Back in 2019, I reviewed Frogwares’ Lovecraftian horror RPG The Sinking City, which I gave a decent rating, even though I wasn’t really impressed by the graphics. Now I’m back with The Sinking City Remastered, which has undergone improvements. How did it fare?
A quick recap for those not familiar with The Sinking City: you take on the role of former U.S. Navy Sailor turned Private Eye Charles S. Reed. Reed came to the fictional island of Oakmont to find answers to his nightmares and visions he’s been having since the war, as it appears many people on the island are experiencing the same phenomenon. Upon arriving at the island, Reed learns that the city is falling into ruin as a great flood has taken place, and strange creatures are coming from the flood waters, and a mysterious force is calling to those afflicted with nightmares and visions…
The Remastered version features a complete overhaul of the visuals and lighting engine, improving the appearance and performance. If you already own the game on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, this upgrade in graphics is a free update.
Right away, I noticed when I was playing that the game’s lighting was improved, making Oakmont grittier and foreboding. The environments have been improved significantly and are dressed a lot better than they were originally. The one thing I wish were improved was the character models, as some of them still look quite rough graphically.
Overall, the game is still enjoyable with the open world element for exploration, the Lovecraft Easter eggs, investigative mechanics, loads of side missions, along with the main story. New players will have fun with this, as I’m sure old fans would be willing to return to Oakmond to see what’s different.
The Sinking City Remastered is available now for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Again, existing owners of the game on the mentioned platforms will have the remastered elements free.
