The Sinking City Remastered, played on Xbox One, is an atmospheric detective adventure that blends Lovecraftian horror with open-world exploration and investigative gameplay. Developed by Frogwares, this remastered edition refines the original 2019 release with improved visuals, performance enhancements, and quality-of-life updates — albeit it, it still has quite a few of the quirks we’ve come to expect from smaller developers.
Set in the fictional, flood-ravaged city of Oakmont, Massachusetts, The Sinking City Remastered casts players as Charles Reed, a private investigator plagued by disturbing visions. As Reed delves deeper into the city’s mysteries, he uncovers a web of supernatural phenomena, cult activity, and psychological horror that challenges both his sanity and moral compass.
The narrative is steeped in Lovecraftian themes — cosmic terror, unknowable monsters, and the fragility of the human mind — and the writing does a commendable job of capturing that tone without becoming overly derivative or inaccessible to newcomers. Decent voice acting and incidental music also help to create and maintain this atmosphere.
The Sinking City Remastered makes several noticeable improvements over the original — although I must say that I am having to take these things as read, as I didn’t experience the game in its original form. The textures certainly look fairly decent, the lighting is quite dynamic, and character models look as if they have a fair bit of modern spit and polish.
On Xbox One, the game runs fairly smoothly, with rapid loading times and few major frame rate dips, although it still occasionally struggled during more graphically intense sequences. Whilst I can’t compare these enhancements directly to the original, I would say that they are decent without being revolutionary, and good enough to maintain immersion for the most part.
Gameplay in The Sinking City revolves more around investigation instead of combat. The player gathers clues, interrogates suspects, and pieces together evidence using Reed’s supernatural abilities, which include retrocognition and heightened perception. These mechanics are integrated into the detective work, encouraging players to think critically and draw their own conclusions rather than relying on hand-holding or linear quest markers.
The Sinking City uses a “Mind Palace” system where players connect clues to form deductions, which is particularly satisfying and adds a layer of intellectual engagement that sets the game apart from more action-oriented titles. The Mind Palace is also quite challenging at times, with a number of red herrings among the links and a few complex connections that feel great when you solve them.
Combat, on the other hand, is one of The Sinking City’s weaker aspects. Enemy AI is simplistic, weapon handling lacks weight, and encounters often feel more like interruptions than integral parts of the experience. Ammunition is scarce by design, reinforcing the survival horror atmosphere, but this scarcity can sometimes feel more frustrating than tense, especially when paired with awkward controls and hit-and-miss (pun intended) aiming.
The open-world design of Oakmont is one of The Sinking City’s most interesting features. The city is divided into distinct districts, each with its own atmosphere, architecture, and secrets. Flooded streets require travel by boat, adding a unique layer to exploration and reinforcing the sense of isolation and decay.
Environmental storytelling is strong, with abandoned homes, cryptic graffiti, and eerie soundscapes painting a vivid picture of a city on the brink of collapse. It’s a shame that the denizens of the world rarely have much to say, but it’s not uncommon for games of this scale and scope made by smaller studios.
One of the game’s standout qualities is its commitment to player agency. There are no clear-cut moral choices or binary outcomes; instead, players must navigate a world where every decision has consequences, often ambiguous and unsettling. This approach aligns perfectly with the Lovecraftian ethos and gives the narrative a weight and complexity that lingers long after the credits roll.
Returning briefly to voice acting and sound design — these are generally strong, with Reed’s weary, introspective performance anchoring the experience. Ambient sounds — creaking floorboards, distant screams, the lapping of water — create a sense of unease that complements the visual design. The soundtrack is understated but effective, using dissonant strings and ambient tones to heighten tension without intruding on the immersive gameplay.
Despite its strengths, The Sinking City Remastered is not without flaws. Some animations are stiff, and occasional bugs — such as NPCs clipping through objects or quest triggers failing to activate — can definitely be found.. The game’s pacing can also be uneven, with stretches of slow investigation punctuated by abrupt, sometimes jarring combat sequences that will often leave you both frustrated and dead. However, these issues are relatively minor in the context of the overall experience and are less frequent than in the original release.
In terms of value, the remastered edition includes all previously released DLC, including additional missions and cosmetic items. The added content integrates seamlessly into the main game, offering new insights into the lore and expanding the narrative without feeling tacked on. There is a separate storyline to play through (which I haven’t experienced) and some incidental extras that newcomers to the game probably won’t even notice, but it’s reassuring to know that they are there.
Ultimately, The Sinking City Remastered on Xbox One is a thoughtful, atmospheric, and intellectually engaging experience that stands out in the crowded field of horror games. Its emphasis on investigation over action, combined with a richly realized world and a genuinely unsettling narrative, makes it a must-play for fans of Lovecraftian fiction and narrative-driven games. While it may not appeal to those seeking fast-paced gameplay or cutting-edge graphics, it excels in delivering a slow-burning, cerebral horror experience that rewards patience and curiosity.
You can buy The Sinking City Remastered on Xbox, PS5 and Steam now.
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