Nerdful Things – ‘Call of Cthulhu’ Review
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First Impressions
This is my first HP Lovecraft game. I have never played the tabletop game of the same name, nor have I played Eldritch Horror and the countless other Cthulhu, Arkham and whatever else exist out there. I was drawn in by the artwork and the premise – I love private detective stories (gumshoes) and noir. Discworld Noir is one of my favourites and I loved playing as Scott Shelby in Heavy Rain. Not only that, there are RPG elements and tabletop mechanics such as choosing where to apply the crucial skill points which can change the gameplay entirely – a low investigation skill will lock certain paths or lines of questioning or reduce the effectiveness.
Visually it is a gritty, filthy beast but that adds to the eery charm. For the first few chapters, the game takes place at night and the foreboding darkness combined with the dingy walls and footways made me feel a bit dirty myself. It was as if observing this filth was enough to somehow seep on to my skin. But the surface of my skin became the least of my worries as the ambience and creepiness soon breaches the skin and runs rife beneath it.
A later chapter sees some daylight. The sun pouring in the windows of the manor is truly beautiful and a sight for sore eyes. But I didn’t get to explore outside in the lovely rays. Lighting is a wonderful and oft-times stunning effect in the game. It can be your best friend one minute and your nemesis the next as you meander through tunnels and mansion corridors.
Having only just started reading the story of the same name, I noticed a few nods and references which are things that I truly appreciate within set universes. It makes me feel knowledgeable when I understand a reference or spot something that the uninitiated wouldn’t. Obviously there are plenty that I haven’t picked up on as I’m not as well versed in the mythos as I could be. Yet.
Gameplay
After the tone-setting intro sequence, you start in your office where a mini tutorial takes place. With unintrusive, helpful pop-ups you quickly learn the mechanics and you’re soon on your way to Dark Water. Movement is slow and deliberate but you can run in certain areas. Depending on where you’re allocated your skill points, some things you can do and some you can’t. Some are down to chance in which you have to watch your action play out to see whether you were successful or not. The tabletop equivalent would be rolling dice to determine the outcome. One playthrough of chapter 2 saw me fail to use a winch to open a metal grate for me to descend into the tunnels below and I had to find another way in. On another, I was successful with my strength skill-check and was able to descend the ladder into the depths below.
I’m up to chapter 8 as I write this and I am looking forward to playing more tonight but, by the same toke, am somewhat daunted by it. Stealth plays a part in the game and can be rather nerve-wracking. Sneaking around the Riverside Institute trying to find items to progress all the while avoiding the orderlies that patrol the claustrophobic corridors and navigate my way past insane residents of the facility whose torment chills me to the core. A bit later, I find myself skulking around hiding from a terrifying creature known as The Shambler which reminds me of the Demogorgon in season one of Stranger Things crossed with the Licker in the Resident Evil series. I posted on Facebook as I was playing stating that I thought Alien: Isolation was tense but this is worse. Every time The Shambler spotted me, the screech it emits chilled me to the core and I found myself panicking as I try to run and break line of sight. Hiding in a closet, hoping it didn’t see me enter while the sound of my character’s heartbeat intensifies as does his breathing to the point he seems like he will pass out, only to have it stare in through the slats before smashing into the doors and pulling me out truly haunted me. The sounds and visuals combined with how immersed I felt made it seem as if there was more at stake than simply reloading from the last checkpoint to try again.
That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die
HP Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu
I realised, after finally clearing this section, that I had missed a trophy. Oh fuck. I didn’t like the idea of starting from scratch later on as this section has instilled a severe amount of dread within me so I reloaded my save and tried again. One thing is for sure. I absolutely hate this part of the game. I have yet to find a horror movie that makes me jump, let alone scares me. This vile creature has evoked such a fear within me that I feel incredibly uncomfortable. My heart was racing and I felt tense as if I was actually there. I don’t suppose it helps seeing how the creature becomes of the world; pulling itself through the canvas of a painting like the Demogorgon pushing it’s way through Joyce Byers wallpaper or like the girl in The Ring coming through the TV screen. I’m not ashamed to admit it as this is a compliment to the work of the creators of the game – this creature honestly scared me. I have goosebumps just remembering my attempts at defeating it. Something tells me it won’t be the last time I see it. And I’m not looking forward to it.
The game sees you carrying out typical tasks held within games of this genre; find item x in order to access area y. You’ll meet and interact with interesting characters who may or may not have something to hide and, depending on your skills, may or may not find out what that is. The chapters are fairly short but there are lots of items to pick up and examine. Many of which are required for trophies, of which most are missable to some degree.
Verdict
It’s not the prettiest game to look at. But that’s not a negative. It’s not meant to be beautiful – the fact, so far anyway, I’ve only glimpsed sunlight through the windows of the Hawkins’ manor was like a metaphor for being so close and yet so far. The story has many twists and turns and, rightly so, fucks with your head as much as it does its in-game protagonist.
I thoroughly recommend this game if you’re looking for a solid single player game with a fantastic story. With multiple endings and various different means of completing chapters, it’s a game with replay value. Fantastic voice acting, sound effects, music combined with the manner in which light plays a role in the game make it an incredibly immersive experience and I find myself thinking about playing it and looking forward to it. It’s almost as if I am a character of Lovecraft‘s creation myself in that I have developed a bit of an obsession with finding out the truth. A key component in his work is his lead character being so hellbent on getting answers. It’s not like I’ve never had an existential crisis before so how do I know I’m not a work of his fiction?
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—The Trying Scotsman has a ‘Don’t Be A Dick’ policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
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