Let's talk about myths, let's talk about horror and talk about one of the most anticipated video games of 2018!
We are the D20 Nation and this is our review of Call Of Chtulu, the videogame.
Based on role-playing games that bear the same name and inspired by the wonderful works of H.P Lovecraft,
the Cyanide Studio and the Focus Home Interactive have "summoned" the best from the lovecraftian's literature
strongly respecting the expected standards .
We played it in preview , we lived it and above all ...
we made a steep descent towards the madness that the creators of this game wanted to tell.
Call of Chtulu aims to combine horror dynamics together with highly accentuated investigative aspects and to combine them
with mechanics typical of classic role players, catapulting the player into a spiral of events
that will lead him to seriously doubt his mental lucidity.
In Call of Chtulu we will follow the story of Edward Pierce, veteran of the First World War
with symptoms of post-traumatic stress and now private investigator.
The events took place in 1924, when he was subjected to a disturbing case
that sees the murder of an entire family known as the Hawkins
We will therefore be traveling to the charming island of Darkwater
(a reassuring name, do not you find?)
Just south of Boston, to shed light on the issue.
We have shot long or in the available locations of the island, which, by the way,
is the most horrible city hole in which an unfortunate private investigator could be.
Friendly people, unforgettable scenery and above all clean streets!
Good! These things you surely WILL NOT find in Darkwater!
One of the strengths that can be traced right away in the game is how the context prizes curiosity.
In fact, the investigation is a very central point of the game world and those who
know the writings of Lovecraft, will find very pleasant the importance given to such mechanics.
These dynamics are also influenced (and above all) by the feeling that the inhabitants of Darkwater transmit
each of them, in fact, seems to hide something, to hide unspeakable secrets that would push the player
to analyze all the available lines of dialogue, and then painting a real personal investigation.
Every detail is important to the resolution of the case and such details are mixed perfectly with the narrative
that seems very much like those of Lovecraft.
The narration, in fact, appears very slow from the beginning (typical flow of the author)
and then takes an unexpected surge as soon as the first hint of pure madness comes out.
There are many points that have left us speechless when we came into contact with the various scenes
that have put a strain on our "sanity".
In fact, the players will feel masters of the story and then discover that all their theories
have been questioned by a single detail: the unexpected horror.
Needless to say that, in some moments, we are LITTERALLY jumped off the chair for the fear
and from the vision of "unspeakable" atrocities that have upset, beyond the protagonist ... us too!
It is easy, for the mortals of the Lovecraft worlds, not to believe in pagan superstitions
or unknown cults and here this feeling is resumed in the best way.
The concerning mechanics of "mental health" appears to be thorough, well thought out and especially appropriate
to the terrifying visions in which Pierce will meet.
summarizing in a simple menu, the most frightening and incisive events
experienced by the player and the effects they have had on his psyche.
Our level of sanity, which can only increase if we see things that actually appear disturbing to our character,
could also affect our options for dialogue and interaction with the various NPCs
Within the game menu we can also find the mechanics that can be linked to the "Call of Chtulhu" roleplay game edition.
Skill tree is the fulcrum that allows us to give our investigator
very different nuances between them and that will affect not only the lines of dialogue
but also on the details that the character will notice and on the deductions he makes during his investigations.
Particular attention then, gives to some skills that can not be increased through the classic system of leveling
Occultism and Medicine; these two skills allow the player a different approach
to strange situations and allow to find alternative ways to otherwise unexplained events.
So we come to the real investigation, which on Call of Chtulhu
is mainly represented by the RECONSTRUCTION MODE.
In this way the player can enter into a sort of mental reflection of what Pierce sees and focuses
actions, voices, objects and deductions can be reconstructed
based on a mix of visual and auditory attention that involves the player
and that the latter can increase to bring new evidence and clues to light.
There are many ways to achieve a goal and it is not limited to forced roads
that force the investigative experience to the usual annoying "straight way".
The investigation walks step by step with the strong presence of a narration functional and fluent
although some Lovecraft fans could consider very classic the events related to case of Darkwater
in our opinion is one of the most fascinating and engaging story told in a videogame, of the last years.
From this it is clear how the development team has taken into great consideration the Lovecraftian literature
and how it nourishes a deep knowledge of the issues that affect both the role-playing game
based on the homonymous world and the thought of the "solitaire of Providence".
The plot reflects a marked sense of the unknown through even minor goals
and enigmatic characters from disturbing traits.
Call of Chtulhu , in this sense, is defined as an absolutely symbolic game
perfectly in line with the Lovecraft style of horror, of the unknown and of madness.
However, we must oppose harsh criticism regarding what concerns the technical sector.
The graphics left us a little perplexed; in fact, wandering here and there
in the various areas of the Darkwater streets, we often come across low quality textures
animations a bit too mechanical that distort the fluidity of the narration
and particle effects that leave a lot to be desired.
Of course, we are far from triple A production like The Witcher or Assassin's Creed
that resume qualitative technical standards much higher
but the charm of Call of Chtulhu shows up against the current, symbolic and elegant
we would almost say ... not suitable for everyone.
The game, therefore, was affected by the production time that has been postponed several times.
and that probably had been designed to be commercialized a few years ago
But all in all, the bad graphics are something we can forgive.
The investigator, is primarily (and is essential to keep this in mind for the duration of the game ) a human;
full of fear, trauma and phobias
Just as in the Lovecraft's works, here the human being is the last of the thoughts of the creatures
that devour this world and, as such him, is weak and frail.
This is outlined by the many purely stealth sessions that we should face to escape the horrors
of the mysteries of Darkwater and the impossibility of fighting against what the character most fears.
During the game, for example, in the part that will see the Sanatorium as a place of action
(and in many others) we will find ourselves wandering without an indicator of direction
fearing also the possibility of going crazy for fear or being the victim of crazy hallucinations.
Everything is embellished by the sounds that we found simply sublime
and able to engage in moments of suspense as only a few other games have been able to do.
The icing on the cake are the quotes and references that the creators wanted to include in the game
and that Lovecraft's fans will surely appreciate; you can find ironical phrases like:
get the Steam trophies that recall the titles of the most famous writings, such as THE WHITE SHIP
and who knows ... maybe come in contact with some iconic object from the world of Lovecraft.
We will not tell you of course anything about the ending but we can reveal to you  that there is not only one
and this is determined by many factors, first of all the mental health accumulated during the game.
It is usually within the author's universe to gain conclusions based on occult discoveries
or simply what is ignored.
In Call of Chtulhu this will actually take place, giving the player a final worthy of his choices.
We strongly recommend Call of Cthulhu to Lovecraft fans and, in general, to fans of the horror genre.
The work is artistically sublime and able to give deep and pungent emotions
managing to convey anxiety and the primordial fear of the unknown.
As already mentioned, the game has a strong soul, however,
if players look for a flawless technical work, they may be disappointed.
For those looking for a horror-psychological work,
Darkwater is the right place!
That said, our review of Call of Chtulu end here and wish you a nice holiday pleasure
on the island of Darkwater, where you expect good food, good people and a lot of madness in season!
