Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth

"A game I'll never forget. Gets better as you play it!"

After finishing this spectacular game, I shrugged my shoulders, closed my eyes, and sighed deeply. This game is one of the most unique and stylistic games that I have ever played, but it definitely can get challenging at times. I had more than my fair share of occasions on which I peeked at one of the walkthroughs on this very site, but I still highly recommend this game as not only a fun game, but a cinematic masterpiece. It also incorporates two of H.P. Lovecraft's famous tales - The Shadow Over Innsmouth, and his best story, The Colour Out of Space. This game RADIATES Lovecraft.

Gameplay - 9; The mix of puzzle solving with dangerous gun play was unique and enticing. The only weakness here is that the game is hard, and requires dedication to finish, making it not the best choice for a casual gamer. The only tedious aspects of the game are the chase sequences, where you have to escape enemies or sneak around them, and everything to do with MedPacks, which are invaluable in this game. If you want to bandage yourself up, you have to find a spot out of the way of enemies and use the MedPack, which triggers a grainy cutscene-type thing. If an enemy approaches you while you're applying bandages, you can't do anything about it and you usually die. I know they're going for realism, but this is quite annoying.

Graphics - 9; The graphics on this game look amazing, from the flies buzzing around charred bodies to pulsating, tentacled alien masses. The faces of the characters you meet look especially realistic. There is a motion blur effect - sort of a vertigo - when you see something disturbing that really draws the player into the game, though it can get a bit annoying at times.

Sound - 10; Screams echoing through the haunted sewers of Innsmouth can really scare you, and the sound shines in every instance of this game. The voice acting is brilliant, and the string quartet's wailing violins can make any strange occurence frightening.

Fun Factor - 9; this game is not for everyone; I'd recommend it only to those who like psychological horror (or are H.P. Lovecraft fans) or people who have time on their hands to get drawn in to an ATMOSPHERIC game. In conclusion, this game is incredibly unique, fun, and cinematic, and if you find it grating, just wait until after you play a couple of levels (the first two levels are easily the hardest in the game). Anyway,

Happy gaming! : )

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/10/08

Game Release: Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (US, 04/26/06)