Call of Cthulhu - Review Roundup

Call of Cthulhu has been released on Steam to a mixed reception.

Gamespew

Call of Cthulhu doesn’t quite sell your character’s (inevitable) descent into madness, though the choices you’re offered at its conclusion are perfectly on point. You do, briefly, get to play as different characters throughout the game, though I would have welcomed the opportunity to spend more time in their shoes. Despite its somewhat shaky history (the game having changed hands midway through development), Call of Cthulhu has emerged from the shadows unscathed.

Trusted Reviews

Most of all, Call of Cthulhu comes closer than any previous adaptation – from Dark Corners all the way back to Shadow of the Comet and Prisoner of Ice – in replicating the substance of the Chaosium RPG. While it could be more sophisticated in its handling of research and detective work, Cyanide’s effort keeps both front and centre, always resisting the temptation to just say blow it and start the gunplay. There’s stuff going on here that’s far from perfect, but that could be fantastic with a bit more care and polish.

Is this the season’s must-have horror game? Nope, but there’s a lot here that fans of Lovecraft and Call of Cthulhu will appreciate. Sure, there’s still a sense that the truly great Lovecraft adaptation has yet to push back the door of dread R’lyeh and rise to the surface, but until it does – or a sequel brings improvements – this will more than do.

Cultured Vultures

Call of Cthulhu is a perfect example of a game that needed some more spit and polish before being released. Everything from the game’s visuals to its animation and even some of the world building feels like it came out of the early PS3/360 era rather than today. What it does have is tons of atmosphere and a genuinely Lovecraftian story that does a decent job of scratching that eldritch itch. It also earns a gold medal for resisting the urge of putting in tacky combat mechanics: the game has some limited combat, but it’s handled in a good and suitable way.