‘Tis the season to be spooky, and publisher Focus Home Interactive and developer Cyanide Studio are doing just that with the release of Call of Cthulhu. Originally a short story written by H.P. Lovecraft and adapted into several other forms of entertainment over the years, we’re now here with a new video game adaptation to sink our teeth into.
Cyanide Studio managed to deliver a solid game here, even if it’s obvious that it doesn’t quite have the budget or polish to bring it into the ranks of horror classics.
Call of Cthulhu is an RPG-investigation game that puts you in the role of Private Investigator Edward Pierce, a WWI vet who is now a little too friendly with the bottle. Pierce is sent in to investigate the mysterious death of the Hawkins family that took place in their mansion on Darkwater Island, which is located just off the shores of Boston. What initially appears as a tragic accident quickly reveals itself to be much more than that, with shady characters getting into even shadier dealings with the occult.
It’s a setup that is certainly good enough to hook you into the game, and the developers did a fantastic job of delivering a dark and twisted atmosphere. Wandering through the Hawkins mansion, Darkwater island and the cosmic horrors that lie beyond all bring a constant feeling of tension, with the gloomy visuals, rundown and sometimes downright freakish locales never letting you forget that you are not in a nice place.
What’s even more impressive about this is the fact that there isn’t a whole lot of actual danger to be had in the game, with the majority of it focused on you searching for clues and uncovering the truth behind the Hawkins family murders. There are occasional bits where you’ll have to hide from guards in a mental ward or shoot zombies in a simple late-game sequence, but for the most part you can wander the game’s world without too much of an issue.
And this is something that I actually really enjoyed about the game! The game’s characters and setting are so strong that I wanted to soak in everything that I possibly could, snooping around every nook and cranny to learn more about Darkwater Island and its various inhabitants. The voice acting here is typically very strong, but unfortunately the character animations aren’t able to hold up their end of the bargain. Bad lip syncing and awkward hand gestures are a common occurrence, which definitely take you out of the experience a little.
Despite a lack of overall danger for the most part, that isn’t to say that the game doesn’t have challenges and character progression to keep things interesting. Pierce has several different skills that he’ll be able to upgrade by progressing through the game, such as allowing him to be able to persuade people easier or perform better in physical situations. Certain skills will also improve his knowledge of certain relevant case details, including medicine and occultism. Keeping these skills low will mean that Pierce will only have a basic understanding of these relevant items when he comes across them, whereas upgrading them will allow him to glean more from them.
As you investigate various areas you will regularly come across points where you need to utilize your detective abilities to uncover what really happened. You’ll essentially initiate a super detective mode where you’ll be able to sniff out relevant objects, which will then reveal ghostly images of what actually happened in the scenario. It’s a mechanic that has been used in loads of other games, but the scenarios are strong enough here that the feature doesn’t feel tacked on and actually adds to the game’s sense of mystery.
Your choices also impact your relationship with the various characters that you come across throughout the game, which will lead to certain scenarios playing out differently. This includes things like getting help with certain segments, while also including more serious scenarios like choosing the fate of certain characters. While this choice mechanic might not be as deep as some other narrative-heavy games out there and doesn’t result in dramatic narrative shifts, it still makes the game’s world feel more alive.
Overall, Call of Cthulhu is a solid choice for those looking for some atmospheric and unsettling horror gaming. There are certainly some rough edges with character animations, and the few action segments that do pop up aren’t all that great. Still, if you’re fine with a game that is more about atmosphere and story than it is about action-heavy gameplay, then this latest Call of Cthulhu adaptation should scratch that itch for you.
Gaming
CEO of Helldivers 2 commends the remarkable determination displayed by the community during the intense Sony showdown
The experience for Helldivers 2 players has been quite turbulent lately, and we’re referring to a community that is accustomed to leaping from great heights into the most intense and terrifying battlegrounds imaginable. In the midst of a highly debated PSN account requirement for PC players and facing intense backlash, Sony has made a surprising reversal, yielding to the overwhelming force of public opinion. The CEO of Arrowhead, Johan Pilestedt, has displayed an intriguing attitude throughout this challenging period. He has shown remarkable composure, actively engaging with community managers and experiencing the difficulties they face firsthand.
Pilestedt expressed his admiration for the community’s determination and praised their ability to work together on Twitter, following Sony’s reversal. He sarcastically expressed gratitude towards Sony for their “prompt and efficient choice to make PSN linking optional.”
In the future, Pilestedt expressed his vision of working closely with PlayStation and the players to establish a groundbreaking benchmark for the concept of a live game. The aim is to foster a strong partnership between developers and the community, ultimately resulting in an unparalleled gaming experience.
Firstly, I am impressed by the willpower of the @helldivers2 community and your ability to collaborate. Secondly I want to thank our partners and friends at @PlayStation for quickly and effectively making the decision to leave PSN linking optional. We together want to set a new… https://t.co/2rayksgH1v
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) May 6, 2024
What are your thoughts on the commotion surrounding Helldivers 2? What are your thoughts on Sony’s involvement, Pilestedt’s attitude, and the community’s reaction? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Stellar Blade is an exceptional game that demands your attention. However, it truly reached new heights after the review embargo was lifted, thanks to the introduction of New Game +. In our review of Stellar Blade for the PS5, we found that one minor drawback was the inability to replay the game. Unfortunately, during the pre-launch period, this author had to start over from the beginning.
Thankfully, none of you will have encountered that problem since the title was updated just hours before its release to include the highly anticipated New Game + feature. This new game+ mode is truly exceptional. As expected, all of your abilities and unlocks carry forward, but the Korean developer has gone above and beyond by expanding Eve’s skill tree with new abilities.
The addition of these new abilities doesn’t exactly revolutionize the game, but it does introduce some fresh tools to your arsenal, ensuring that the gameplay remains engaging. Combine this with some clever enemy placement variations, and you’re practically guaranteed an enjoyable replay. In addition, all of the Exospines and Gear that you unlock in New Game + receive upgrades, enabling you to craft even more powerful builds for Eve.
Additionally, the number of outfits has been doubled. The skins in the game offer a variety of designs, with some featuring unique custom details. Unlocking all of them again adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the experience. In our comprehensive guide, we have meticulously cataloged all the different outfits and their corresponding unlock methods. So, even if you haven’t quite reached the highly anticipated New Game + stage, you can still get a sneak peek at what lies ahead by following the link provided.
Our only critique of the mode is that the difficulty scaling could be improved. You may find yourself becoming seriously overpowered, even in hard mode. Feeling an immense sense of power is undeniably satisfying. However, it would be even more captivating if Shift Up were to delve deeper into these concepts and introduce additional difficulty levels for New Game +, thereby enhancing the game’s replayability.
It would be great if the developer could consider adding additional modes to enhance replayability. A speed run option could add an exciting element to the game. Rarely does a campaign exhibit the level of tightness and replayability found in Stellar Blade. Shift Up has truly crafted something exceptional, leaving us eager for additional content to be added as the release continues to evolve.
Have you begun your new game + playthrough of Stellar Blade yet? What are your impressions of the mode, and are there any other post-release additions you would like to see implemented? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Helldivers 2 proved to be a surprising success, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the gaming industry. As per Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, it currently ranks as Sony’s seventh highest grossing game in the United States to date, trailing behind a trio of Spider-Man titles, a couple of God of War games, and Ghost of Tsushima. It’s only been on the market for less than three months and is not even being sold at full price.
According to Piscatella, a significant factor contributing to the game’s success is its release on PC. He mentioned that, based on Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker, the game has consistently ranked first in terms of active users on Steam in the US since its launch, including April. The release of Helldivers 2 on both PlayStation and PC has been an extraordinary triumph.
He stated that Helldivers 2 has already become the seventh highest-grossing Sony-published game in history. Without a PC, it would not currently be considered one of the top 20 games. While I’m emphasizing the success of the PC SKU, it’s important to note that I’m not disregarding the success of the PlayStation SKU. I just wanted to clarify that. This launch has proven to be incredibly successful.
Prior to the release of Helldivers 2, Sony made it clear that they would be launching their live service-style titles simultaneously on both the PS5 and PC. The success of this approach will undoubtedly strengthen their strategic vision. It will be intriguing to witness if the company reveals official sales figures in the near future, as the title appears to be one of the platform holder’s most successful sellers to date.
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