Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth Preview

The upcoming horror-themed PC adventure game Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is not the first project inspired by the tales of H.P. Lovecraft. You could say his work encouraged the makers of oldies such as Quake, Alone in the Dark, X-COM: Terror From the Deep, and others. Even those freakish Evil Dead movies also owe something to the settings and stories created by this well-known author. Although Bethesda Softworks and Headfirst Productions have been at this one for quite a while now (almost three years to be precise), this doesn't appear to be one of those games that loses its charm or appeal due to a prolonged development cycle. By the way, it might be pertinent to mention that Headfirst hasn't set out to make a game since Simon the Sorcerer 3D which, unfortunately, amounted to a total disappointment. But judging from all that has been revealed thus far, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth shows much promise; it boasts all the qualities of a successful horror-style action-adventure. After a few years, we finally got a chance to rummage through some of the game's traits, so we decided to offer you guys a fair slice of things to come.

Let us pray that Call of Cthulhu reaches retail stores in time.

Why do I feel this firearm won’t do much good against these guys?

Clinging to an instantly recognizable spirit and atmosphere from H.P. Lovecraft's settings, Dark Corners of the Earth also borrows several plot elements from his noted short stories. Apart from that however, the game uses some segments from the pen-and-paper RPG, Call of Cthulhu.

Oddly enough, the story begins with the main character, Jack Walters, being locked in an insane asylum (this is actually the ending of the story; what players really need to do is find out exactly how Jack got into such a mess in the first place). Jack had a rather messy and tough childhood. He was often harassed as a small boy by his father who eventually committed suicide. After that his mother was forced to work many long hours, struggling to make ends meet. In 1901 Jack's mother passed away and he was taken into foster care. But, Jack was also a bit of scallywag himself and it wasn't long before he joined the police force... err, by forging his documents, of course. Well, a cop has to start somewhere. Anyways, it so happens that Jack matured into a highly respected individual and a fine police officer. One day the police station received a report on gunshots in the vicinity of a huge house in Boston. Jack took off to investigate the scene of the crime. After the assignment Jack was found in a terrible state - critically injured, petrified with shock, and shivering all over. He was picked up by his colleagues and committed to the local hospital. Eventually, Jack became his old self, but could never fully recover from the ghastly events that overwhelmed him that day. Resigning from the police force, he started his own private detective agency, solving cases that were in one way or another connected to the traumatic day he endured in Boston. As you can see it's not your average story-telling. So, I guess you could say that the game is more of a psychological horror, rather than a classic action/adventure.

As the designers pointed out on many occasions, CoC: Dark Corners of the Earth does away with the typical interface commonly exploited in modern-day action/adventure games. So, yes, you won't find any maps or health bars clogging the screen. Instead of using such standards, players are welcome to exercise various audio and visual indicators that are all part of the gameplay. Whenever your character is injured blood will be spattering around, which means it's probably a very good time to withdraw. If you're worried about ammo, you simply need to look down to the barrel of your gun, and check if all the chambers are filled with bullets.

Even the gutsiest players will find this game creepy. The atmosphere throughout the whole adventure is said to be hair-raising and sinister enough to scare the pants off all gamers. Great horrors (and who knows what else) are concealed within dark passageways and shadowy cellars. (What can be scarier than great horrors? - Ed) At this point it's clear the setting obviously draws a great deal of inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft's stories. Every step you take triggers an unexpected event which can send shivers down your spine. For example, there's a section in the game where Jack enters an old, gloomy basement. As he goes in, the door slams shut behind him and the staircase collapses. Sudden moments like these broaden the sense of terror and allow players to immerse themselves deeper into the whole experience. Also, for a while it was debated which perspective is best suited for the game's setting. In order to achieve a scary in-game ambiance the developers went for the first-person view. This should help players to empathize with the game's main character.

Psychologically, your character is in a pretty bad shape. Fear and panic come as something of a challenge to him. Whenever you encounter a hideous type of monstrosity or anything else that looks or feels scary, you'll immediately hear the character's heartbeats speeding up like crazy. Should things get even hairier, the character's vision will become blurry... Since Jack suffers from vertigo, a hazy vision also takes fold when he looks down from a great height. Other aspects of the game are similarly realistic. Healing, for instance, doesn't come as straightforward as you might think. Each part of Jack's body requires specific treatment and a fully stacked first aid kit. A great deal also depends on the nature of your injuries. If you break an arm, antidotes and simple stitch ups won't do you much good. Instead you'll have to apply a splint and bandages to help the arm heal properly. In other words, you best be on your guard when nastier enemies come your way.

Another admirable move by the developers is the way your character confronts his foes. For the most part, Jack must often make an effort to outsmart enemies rather than try and blow them away. And incidentally, weapons and ammunition are somewhat scarce in the game - the designers, once again, wanted to make sure that the right tone for the game had been set, hence when you run out of ammo, the adrenaline will most likely kick in and all you'll have left is your wits and the environment. Mind you, there are a few weapons suited for the occasion such as small explosives, pistols, and shotguns. Then again, most areas offer a few alternative solutions when it comes to outmaneuvering foes. In a particular section, shutting off the water can be the key to your survival. Once the water is turned off, enemy sentinels will go away and leave the path open for Jack. This is but a mere sample of the puzzles and challenges that appear in CoC: Dark Corners of the Earth. (This makes all the sense in the world, doesn't it? Turn water off, bad guys go away. Naturally... - Ed)