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> Results: Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
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by Michael Anderson
May 16, 2006
In this game the less fun you have, the more youﾒll enjoy it!
Reviewed for PC.
Also available for XBOX.
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Scroll down for our Kid Factor.
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is an adventure game based on the horror fiction of H. P. Lovecraft. The game immerses players in the role of a private investigator that quickly gets over his head in an amazing journey of discovery. Instead of the ﾑpoint and click' method many adventure games use, Call of Cthulhu uses a first person control method similar to many action games. It even mixes in some elements of action games such as shooting and sneaking past enemies ﾖ but neither of these work very well, particularly the shooter parts. The game has a unique and well implemented health and sanity system that messes with your senses as you experience trauma and see unbelievable things ﾖ and paired with the haunting and desperate sound of your character talking to himself, it is amazingly effective. The result is an excellent adventure that is marred by some control and graphics issues but remains a tremendously tense and gripping experience that is a must-have for any fan of horror or adventure games.
I'm not sure that I would recommend this game for most adults, let alone kids. It is dark, scary and disturbing from start to finish. You deal with issues of suicide, torture and sacrifice, and the violent murder of a young girl. You play as a character who is in constant peril and whose sanity is constantly tested by what he sees. From every possible perspective this is an adult experience of uncompromising intensity and horror. I can't think of a single sustained area that is appropriate for kids to see, let alone play.
The greatest strengths of the game are the storytelling and atmosphere. You are immediately drawn in and never let go. The effective soundtrack and excellent voice acting and sound effects keep you on edge and unnerved throughout, which is reflected in your character's sanity. Also, the game is watching you ... and that isn't the environmentally induced paranoia coming through. You are ﾑscored' based on how long you take, your shooting efficiency, how many items you find, how many times you save, and so on. This can be good or bad depending on your perspective, but it forces you to choose wisely in terms of how you explore and how often you save. The biggest problems you will encounter while playing this game are with stability and the action-game elements. The game has a ﾑsave spot' system with very few auto-saves, which means a mis-step or computer crash can cost you dearly ﾖ especially if you are trying to minimize saves to get the best possible score. The stealth option works fairly well in the limited way it is used, but the shooter element is clumsy and frustrating.
These flaws are secondary to the main portions of the game. This remains an excellent adventure game and overall experience. You won't walk away from this unaffected ﾖ the storytelling and environmental effects really impact the gamer. If you have a choice, the XBOX version is likely a better choice ﾖ besides being less expensive, the use of the controller vibration and messing with the control configuration to augment the sanity system is a step above what is done on the PC (check out the GamerDad Review). But either way, whether or not you are a fan of Lovecraft, if you like gripping horror stories you should experience this game.
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Home >
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Video Games
> Results: Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
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