➤ Call of Cthulhu, the PS4 review of Lovecraft's nightmare 🎮

What can live forever is not dead, and in strange aeons even death can die. It is not just a beautiful phrase with which to open ours Call of Cthulhu review, but also one of the most emblematic quotes from the work of H. P. Lovecraft: sums up all the laceration of the Providence writer, the impossibility of distinguishing between truth and illusion, the contradiction of all things, and a menacing darkness that comes from afar. A phrase that can also provide a first key to approach the actual video game: what are the "strange aeons" that Lovecraft was talking about? Who is ever able to live forever? But above all, how are these themes connected and how are they developed in the title Cyanide Studio? All Lovecraft readers will have very high expectations for Call of Cthulhu, especially considering that it also winks at the paper RPG. We spent several hours in Darkwater and saw things from which there is no turning back: we tell you about them in our review (but without spoilers).

Plot: in the mists of Darkwater

Call of Cthulhu tells the story of Edward Pierce, a private investigator now practically on the street and in a complicated relationship with alcohol. If Edward does not accept a new case shortly, his license will be withdrawn, for this reason when a distinguished gentleman offers him to work on the Hawkins case he does not have much choice: he must accept and go as soon as possible to Darkwater, a remote whaling village on the east coast of the United States. The Hawkins family has met a tragic end: husband, wife and son died in an accidental fire inside the villa. But the woman's father is not convinced by the version of events provided by the local authorities, and wants Pierce to investigate to find out the truth.

Call of Cthulhu, the PS4 review of Lovecraft's nightmare

We will not tell you what is hiding in Darkwater, nor will we allow ourselves to ruin ainvestigative adventure which makes of narration one of its main cornerstones. It is clear, however, with Lovecraft involved, where Cyanide Studio is headed. The fishing village is a gloomy and almost completely uninhabited place: the few inhabitants are grumpy, perpetually drunk and downright disturbing. Every person Pierce meets seems to be hiding some dark secrets, even those who initially show themselves well disposed. The tension in the air is palpable, as the village has been in ruins since the whales disappeared from the area's waters. Yet, everyone remembers a glorious event from the past: the Miraculous Catch of Fish, in which a gigantic whale with a decidedly unique appearance was brought back to Darkwater.

About ten hours are enough and advance to complete Call of Cthulhu, also dedicating yourself to a good exploration of all the game environments proposed and wanting to take a look at the various endings. We will thus visit in the company of Edward, and some companions whom he will meet along the way, the Hawkins' mansion, infamous bars, uninhabited places and underground galleries, and many other ghostly environments that we cannot refer to without ruining the pleasure of discovery. However, it is important to point out that Edward's journey will indeed be a long, terrible descent into madness: nothing in Darkwater is as it seems.

PlayStation 4 Trophies

Call of Cthulhu not only hides cosmic mysteries and horrors, but also a glittering Platinum Trophy. To be able to get it you will have to replay the Cyanide Studio title several times or save your game at certain specific points: this is because on different occasions you will have to make different choices to unlock the respective trophies. Furthermore, almost all of them are linked to the story, so don't even think of reading their description if you don't want to ruin the narration!

Gameplay: Detective life

Cyanide Studio has called Call of Cthulhu a Investigative-narrative RPG. As always in the case of complex works that draw heavily from very different genres, it is not easy to attribute a single and simple label that makes the style of play immediately clear. Call of Cthulhu is clearly a first-person RPG, so much so that the protagonist owns specific skills and talents that will be upgraded to our liking, as well as an inventory to consult from time to time, but do not expect who knows what clashes with enemies. Edward is not a warrior and cannot fight whoever stands in front of him: the few game sessions in which dangerous individuals will be present will be faced in perfect Outlast style, hiding inside a closet or behind a door. The investigative component is the real heart of Call of Cthulhu: to solve the mystery of Darkwater we will have to search around, elaborate conjectures, question everyone present, collect clues important often hidden very well in the surrounding environment.

The investigative component of Call of Cthulhu tries to give its best in the lines of dialogue available to Edward, but hardly ever really shine. A quick example: after arriving in Darkwater we will be able to speak almost immediately with the captain, one of the local authorities. At this point we will have a series of reflections / questions from our investigator, as well as specific dialogue lines that can only be selected if we first have a little poking around in his rooms. The best way to approach the game is therefore to explore the surroundings as much as possible, collect all the documents, open the drawers, peek where we shouldn't, and then go to talk to the interlocutor on duty. By carrying out the two actions in reverse, we would risk not being able to fully exploit the possibilities of the conversation.

So what is the real problem of what should be one of the cornerstones of Call of Cthulhu? The fact that one answer is as good as another: the title is so guided that it will still allow us to get to the titles of things by following precise tracks, varying at most some detail or situation, or losing some special object and conversation; not even the presence of different endings can really make a difference, on balance. Should this be a stimulus for replayability? Probably yes, but it isn't.

Special skills and event reconstruction

The dialogue system with the characters is not the only point where Call of Cthulhu, in spite of a fascinating setting and charismatic characters, begins to creak. A refined but unfortunately lacking depth can also be found in the special abilities of the protagonist: by completing the chapters of the main storyline or by finding certain collectibles, we will accumulate points, to be spent to upgrade Edward's skill tree. These are special abilities and knowledge related to psychology, medicine, occultism, but also to the "nose" of the detective. Probably the only really useful skills are those related toinvestigation, because they allow for example to break into doors and immediately access the key points of the game environments, bypassing those who eventually try to block our way.

Medicine and Psychology they allow more accurate deductions by investigating the case or questioning those present, but even here the same argument already made previously remains valid: Call of Cthulhu is only apparently profound, and in reality too guided. It is possible to complete the game without upgrading anything at all, and a higher value than another will not bring who knows what changes in the game world. This will make the reconstruction phases of events more immediate and gratifying, that is, those moments in which Pierce wonders "what the hell happened here?" and will begin to link together the clues present on the spot to formulate a plausible hypothesis; it will also lead to interesting (but never fundamental) dialogues with the interlocutors. It's a shame, because potentially a gameplay more robust, in-depth and curated would have allowed the game to be a candidate for one of the best narrative and investigative adventures of recent years.

Technical and artistic sector

Discreet, but definitely forgettable, even the technical and graphic sector: Beyond the huge loads between one chapter and another, Call of Cthulhu looks graphically and technically a title suspended between the old and the new generation of consoles. On PlayStation 4 Pro the frame rate is stable and we did not find any glitches, but the sound effects, the attention to detail and the finishing of the polygonal models from time to time left something to be desired.

Fortunately, they think about it artistic sector and the reference work, accompanied by a pleasant and quick narrative, to save Call of Cthulhu from the madness of nameless horrors and that limbo in which forgettable games usually end. Where does Cyanide Studio's production excels? In the'atmosphere, in the sense of constant and definitive oppression that envelops the protagonist, and with him all the secondary characters. In that sense of darkness you grow and of things hidden in the darkness, which every game environment always and constantly refers to. It is an added value for the game, but a fundamental detail for Lovecraft readers, and they will probably fall madly in love with Call of Cthulhu, turning a blind eye to many other small things that, put together, cannot fail to be showy .

Comment

Tested version PlayStation 4 Digital Delivery Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store Price 59,99 € Resources4Gaming.com

7.5

Readers (32)

7.6

Your vote

Call of Cthulhu is a delightful first-person detective title based on one of HP Lovecraft's most important story cycles. He draws heavily on the writer's production, adapts his themes, his horrors and his madness in an excellent way, and transmits them to the public through the videogame product. Atmospheres, environments and characters will remain etched in your memory. Unfortunately you will also remember a gameplay and a skill tree that is all in all superficial, despite the appearance of depth that inspire in the first moments of the game. It matters little whether you want to specialize Edward Pierce in Psychology, Medicine or Occultism: continuing in the adventure is simple and almost always taken for granted, and banal puzzles alternate with interrogations where one answer most of the time is worth the other. Enjoy the storytelling for its own sake - that works well. Provided that the cosmic horror can really be told.