The horror is made portable with the Nintendo Switch version of the latest game about the Lovecraft universe. Cthulhu in the pocket.
"Memories and possibilities are even more horrible than realities," Howard Philips Lovecraft
It is curious to see how one of the greatest ‘Influencers’ that the 20th century has had in Literature has been so referent but so uninteresting for the ‘Mainstream’. HP Lovecraft has been the germ of a kind of cosmic, alien, space and at the same time mythological terror. And so visceral and excellent in detail in his works that today any tentacular monster is already branded as ‘debtor of the Lovecraftian imaginary’. But, at the same time, and although colossi like Alan Moore pay homage to him in his works, Lovecraft does not seem interested in creating film blockbusters or AAA games around him, based purely on his work.
Of course there have been, but always scratching that Series B, that ‘low budget game’. Here in Spain films like the 'b-series' Dagon have been made (sometimes very faithful, sometimes bad) or La Herencia Valdemar, a Spanish blockbuster that revolved around Lovecraft as failed in some aspects as spectacular and recommended in others . And 14 years ago, Headfirst released a Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth that, although of 'budget' really adjusted, still hovering in the imaginary of the writer's fans as one of the best translations of his universe to the playable format . Last year another game came out under the same name of the most seminal work of Lovecraft, the same one that we have now seen ported to Switch.
The Call of the Ancients
In the Reviews of a year ago of Call of Cthulhu, a video game based on a board game that in turn uses the Cthulhu Call as a base, we echoed the hodgepodge of genres that it made in its gameplay, which we had investigating , solving puzzles, shooting, using infiltration and even slighting the character. The main problem was the little depth in each mechanic – easy puzzles, minimum shooting section, decisions without significant variations – and how the rugged development seemed to have taken its toll on a title that at the playable level tries to be ambitious and encompass a lot and in the end It stays shortly.
To this were added graphic deficiencies and a campaign of 6-7 hours quite light. What interest then had the game itself? Its atmosphere, its damn, damn, dreary and obsessively well achieved atmosphere in the way it hooked its history, so that for every Lovecraft fan it resulted in an imperfect jewel ‘broken’ but beautiful. Now the call is on Switch, and the main question is, has Cyanide corrected the elements that weighed the Call of Cthulhu experience? Spoiler: No.
From Innsmouth to Darkwater
Clearly taking the Shadow on Innsmouth as a reference, Darkwater is a fantastic recreation of what we would feel walking through that oppressively sinister fishing village, in which its connection with the sea goes beyond making a living. The story is the strong point of a game that can be solved in one sitting, that hooks to finish it and that distills a lot of unhealthy – that prologue with dismembered sharks – in its scenarios. And as a horror title, do not forget to let go of some scares, although there are some 'jumpscares' that are more facing the gallery than anything else, and improper of the Lovecraftian work, which seeks more suspense, the feeling of terror without arriving to the easy scare.
That a hitch work is always appreciated, and also that it has some dialogues that help it provide depth to characters, motivations and the secrets that the streets of Darkwater reveal to us. Playably, as we have said, it is quite a bit of wanting – at the beginning it was an open mapping, but the study led the game to a linear development – but it cannot execute everything well. The puzzles are not complicated, the infiltration sections add development, but there are not many, the part of the shooting seems stuck with shoehorn, and what looks like a graphic adventure in the first person is broken down to try to cover (failed) more.
Is there anything new in this Switch version? No, Cyanide has done a port without more, and has not taken the opportunity to touch up / correct / expand things. In fact, and as usual, the Switch version is worse off on the graphic issue.
The face of Terror
And, as usually happens, the resolution in Switch is lower. Even so, elements such as lighting shine here and there in the play of shadows and dim lights. And the fabulous artistic direction continues to save the set without a doubt, since at the level of textures these are very flat. On a sound level, the BSO oscillates between orchestral, piano and other purely environmental themes that enhance the atmosphere of the game. Yes, voices in English, but very good localization of texts in Spanish.
CONCLUSION
Call of Cthulhu comes to Switch with the same successes and defects as the versions of a year ago. As a game, its room for improvement is very large, it is an ambitious sin and the mechanics suffer it. Graphically suspended in textures, but approves Cum Laude in artistic direction. It is the setting and the plot that hook you if you leave them and they will have you maybe only one afternoon, but certainly a good afternoon. Although who does not know the work of Lovecraft or is not a fan, it has more complicated to be dazzled by the proposal.
THE BEST
- The setting, brutal, atmospheric and nailed
- Scene reconstruction mechanics adds a bit of variety
- History, dialogues and character building
- Being able to play it in a portable way, the main interest of this version
WORST
- Sin of ambitious in wanting to use several mechanics and not plasma them well, some as the shots are expendable.
- On a graphic level it has many shortcomings, and the fabulous artistic direction does not cover them all
- The decisions don't have as much weight as they seem
- The lowest resolution with respect to the other versions
Right
It is not the latest or the most original, nor does it have the best execution, but it can be fun if you like the genre. Good, but improvable.
