Call of Cthulhu

[SUBMAN1]

I just picked this proggy up - http://www.callofcthulhu.com/

I have to say, even though the graphics are probably of that from a year or two ago (Think better than Return to Castle Wolfenstien, but less than Doom 3 or so), the errieness is a welcome change for the moment! I always loved HP Lovecraft's twisted view on reality here and there, and this game pretty much captures it.

One thing that most review sites don't like apparently is the lack of a save ability except at certain points - ala Operation Flashpoint in a way. To me, this makes it a bit more tense and adds to the atmosphere greatly. It is not a big deal anyway since they will allow you to save prior to anything bad happening anyway.

Another cool thing - no health bars or mental bars on screen - if you are going insane, you know it because you can't see striaght! Or your heart starts to race. It is very sound oriented. Broke your leg? You'll know it!

If anyone is missing a 'story' driven type game with action elements, I think they should take a look at this one - especially if they like HP Lovecraft!

I think this should hold me over till STALKER is actually in my hands. And STALKER should hold me over till Bioshock is actually in my hands. This year is shaping up to be a damn good year for PC gaming! Did I mention SHIV?

-S

http://www.callofcthulhu.com/images/art/pc/coc_pcscrn_01.jpg

http://www.callofcthulhu.com/images/downloads/wallpapers/hybrid640x480.jpg

[darius359au]

Its a fun game ,picked it up and played through it last year - scared the crap out of me in places :cry: ,definately fun if you like Lovecraft.

[stabiz]

It is a very good game. Scary as hell at times, too.

[SUBMAN1]

Yeah, I'm not too thrilled about being able to read the Hotel guys thoughts. I think he wants to tie me up and dismember me slowly with a cleaver!

-S

[bradclark1]

Reviews say the cut scenes are unskipable.

[Egan]

I hated it, I'm afraid. felt that it went for a sort of slightly creepy shock-horror movie feel than anything Lovecraftian and didn't even do that very well. I'm a big 'Cosmic Horror' fan and was just expecting more from it I suppose.

It has it's good points. The insanity thing is interesting but got annoying eventually.

[NeonSamurai]

Did they ever patch up all the bugs? i heard that it was pretty bug ridden at release.

[Egan]

Did they ever patch up all the bugs? i heard that it was pretty bug ridden at release.

I think they went bust before then. Most of them moved on to other projects. I seem to remember a community effort to patch it but I don't know much about it.

[SUBMAN1]

Did they ever patch up all the bugs? i heard that it was pretty bug ridden at release.

I've seen only one bug so far - The ambient sound quit for about 5 seconds, but all other sond worked.

-S

[SUBMAN1]

I hated it, I'm afraid. felt that it went for a sort of slightly creepy shock-horror movie feel than anything Lovecraftian and didn't even do that very well. I'm a big 'Cosmic Horror' fan and was just expecting more from it I suppose.

It has it's good points. The insanity thing is interesting but got annoying eventually.

I don't feel quite that same way. I kind of like it! The insanity thing pops up as a factor only rarely though, but it is a change from the norm, that's for sure.

Anyway, I can tell there will probably never be a game based on HP Lovecraft that you will enjoy. Am i right?

Did you heck out Eternal Darkness? It is more story driven, and does not include as much in the way of shock / horror outside of the occasional zombie. And, you really have to play through it 3 times to really complete it - representing parallel universes.

http://www.eternaldarkness.com/

-S

[Aimbot]

...if you like Lovecraft.
There are people who don't like Lovecraft?

[darius359au]

...if you like Lovecraft. There are people who don't like Lovecraft?
Yes ,there are poor misguided people out there that dont love Lovecraft or have had their eyes opened to the existance of the Great Old Ones :cry:;):lol::lol:

[Egan]

Anyway, I can tell there will probably never be a game based on HP Lovecraft that you will enjoy. Am i right?
-S

I don't think so. I did get quite excited when I first heard of this game but felt that the end product was badly executed. I can't help feeling that an RPG would have been a better choice than a shooter. It felt more like it took its cues from Silent Hill (nothing wrong in that - I really liked Silent Hill,) than Lovecraft.

I seem to recall a text based game based on Lovecraft that I played years ago that I really enjoyed but I can't for the life of me remember what it was called..

Thanks for the link to Eternal Darkness. it sounds interesting. I'll have a look at it when I get a moment.

[SUBMAN1]

Reviews say the cut scenes are unskipable.

Not true. THat would make me question the reviewer too. You can skip any cut scene you want.

-S

[stabiz]

Bugs? What bugs?

[SUBMAN1]

Bugs? What bugs?

I know - its a rare game that comes out that is pretty much bug free. This one is one of them. I only ran across the sound bug I describe above, and I am almost done with the game.

-S

[GlobalExplorer]

I don't think so. I did get quite excited when I first heard of this game but felt that the end product was badly executed. I can't help feeling that an RPG would have been a better choice than a shooter.

My words. Had this been an RPG with some freedom (like Vampire Bloodlines) and not just an endless race for your life and the next save point - it could have been a classic.

I think this is the best game I will never be able to enjoy. It is very well done, but I could not stand playing it. It found it depressing, unsettling, irritating. It seems some people are exactly after that for the Lovecraft thing in it, so then it should a be a very good investment.

[GlobalExplorer]

I know - its a rare game that comes out that is pretty much bug free. This one is one of them. I only ran across the sound bug I describe above, and I am almost done with the game.

It had to be because in the end there was just one guy left and he knew there would be no money for a patch. He was basically the one who was to switch off the light.

Headfirst was bust even before their first game came out, you rarely get such insight into the frustrations of a developer like when hoodedclaw was keeping up the faith that he was still working on the PC version - it was mad and unreal and very fitting to the real Lovecraft tales. I think all the developers went mad during development :yep: So will you when you play this game. I warned you ..

[Radtgaeb]

Ay! I'm a big Literary geek and I love Lovecraft (unintentional pun?) but I can't find CoC for the life of me. I really don't want to buy from Ebay right now (just bought a radio pack from that site for an RC Gato-Class I'm building). Anyone know of any American stores that stock it still? I can get it for Xbox or PC, it really doesn't matter. My PC sure won't care (Oblivion at full specs :smug:) and I have an Xbox 360 (luckily that is one of the few games that are backwards compatible...that and Halo *shudder*). So yeah...Any tips?

[ccruner13]

My words. Had this been an RPG with some freedom (like Vampire Bloodlines) and not just an endless race for your life and the next save point - it could have been a classic.

bloodlines...i looved that game. it was kinda buggy tho and and too bad the ending was too disappointing to be funny. lol. if you remember the haunted hotel. that is the only fake thing that has had me literally frozen in terror. late night no lights on and i have no idea what im in for. not even inherently scarry stuff going on except for how real it felt. i mean axe drag child murderer in a red lit boiler room...creeepy. every other time i played that part i definitely muted the sound and turned the lights on heh. anything else like that around?

my roomate played call of cthulu on xbox but wasnt too into it so i never took it up.


radtgaeb arent there any used vids stores around...lol there are like 5 by my house well more like 3 but still...

or

http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=950806

[GlobalExplorer]

My words. Had this been an RPG with some freedom (like Vampire Bloodlines) and not just an endless race for your life and the next save point - it could have been a classic.

bloodlines...i looved that game. it was kinda buggy tho and and too bad the ending was too disappointing to be funny. lol. if you remember the haunted hotel. that is the only fake thing that has had me literally frozen in terror. late night no lights on and i have no idea what im in for. not even inherently scarry stuff going on except for how real it felt. i mean axe drag child murderer in a red lit boiler room...creeepy. every other time i played that part i definitely muted the sound and turned the lights on heh. anything else like that around?

my roomate played call of cthulu on xbox but wasnt too into it so i never took it up.


radtgaeb arent there any used vids stores around...lol there are like 5 by my house well more like 3 but still...

or

http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=950806

Yeah that music from the haunted hotel still gives me the creeps.

I found Cthulhu even more scary, and disturbing than Bloodlines. However, gameplay let me down, so I stopped playing in the Innsmouth hotel. My friends didnt like it either.

[AntEater]

I have and like both.
I was kind of a late starter for Vampire:Bloodlines, I got it as a bargain bin game for six euros about half a year ago.
Constant modding has made it relatively bug-free now, even if there is apparently some kind of modding jihad going on currently with one half of the modding team splitting and releasing "true" unofficial patches. The "false" ones suit me just as well.
Problem is, the ocean hotel scene is creepy just about once. I kept telling myself "you don't have to be scared, your a vampire dammit!" but somehow I felt like Spike after being unable to bite.... ;)
Vampire Bloodlines is definitely my favorite non-sim game.
Call of Cthulhu is linear, yes, but straightforward as well. I liked it just to the point when you are stuck on devil's reef. The whole air filled tunnels episode is just too detached from the rest.
I suppose the game is more based on the RPG than on the books.
Sadly I never got into that kind of RPG when I was at the proper age for pen & paper RPGs, then I only had D & D.