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CALL OF CTHULHU: DARK CORNERS OF THE EARTH (XBOX)
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Publisher: 2K Games.
Developer: Headfirst Productions. Released: October 2005. Genre: Survival Horror. Other versions: PC. Posted 24th July 2022. By Shane Battams © 2022 |
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To dub Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth an ambitious game for its time would be an understatement. After six years in development, with multiple ideas scrapped and a publisher change causing several delays, gamers would finally get their hands on this horror title in 2005, only for the general public to pass over completely. Likely due to poor marketing and the imminent arrival of the next Xbox, the commercial failure of this and lack of publisher deals led to the cancellation of its sequels and Headfirst Productions going under. It’s a shame really, as judging from the quality and ambition in this title, we could have seen some special results from further games. While a few elements feel a tad undercooked, this is more than made up for with atmosphere, unique ideas and immersive cohesion.
Reimagining The Shadow over Innsmouth, Dark Corners of the Earth follows detective Jack Walters who partakes in a hostile siege in a manor house, only to discover something otherworldly which seems to send Walters crazy with a split personality. But after six years of studying the occult, his original persona returns and leaves him with no memory of what happened before entering the house. Now a private detective, he travels to Innsmouth to search for a missing person in this coastal town, but soon finds that unwelcoming townsfolk will be the least of his problems. A genuinely fantastic adaptation of the story, Headfirst smartly adapt iconic parts of the novella while adding in other elements of Lovecraft’s work to spice up the story and throw in some serious curveballs along the way. Buoyed by excellent voicing and quality writing, the world and its characters draw you in to this utterly compelling nightmare.
Atmospheric and unsettling, Call of Cthulhu does a great job of conjuring the spooky nature of its source material
This Call of Cthulhu adopts a survival horror approach, seeing you exploring and searching for key items while interacting with townsfolk at first. While slow-going initially, talking to the uncanny locals keeps you exploring for that dark underbelly hiding below the surface. Though you eventually gain access to firearms, stealth often takes precedence with crouch helping you navigate quietly around and the large number of foes being easier to avoid. Sometimes unarmed, you have no choice but to hide. It works rather well, as does the shooting, which feels heavy and slow but impactful. Everything is bolstered by the incredible atmosphere, as thick shadows cover every corner and unsettling music leaves you on edge until it explodes with confrontation. While some of the visual elements, such as weak facial animations and lacking textures, are a touch dated, the craftsmanship of the town and other areas and the excellent lighting go a long way to mask these issues.
Though traditional, some unique elements really bolster both the gameplay and the challenge. There is no HUD at all, leaving ammo counts and health status in the menu and adding to the immersion factor. Speaking of which, Jack’s health system is perhaps one of the most complex the generation would see. Specific injuries, such as bone breaks and bleeding, are indicated through key sound effects such as laboured breathing and crunching steps, and they require specific medicinal items to heal such as splints and bandages. While med kits are decently placed, just dropping from a bit too high up can leave you seriously disadvantaged, with a broken arm affecting your aim, or a bruised eye blurring your vision. The last piece of the puzzle is Sanity. Seeing how dark some of the forces you face are, gruesome and unsettling moments drain a meter. While matters can be helped by defeating enemies and finding sanctuary at save points, letting it escalate can lead to Jack taking his own life or becoming insane, causing an instant Game Over. Later encounters with truly unspeakable monsters put this system under strain, adding another unique wrinkle to an already ambitious boiling pot.
Though traditional, some unique elements really bolster both the gameplay and the challenge. There is no HUD at all, leaving ammo counts and health status in the menu and adding to the immersion factor. Speaking of which, Jack’s health system is perhaps one of the most complex the generation would see. Specific injuries, such as bone breaks and bleeding, are indicated through key sound effects such as laboured breathing and crunching steps, and they require specific medicinal items to heal such as splints and bandages. While med kits are decently placed, just dropping from a bit too high up can leave you seriously disadvantaged, with a broken arm affecting your aim, or a bruised eye blurring your vision. The last piece of the puzzle is Sanity. Seeing how dark some of the forces you face are, gruesome and unsettling moments drain a meter. While matters can be helped by defeating enemies and finding sanctuary at save points, letting it escalate can lead to Jack taking his own life or becoming insane, causing an instant Game Over. Later encounters with truly unspeakable monsters put this system under strain, adding another unique wrinkle to an already ambitious boiling pot.
FOCAL POINT: ATTACK OF THE FISHMEN
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While the opening is slow, things pick up quickly with the second chapter. Attack of the Fishmen proves a brilliant translation of one of the best parts of the novella, as after taking rest in a hotel you must escape the hostile townsfolk clawing at your door. Incredibly intense and challenging, this test of speed also strains your observation skills as you’re often required to block the path to slow the pursuers. Miss this and you’ll die in a snap. It adds a super-intense edge to the proceedings, as you frantically run through the hotel and outside the town while near-enough the whole village is out for you, the outsider. Some players may find the opening sequences hard going, but stick with it and this excellent chase is your reward.
There are some genuine complaints you could levy at Dark Corners of the Earth, which sadly chip away at its mystique. There’s a thick layer of challenge here, which drew ire from critics at the time and while criticising a game for this may seem odd, it’s more about how the difficulty is created. There is a lot of trial-and-error gameplay, moments that see you killed instantly if you make one wrong move such as when a boat you are catching a ride on tips upward. Fail to grab the rail (an action which isn’t abundantly clear) and you die instantly, sending you back to the save point. There’s more than a handful of these moments, which can feel like running into a brick wall. Puzzles can also be a touch obtuse, seeing you having to go through Walter’s canned reactions to break the solution. With such an enthralling world and story, these roadblocks may leave some frustrated. Even on the lowest setting, there’s a robust challenge present in general combat and exploration which makes it a tough one to crack.
But those who stick with it can reap rewards with repeated plays. An initial run will likely see you spending around 10 hours to reach the credits, but knowledge gained on that run can cut that time down significantly. At the end of each playthrough, a rank is rewarded depending on several factors. How long you took to reach the credits, how many saves you used and whether you found every collectible document will dictate your score, while better ranks unlock bonus content in the menu such as concept art. Key non-linear events also affect this score, such as helping certain NPCs or finding key weapons.
But those who stick with it can reap rewards with repeated plays. An initial run will likely see you spending around 10 hours to reach the credits, but knowledge gained on that run can cut that time down significantly. At the end of each playthrough, a rank is rewarded depending on several factors. How long you took to reach the credits, how many saves you used and whether you found every collectible document will dictate your score, while better ranks unlock bonus content in the menu such as concept art. Key non-linear events also affect this score, such as helping certain NPCs or finding key weapons.
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Look after Jack: a myriad of injuries can leave him struggling if you aren't careful
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth would fit the bill of a flawed gem perfectly, a great experience tarnished only by a few noticeable foibles. While some moments will tempt you to snap your controller in two due to their difficulty, players with patience will uncover an excellent story with incredible twists, enjoyable survival gameplay and a fascinating world bolstered by tremendous sound design. The ambitious components Headfirst Productions conjures only add to the dark mystique of this one further. Survival horror fans able to stomach the steep challenge should seek this one out sharpish.
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VERDICT
"Dark Corners of the Earth blends an excellent story, enjoyable survival gameplay and a fascinating world with ambitious components. It's a gem, albeit one that's tarnished by some noticeable foibles." OVERALL: 8/10 |