The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu Reviews
My main issue with The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is that it isn’t too solo friendly. I have died too many times to the amount of hordes that just appear with no real way to clear them. As I said above the A.I. companion solo players get does little to actually help, with it firing off gunshots. Or just being another enemy you will need to constantly have to watch your back for. For the beginning of the game I wasn’t expecting so much aggression from creatures as they will easily out number the player. The cart has a terrible pacing to the player too, making it more punishing if you wish to explore even a little further from it. Since you will be waiting forever for it to come to you, and of course I don’t wish to run all the way back just to unload two items. After teaming up with fellow TC memeber Stu, it did not make the hoards any easier. There are just too many to deal with, and thanks to the enemy being able to disarm or grab the player at any point. Frame rate and combat When it comes to the combat, striking monsters feels impactful, but there isn’t a lot that helps the player defend. We get a shove but with how close you need to be, can make it risky to do. Maybe adding dodging or at least a block would really aid in the players’ survival. Until something like that is added, I’ve used the bot to goad enemies to attack him, then I would attack. Which does make fights a tad more manageable in The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu. The amount of monsters that spawn can differ a lot, as at time there would be hardly any enemies. I have enjoyed the game to some extent, and I am curious to know just what is causing everything. But most of these issue might be easily resolved when playing with friends. I did suffer with a lot of frame issues and no matter what I did in my settings the frames wouldn’t get better. What I did find strange however, is that when I played with friends there was no stuttering at all. So it could not be my computer. So from a more solo I think The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is very trial and error based. With just a smidge of a gamble on how many monsters you will get, this makes it a lot more challenging compared to friends. Which might leave you feeling more annoyed and dropping the game entirely. But on the other hand, if you manage to play with a few friends, then a lot of scares and fun is to be had. So I will be giving The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
If you’re looking for a solid cooperative horror experience, The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu has plenty to offer thanks to its inventive sanity system and genuinely tense, sprawling environments. At the same time, it can become repetitive as you’re asked to revisit the same maps and face the same enemies over and over again.
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is worth picking up, especially while it's discounted. If you mainly plan to play solo or want a game that is fully refined from day one, then this game might be an interesting title to wishlist and see how it turns out after one or two patches.
With a dedicated team, the madness system and the tense, minimap-free co-op loop still shine, even if the setting wears thin and the tech never rises above average.
Review in German | Read full review
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu has incredible promise, but its execution seems like the team was punching well above their weight. This feels like something that should have been in early access or development for a few more months, not to mention a proper pass for console optimization. Still, what is here is interesting, and the sanity effects will certainly keep this game in the conversation, but more has to be added to keep those expeditions fresh and engaging. It may have moments of intense fun, especially with friends, but without a solid sense of progression, it’s hard to say if this expedition is worth its reward.
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is still a decent horror game for those who prefer atmosphere over spectacle, and mystery over predictable action. There are some interesting psychological theories, a nicely created setting and some unpleasant moments that stick with you long after the voyage is finished. It is not a new idea that separates this ambitious survival-horror trip from actual genre brilliance, but rather a few little modifications.
Areas for improvement must be put in place for The Mound Omen of Cthulhu. Mainly on quality of life and ergonomics. Unexplained mechanics, chaotic inventory. But the idea is good, the atmosphere also despite a rhythm that can be judged too slow. Still, the quality of your games will reside in your playmates, not won without being accompanied by friends. As it is now, the game is not seen causing an addictive wave.
Review in French | Read full review
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is a tense, atmosphere-driven co-op roguelite where a shared sanity system turns every expedition into something unpredictable. The early hours are rough without a full squad, but once the group finds its rhythm, it becomes one of the more distinctive Lovecraftian experiences available in co-op.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Mound has a brilliant, terrifying heart buried under a mountain of repetitive mission structures, terrible Xbox Series S performance, and painfully slow solo progression that makes it hard to recommend the Xbox Series S version. But that said, I leave it as I still think about the game when I am not playing it; I enjoy myself a lot when playing it, but it does have issues, and I am hoping they get ironed out.
If you are into horror and have a great team of friends to play with, The Mound is going to be an incredible experience full of joy and frustration. However, if you are a solo player or are going to rely on joining randoms, you are going to struggle with the difficulty of The Mound.
The Mound: Omen Of Cthulhu has the bones of a Lovecraftian nightmare worth enduring. But sadly, when examined closely, there's very little meat on those bones. Some sanity system mechanics create memorable multiplayer moments, but due to a lack of substance, half-baked mechanics, and the fact that it inexplicably sets out its stall as an extraction game, The Mound: Omen Of Cthulhu will go down as a great idea executed haphazardly.
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu takes a familiar horror co-op formula and pushes it into stranger territory, creating an eerie experience that thrives on atmosphere, mystery, and a constant sense of unease.
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is a breath of fresh air in the cooperative horror landscape, thanks to its ability to transform the environment into an active, psychological antagonist.
Review in Italian | Read full review