Call of Cthulhu Reviews
Call of Cthulhu is not a classic horror game, but a clever detective game with an exciting plot and a great atmosphere.
Review in German | Read full review
Call of Cthulhu's survival-horror elements don't come close to capturing the existential unease of Lovecraft's original story. Rather, they simply feel exploitative.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Is this the season's must-have horror game? Nope, but there's a lot here that fans of Lovecraft and Call of Cthulhu will appreciate.
The struggle with explaining the finer points of Call of Cthulhu is that it hinges on you getting hooked. Without that moment where you're clamoring for more and willing to overlook some shortcomings, a quality that has benefited a number of titles over the years, it's just a rather dated looking exploration game with a neat story if you're willing to invest in it. For some, that is enough, though it isn't the type of experience that is easy to recommend. Not because it lacks anything worthwhile, you just need a certain mindset and there are other titles that do a much better job with far less.
Creating a "good" H.P Lovecraft game in 2018 is probably an impossible task, but Call of Cthulhu is a valiant effort.
Call of Cthulhu proves that Lovecraftian horror is still alive, as the role-playing game has players investigate mysterious events on their own terms through an interactive adventure. The story is creepy, unsettling, and fascinating to the point that it sucks you in and pulls you under. Despite some minor gameplay and design hiccups, Call of Cthulhu is an atmospheric mystery game worthy of H.P. Lovecraft himself.
Without question, Call of Cthulhu captures the nightmarish Lovecraftian cosmic horror feel. Even if you haven't read any of the mythos or haven't experienced the tabletop game, it is still a satisfying investigation into madness. It's impossible to see everything the game has to offer in a single playthrough, but the stealth and equally awful boss encounters and gunplay (one section near the end of the game) may turn players off from returning. An option to autocomplete these sections may be a worthwhile addition, especially for those that want to experience the wonderfully dark storytelling and see all of the alternate choices.
Overall, Call of Cthulhu is just average. Its decent story and adequate horror elements struggle against extremely hit-and-miss writing and game design that often throws the player into subpar stealth sequences. It's not without its merits, but for a game that promises Lovecraft in its most pure, most uncut Lovecraftian form to feel “competent,” at best, is its own sort of horror.
Call of Cthulhu doesn't deliver in several departments (the technology, as well as some of the gameplay elements are rather poor), but a superb atmosphere, a good storyline and a few great ideas make this game what it is - a solid piece of entertaining code. I had fun and rooted for Edward during his crazy investigation. If you feel the call, answer it.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Call of Cthulhu is one of the better games based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, and despite its visual shortcomings does a great job at commanding your attention from start to finish. It's not for everyone, however, and the emphasis on exploration and trial-and-error stealth mechanics is bound to turn some people off. Putting this aside, Call of Cthulhu feels like a triumph for many reasons – it's well paced, its story is intriguing and the uneasiness of it's chilling conclusion will stay with you long after you've turned it off.
Turn down the lights, pour yourself a measure of laudanum, and settle in for a solid tale of intrigue and insanity well-rooted in Lovecraft's lore.
Call of Cthulhu is an emphatic character sheet fed to a game deficient of opportunities for self-expression. Imagine if, instead of a dramatic exploration behind the power and poison of enlightenment, Lovecraft only wrote a flat outline. Call of Cthulhu is eldritch horror without emotion or agency, and its madness is entirely mundane.
Call of Cthulhu on Nintendo Switch succeeds with strong storytelling and captivating choices, but poor graphics and gameplay.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Call of Cthulhu is a hard game to pin down. It has puzzle and investigation elements reminiscent of an adventure game, some running and hiding in the vein of a horror game, and some character development like one might find in an RPG. What it does have in spades is the Lovecraft mythos, and it does it very well.
It’s far from perfect and often struggles under the weight of its own aspirations, but once the adventure starts, you’ll struggle to put it down.
Call of Cthulhu is for the diehards only.
Call of Cthulhu has a great atmosphere, but full of flaws in terms of gameplay.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Call of Cthulhu is a unique creepy horror detective RPG that takes Lovecraftian inspiration to a new level. It may not compare visually to current AAA games but does well to provide a captivating narrative and a mix of methods to keep players drawn in such as puzzles and stealth. One playthrough takes anywhere between 12 or more hours depending on your level of attention to clues and your detective abilities. Would recommend a second or even third playthrough to truly find out all the hidden secrets.
Call of Cthulhu is a beautifully twisted cosmic horror that has it's issues here and there