Call of Cthulhu Reviews
Call of Cthulhu sadly doesn't live up to either its literary or pen-and-paper heritage. The setting, atmosphere and some of the voice acting are impressive, but the detective gameplay is shallow and fairly linear, and any other gameplay aspects feel buggy and tacked on.
Call of Cthulhu is a good game with a bunch of Easter eggs for fans of the popular universe, nonlinearity and interesting characters, which suffers from weak stealth and unnecessary shooting elements.
Review in Russian | Read full review
On one hand, Call of Cthulhu is able to drag the player into an adventure with a dark and oppressive atmosphere, in which nobody really seems to be on our side, and curiosity can turn out to be our worst enemy. On the other hand, the little care given to some aspects of the game and the implementation of certain mechanics transform this game into a missed opportunity to celebrate the works of H.P. Lovecraft.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Call of Cthulhu is horror comfort food. The equivalent of a dog-eared horror paperback found on some dusty used bookstore shelf. The game isn't particularly daring or terrifying, but it is a well-written and crafted bit of low-stress spookiness. A handful of ill-conceived sequences drag Call of Cthulhu down a notch, but, thankfully, they aren't enough to fully sink the game.
I was pleasantly surprised with Call of Cthulhu. What started off as a story that seemed to plod along quickly escalated and kept me hooked from start to finish. Despite its technical hiccups, there's almost a certain charm to the way game looks and sounds, and those goofy animations at moments, and almost cheesy voice acting from some characters only help it further.
We're excited to push ahead and delve deeper into Darkwater to find out more.
Call of Cthulhu isn't the investigative adventure-RPG most will want it to be. If you adore the author, this adaptation is worth a look. Otherwise, you can toss it back into the ocean.
While I was initially unsure what to expect at the game's outset, Call of Cthulhu is certainly recommended for fans of horror and mystery titles. Along with the satisfying detective work and wonderfully creepy narrative, the twists and turns in this game are quite something.
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.
Review in Italian | 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.
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 is worth playing if you like your Lovecraft. It's worth playing if you like horror in general, too. However, it isn't a must-play, despite having the potential to have established itself as one.
While Call Of Cthulhu's eerie atmosphere and compelling narrative impress, some technical and design issues -- like long load times, wonky facial animations and uninspired puzzle designs -- injure the Lovecraftian horror experience, which ultimately holds it back from true greatness.
Coupled with a compelling, unnerving take on Lovecraft mythos, the majority of the game is quite enjoyable. Where other titles would exploit the overtly scary aspects of this kind of story, Cyanide Studios smartly present the personal dread that can make a nightmare so disturbing.
There are hints of a great game buried under the decaying leviathan that is Call of Cthulhu, but they are interspersed with the detritus of too many disparate or poorly executed ideas that those hints feel more like broken promises than unrealized ones.
Call of Cthulhu suffers from a slow opening, but those who can make it deeper will find a satisfying horror mystery with plenty of twists and turns.
Call of Cthulhu is an ode to Lovecraft and fantastic literature, a success in terms of atmosphere with a pleasant artistic part. Sadly, the game is too weak technically speaking. The main quest is interesting but players in search of an RPG with a bit of freedom will probably realize too soon that the game is actually a very linear experience.
Review in French | Read full review
In the end Call of Cthulu is a deeply disappointing game, because those opening hours showed such promise. If developer Cyanide had just stuck to the bits that work – the investigation – we'd have ended up with a better game. Instead of descending into madness, it descends into tedium.