Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
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| Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth | |
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| Developer(s) | Headfirst Productions |
| Publisher(s) | Bethesda Softworks / 2K Games |
| Release date(s) | October 24, 2005 (Xbox) March 27, 2006 (PC) |
| Genre(s) | Survival horrror / FPS |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Mature (17+) |
| Platform(s) | Xbox, Windows PC |
| Media | DVD (1) |
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is a Lovecraftian horror first-person shooter developed by Headfirst Productions and published by Bethesda Softworks in conjunction with 2K Games. It is based on the works of H. P. Lovecraft, author of "The Call of Cthulhu" and progenitor of the Cthulhu Mythos.
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[edit] Plot
In Call of Cthulhu, the player controls detective Jack Walters who is committed to a mental institution after an encounter with the Mythos. A few years later, he is released while still suffering from amnesia and schizophrenia, and subsequently takes up a new case with a connection to the Mythos — a missing persons case in Innsmouth. Jack must try to survive and remain sane despite the horrors of the new case and his afflictions.
The game takes particular references to "The Shadow Out of Time" and "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" as the main influences of the story. Characters featuring in Call of Cthulhu role-playing game Escape From Innsmouth make an appearance in the game, and several scenarios taken from Escape From Innsmouth are utilized (such as a raid on the Innsmouth gold refinery).
The game is effectively a prequel to "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", taking place years prior. In the game, Jack is sent to Innsmouth by Arthur Anderson, owner of the First National grocery store chain. Brian Burnham, the clerk running the Innsmouth location, is missing in what appears to be a robbery- by all appearances, Brian robbed his own store and fled. Jack, with his career shot and nothing better to do, begrudgingly takes the case to find Innsmouth unfriendly, and that the town does not welcome First National or Brian for being "outsiders"- an atitude which quickly wins Jack enemies in the town.
[edit] Gameplay
The game is notable for featuring no HUD - instead of an overlaid health meter, the character's condition is relayed through the sound cues of his heartbeat and breathing, which become more pronounced when wounded.
The character loses sanity when he looks directly at upsetting aspects of the game world, such as mutilated bodies or precipitous drops. Sanity loss can lead to hallucinations and visions, which manifestasgraphicalanomalies,sounddistortionandchangesincontrolsensitivity.Thegame'shealthsystemismorerealisticthanothergamesofitsgenre,inthatdifferentformsofinjury will require different remedies, such as a splint for a broken leg.
Gameplay mostly comprises of unarmed escape and evasion, together with investigative exploration, although weapons and combat are introduced later on. As with most survival horror games, ammunition is limited and must be conserved carefully for situations when it will really be indispensable, occasionally requiring the player to avoid combat even when armed. The game as a whole is linear, with only one path through the chapters from start to finish, in contrast with some earlier survival horror games such as the original Alone in the Dark (which was also based on the Mythos).
[edit] Weapons
Activating the secondary function on most ranged weapons will switch them to aimed mode, which allows for better accuracy. The game is unusual in that it does not have an artificial on-screen targeting reticle - instead, the player must more realistically use the iron sights on the weapon models themselves.
- Crowbar
The first of two mêlée weapons available in the game. Rather underwhelming and only really useful for situations where one wishes to conserve ammunition, such as against a helpless target.
- Knife
A fixed-blade, clip-point knife. There is dried blood on it, and can be used to perform a quick one-handed strike or two-handed stabbing thrust. The thrust attack will quickly and silently drop an enemy if he is unaware of the protagonist.
- M1911
The well-known semi-automatic self-loading pistol designed by John Browning. It fires the proven .45 ACP cartridge, and a few shots into the torso will take care of most targets. Has simple, low recoil enabling the protagonist to fire approximately 4 rounds in the quick succession of one second.
- Colt Police Positive
A double action revolver that fires the .45 LR cartridge. The weapon has high recoil, and firepower approximate to the M1911.
- F.LLI Rizzini 12 Guage Double-barreled shotgun
A break-action shotgun that chambers two 12-gauge buckshot shells side-by-side. Effectiveness decreases considerably with distance, and it is among the first weapons the player will get in the game.
- Springfield 1903 rifle
A bolt-action rifle that loads .30-06 Springfield rounds from a stripper clip. It is the most damaging ranged weapon on a per-shot basis, but the act of cycling the action after every shot makes it less than suitable for close-range engagements, and the very slow reload makes it a risky choice when engaging multiple enemies.
- Thompson submachine gun
The infamous fully automatic Tommy-gun, fed from a 50-round drum magazine carrying .45 ACP in an ammunition pool separate from the M1911's. The weapon's high rate of fire, large capacity magazine and hard-hitting power make it unmatched for handling multiple enemies, but its tendency to jump about makes it very difficult to aim during sustained firing or over long ranges.
- Energy weapon
A powerful Yithian directed-energy weapon that can be fired in quick taps or charged for more power, but too much charging causes a shut down. The white energy beam produces fantastic electrical effects, especially when used on water. The weapon has no sights, but the energy bolts it fires can be used much like tracer ammunition to "walk" the gun onto the target. Has unlimited ammunition but there is a delay between shots.
[edit] Locations
This listing goes in order of appearance.
[edit] Strange House
A decrepit manor house located in Boston, Massachusetts first visited on September 6th, 1915. The manor was inhabited by a cult called the Fellowship of the Yith which numbered about 20, and was led by one Victor Holt. While a mess on its own, the areas directly underneath were revealed to bear a morgue, related medical facilities, and incredibly enough, functioning Yithian technology.
[edit] Arkham Sanitarium
The infamous psychiatric hospital from the Mythos. First visited after the abovementioned manor investigation, owing to a significant and sudden change in the protagonist's personality and mental features. A notable number of surreal flashback sequences involving the Sanitarium are experienced throughout the game, and a few actual revisits take place.
[edit] Innsmouth
A run-down, underpopulated and xenophobic New England port town with very little communication with the outside world, first visited on February 7th, 1922. Its overall nature and strange history was suspicious enough for the government to have it placed under surveillance. Rumours abound outside the town of a mysterious condition known as the "Innsmouth Taint", evident to varying degrees in a large fraction of the population.
[edit] Marsh Refinery
A gold refinery owned by the Marsh family in Innsmouth, which was watched carefully as its high gold bar output did not match up with its low ore input. The refinery was raided by the FBI on February 8th, which uncovered a Cthulhu shrine and evidence of efforts to sell a deadly contagion to enemies of the state. Subsequently demolished with explosives.
[edit] Esoteric Order of Dagon
The entire town came under a combined land-and-sea siege on the 9th following the refinery raid. The only thing that proved problematic was the main Order building, which was spared from heavy weapons due to the wanted arrest of a man still inside, and showed itself to be nigh-impossible to breach by US Marines.
[edit] Urania
A United States Coast Guard cutter with modest armament, visited on the 10th. Aiding the raid effort, the ship was part of a group heading to Devil's Reef, following up on a lead provided by the FBI. Unfortunately, its close proximity to the Reef brought it the unwanted attention of the Deep Ones and Father Dagon himself, which resulted in the eventual sinking of the ship and possibly the loss of all hands.
[edit] Devil's Reef
A tumultuous and unsafe reef that lies about half a mile from Innsmouth harbour, just off the coast of Massachusetts. While authorities know that Devil's Reef has old smuggling tunnels that lead all the way beneath the seabed, only a few know that the area is also home to a great underwater city.
[edit] Y'ha-nthlei
A large underwater city located a significant distance below Devil's Reef, well out of the sight of most people. A USN submarine part of the raid initially had difficulty in trying to torpedo it, due to the presence of a protective magic barrier that was being maintained by Mother Hydra.
[edit] Pnakotus
The great library city of the Yith. Only seen formally if one gets the highest-ranking possible at the end of the story, although parts of it are seen in earlier, intermittent sequences. Even then, the formal viewing is brief as it starts just a few moments before a Flying polyp assault.aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
[edit] Mythos elements
- Persons
- Zadok Allen provides the protagonist with a detailed recent history of the town.
- Obed Marsh's descendants play a large and prominent role in the story.
- A few fictional members of the Waite family also play a small part in the story.
- One of the jailhouse inmates complains of 'The Rats in the Walls'. Also noticeable is that his name is Henry, most likely referring to Professor Henry Armitage, made famous in The Dunwich Horror.
- While not directly from the Mythos, real-life FBI director J. Edgar Hoover appears as a ruthless agent, personally leading the Marsh Gold Refinery raid.
- Literature
- The Greek copy of the Pnakotic Manuscripts, known as the "Pnakotica", can be found.
- On a shelf in the protagonist's office, a copy of Unaussprechlichen Kulten can be seen.
- Most of the texts are however directly tied to Dagon, such as his Book, Oaths, Tablets, and prayers.
- See also "Ponape Scripture" in Cthulhu Mythos arcane literature.
- Entities
- The Great Race of Yith plays a major role in the plot, even though they are not physically present except for the very beginning and end of the game.
- The Deep Ones and their related half-human citizens of Innsmouth are central to the plot, and comprise the main opposition the player faces throughout most of the game.
- Likewise, the Deep One leaders Dagon and Mother Hydra are both confronted by the player towards the end of the game.
- The Innsmouth sewer system hints at the presence of a shoggoth through numerous human skeletons and strange residue that is highly-corrosive to organic material, and the creature itself is confronted directly during the refinery raid.
- Beloved of Cthulhu, Deep Ones altered by Cthulhu's mental influence to have reduced intelligence and squid-like heads, appear on two separate occasions.
- The Flying Polyps are confronted towards the end of the game.
- Spider-crabs and carnivorous starfish appear as pest-like obstacles on a few occasions.
- While not present, the Mi-go are mentioned in passing during the epilogue.
- Despite the title, Cthulhu himself does not appear, though numerous statues in his likeness can be found. In one room, Cthulhu exerts a cosmic influence through his statue- if Jack does not escape the room quickly, he will be driven insane and kill himself.
[edit] External links
- Official Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth website
- Calling Cthulhu fansite dedicated to Lovecraftian video games.
- Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth review at NTSC-uk
- Games Toaster review
