There are few creators in the horror genre as profound and as engaging as H.P. Lovecraft. Even after 100 years later, the cosmic being known as Cthulhu still captivates people all over the world. What Big Bad Wolf has done with the source material is something different, making a horror game for true crime fans, or for players who want to work for the answers. Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is unlike any horror I’ve played before. It tests your patience yet rewards your time. Prepare to fall into a world you’re not ready for.
In Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss, you play as Noah. Working for an organisation called Ancile that investigates the occult, you’re sent to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean to find out what happened to a mining expedition and those who were on it. Before Noah heads into the depths of the ocean, you’re provided with a crash course for how most of the mechanics work. At first, it felt overwhelming and not explained as clearly as it could. However, with time, unlocking the potential of your AI companion KEY becomes much easier, just when you need it the most.
While it is 100% a horror title, there’re many layers that make it feel like something much more. I was never scared, and rarely on edge, but there’s a sense of foreboding and unease that stayed with me throughout. When you get inside the PIT Station at the bottom of the Pacific, seeing what happened to the crew is beyond creepy. Most of them have been ripped apart by an unknown creature. You start to uncover their minds began to fall into insanity. The influence of an ancient city and its power starts to take hold on Noah, too.
There are tons of documents, electronic journals, objects and resources that can be examined. Reading an interaction between two crew members might reveal a clue. It might just flesh out the story. Using KEY’s sonar can analyse an item to present a particular material, such as lithium, blood, ancient goo, and so much more. Once you’ve unravelled a mystery that is linked to a particular material, KEY will highlight any traces of it after you send out a sonar pulse, leading to a potential lead in your investigation.
There are two difficulty settings in Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss. Exploration offers more hand-holding and won’t require as much work to find the answers. The default difficulty is Investigation, and it’s the one I stuck with. At times, I felt lost as to where I was going. With so many leads and clues, it can be easy to get lost in your own thoughts. The Vault, an interface that allows you to connect clues and look over your findings, is a wonderful tool. Sometimes, you’re presented with a possible deduction. By connecting the right clue, a new line of investigation might open up.
There’s no break down of objectives or missions to follow; at least not as obvious as other narrative adventures. Most of what you need to do comes from paying attention to everything you find, reading documents thoroughly, and listening to what KEY has to say. It might be too much reading for some players, and the level of attention that needs to be paid might not be what the casual gamer wants. The thing is, there’s something so fascinating about the world, about what happened to the crew, and every new step leads you further into the madness.
Noah’s mind starts to become corrupted the more you play. It adds a new level of gameplay as certain artefacts can lead to you harnessing the corruption to aid you through evolutions. Every time you are prompted to analyse a new material, Noah uses energy. One of the evolutions allows you to recover energy in a different way to finding it through the weird glowing fungus you find. Without ruining anything, it’s a cool mechanic that impacts the game both how Noah reacts, how investigations can be solved, and how the story unfolds.
The ancient city of R’lyeh is a work of otherworldly architecture. It is a remarkable sight, and one that leads Noah in different directions. It gives the player a sense of freedom and wonder, despite being an innerving place to explore. You get lost in its tombs, hallways, and rooms. Big Bad Wolf has gone to great lengths to make it authentic to the cosmic horror source material it is based on, and I loved the locations you get to see. When you step into the other world, it gives you a true sense of both wonder and worry, knowing what lurks inside.
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is a game that asks for your time, but respects it as well. Investigations take time as well as patience. When you do find that all-important next clue, the story opens up further and introduces you to more of the legend of Cthulhu and more. The environments have been designed with care and consideration to the source material, and the mechanics keep you gripped throughout. I loved just how detailed the story is, and how invested the investigations keep you wherever you are in the story.
