Adapting the works of H.P. Lovecraft is not easy. In fact, I think nothing is easy with this author. But there is a constant demand for his material (beyond the fact that most of it is already in the public domain), and what many fans desire is a solid video game. This is how we come to Call Of Cthulhu - Depths of Madness, which will place us in the skin and mind of a detective destined... no, condemned to fall under the influence of the Master of R'lyeh.
In 2005 Headfirst Productions and Bethesda released Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. Despite being very well received, the game was a spectacular commercial failure, and Headfirst went bankrupt a year later. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward had potential, but was defeated on Kickstarter and never recovered. With these facts, anyone would think that there is a curse on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, however, they have served as inspiration for dozens of projects. Shadow of the Comet, Prisoner of Ice, Alone in the Dark (the first from 1992 is a work of art), both Amnesia, Eternal Darkness… I could go on. Still, fans want a modern game, impeccable in every way, and that carries the name Call Of Cthulhu with pride. Could such a title exist?
The folks at Cyanide Studio believe so. Their current project Call Of Cthulhu - Depths of Madness promises a unique journey as you take on the role of Edward Pierce, a war veteran turned private detective during the 1920s. Pierce is hired to investigate the death of a renowned artist and his family on Darkwater Island, but once he gets there, he will realize that he bit off much more than he can chew. Strange visions, disturbed people, mutilated whales, and an inexplicable power that touches everything will serve as the basis for this new adventure. Needless to say, Pierce is not an indestructible agent. Just as with board games, monitoring your sanity levels will be critical.
Do we have doubts? Yes, many. Cyanide is a developer known for sports games, especially cycling and rugby. Diving headfirst into the Lovecraft universe seems very risky, but we all want Depths of Madness to become a jewel of the genre. If all goes well, the game will debut this year. And don't forget: Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn...
