Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (Xbox, 2005)

being an avid howard philips lovecraft fan, this game appealed to me immediately.
lovecraftian concepts DEFINE the dark depths of the human mind. his influence has spanned decades, reaching mediums such as music (see doom metal bands thergothon, nyarlathotep & foetor), movies (dagon, call of cthulu, and in the mouth of madness), literature (lots of lovecraft worship out there) and now, finally, a video game!

the first person mode puts you right into the game. i normally don't like 1st person that much, with the exception of doom & halo, but it's the feeling of terror it instills in you, running from enemies, hiding, jumping, creeping. you really feel like you're in the game. the fact that you can lose your sanity adds to the intensity. your vision becomes clouded, your movement mired in fear. if you look down from great heights, or at a mangled corpse, you'll begin to go mad.

the controls take a while to get used to, especially the climbing. i died many times before i figured out you have to look DIRECTLY upwards to climb a ladder. this game relies on lots of split-second timing and reflexes. luckily, you get some time to get used to them before the real nightmare begins. learning to utilize your surroundings is ESSENTIAL for survival. stealth is the key word in this game, as your enemies are as relentless as they are ruthless.

the graphics in this game are gorgeous, bringing to life every beautiful and disgusting detail. you must pay attention to every one of them, as the puzzles in this game can be extremely vexing at times. scrapes on the floor can indicate something has been moved, dripped paint alluding to false save points, and discolored floors rotten wood (steer clear, DUH). you can explore the town (quite large, with beautifully crafted character models, businesses, apartments and hotel.) the little things are quite stunning too, such as insects flying around lights.

the story starts off fast with a standoff between the police and a cult (i also thought it was awesome cuz this game takes place in my state, massachusetts :D). you're a private det. and the head cultist will only speak to you. after a mind-bending encounter, you wake up six years later, the shootout being the last memory you have. i won't go into much more detail because i'm running out of space here.

the gameplay is horror mixed with intrigue. this game can be RIDICULOUSLY hard at times. the AI is super smart. when outnumbered and under-equipped, use melee weapons to kill silently. conserve your med-kits. save often, if you mess up, reload and try to avoid injury (if you let your deep cuts go for a bit, they'll only require bandages instead of sutures, which are few and far between). this game is NOT for the kiddies. guts-o-plenty here. there's even a scene where a little girl is torn to shreds. people get mangled in meat grinders, chopped up with meat cleavers, skinned alive, etc.

there's way too much to this game to tell about here, so i'll wrap up this review. this game will not disappoint. lovecraft lovers and horror fans will adore this game. but only those with the patience of a saint (like myself). if resident evil & the like frustrate you, don't pick this game up. you'll rip your hair out & break your x-box. for those who love a challenge, this is the game for you.