New Call of Cthulhu gameplay trailer reveals an assortment of unearthly horrors
Ahead of next month's release.
Cyanide Interactive has unveiled a new gameplay trailer for its upcoming Lovecraft-inspired horror RPG Call of Cthulhu.
When we last saw the game in action, Cyanide offered an extended look at its atmospheric opening hour, setting the scene for its central investigation - which sees hard-drinking private detective Edward Pierce attempting to solve several mysterious deaths in the halls of Hawkins Manor, situated on the gloomy island of Darkwater Island, Massachusetts.
This time around, however, Cyanide teases a couple of sequences from much later in the game, delving, as the developer puts it, "deeper along the path of madness". Once again, the video stresses the futility of physical combat in Call of Cthulhu (although it's always an option as a last resort), offering a reminder that it's often far more effective to make use of your other skills, such as speech, medicine, and knowledge of the occult.
It's also possible to take a stealthy approach against more human enemies, which is briefly demonstrated in the new trailer. Here, Pierce must escape detection by a group of hooded cultists, performing doubtless unspeakable ceremonies in the subterranean caves beneath the mansion. Cyanide does warn, however, that stealth is made much harder by Pierce's "crippling fear of the dark and small spaces". Clearly the right man for this particular job then.
The trailer also touches on the inevitable mental toil inflicted on Pierce as he uncovers ever-more traumatic sights and unearthly horrors. As his sanity reduces, Pierce's ability to form logical conclusions will apparently become less reliable, and his perception of reality will change.
It all appears to be shaping up nicely, and I'm rather looking forward to settling down with something spooky for Hallowe'en that focuses on quieter exploration, deduction, and detective work rather than combat. We'll know if Call of Cthulhu can deliver when it releases on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on October 30th.