Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth Q&A Feature

Headfirst, the developer of this title, has the rights to create and develop games based on the Call of Cthulhu license for the next 15 years. The rights are owned Chaosium Inc but are happy to let the team make their own interpretation of the Call of Cthulhu mythos knowing that they have a real love and understanding of the works of author HP Lovecraft. Derek dela Fuente got a fuller insight into the game, which was released last Friday, as he interacted with the team to find out more about this first-person horror game that combines intense action and adventure elements

With a number of Call of Cthulhu games currently in development, and a few already released, do you feel it is essential to understand the Cthulhu mythos to appreciate fully these games?

Not really. Much like watching, say, a Lord of the Rings movie you can still get whatâ??s going on without any prior knowledge of Tolkien or his work, but people who know the books get a little something more out of it. Seeing a certain character portrayed or a favorite scene take placeâ?¦that kind of thing. Likewise, Lovecraft fans will certainly get a little something extra out of visiting Innsmouth or seeing a Flying Polyp, because theyâ??ve got an attachment with the Mythos that goes beyond whatâ??s taking place on the screen. However, regardless of whether you know Lovecraft or the Cthulhu Mythos or not, itâ??ll still be fun, youâ??ll still be scared.

The story/game is based on the writings on HP Lovecraft. Have you extrapolated bits from a number of books or is the plot your own creation? Perhaps you can outline the basic objectives for the player?

The game draws inspiration from a number of places, including the Shadows over Innsmouth book and the Escape from Innsmouth pen-and-paper game from Chaosium. But Dark Corners is its own story about a private detective who goes to Innsmouth to investigate a disappearance and gets pulled into something much bigger and more sinister.

What do you think differentiates Lovecraftâ??s approach to the horror genre from other writers?

I think it was his treatment of the mental state of the character. This idea that the character wasnâ??t just trying to survive physical threats, but also trying to survive the assault on their sanity as a result of everything they were seeing and experiencing. So you may have survived the attack by a certain creature, and killed it or run from it, but what effect did that have on your mind? I think that sort of approach is what also makes our game different than other horror games because the player is faced with that challenge as well. Try to stay alive and try not to go insane in the process.

Did any of the team ever play the old paper RPG from Chaosium Games?

Absolutely. The pen and paper games are a big influence on the team and the final product.

What elements within Dark Corners of the Earth follow the HP Lovecraft ethos? Also, importantly did you have a certain list of ingredients that you deemed essential?

There were certainly a number of things that were key to staying faithful to Lovecraftâ??s work. The creatures in the game, the location, the settingâ?¦obviously all of these draw from his stories as well as from the games based on his stories. Beyond that itâ??s really about the tone of the game, how it feels. Whatâ??s itâ??s like to be playing as Jack as these things come at you. The fact that you donâ??t have an on-screen HUD to ruin the sense of immersion. The design of the game to not just be a straight shooter but to have sections where youâ??re just running and hiding for your life. We felt all of these things combined to create and experience that a Lovecraft fan would identify with and enjoy immensely.

Do you also feel you have achieved most of your objectives for this title?

Our goal has been to create a fun survival horror game that is true to the Cthulhu Mythos and Lovecraftâ??s work. I think weâ??ve done that. It captures what Cthulhu is about and brings it to life in a way youâ??ve never experienced before.

Could you expand on the Dynamic Sanity System and give some of your favorite effects it creates?

The sanity system uses audio and visual cues to let you know that Jack is suffering. There are a number of types, ranging from hearing your own heartbeat grow louder, so screen blurs, having the screen go â??swimmyâ? on your, and so forth. These affects do impact Jackâ??s ability to function, aim at anything, etc. The only way to relieve them is to remove Jack from whatever situation is currently freaking him (and you) out. My personal favorite is vertigo. Itâ??s very unsettling and very realistic when it happens.

Dark Corners has a neat mix of ideas one of which is the balance between exploration/suspense and all out action? How did this division worked for you in the end?

Itâ??s all about pacing. In a shooter, you know whatever you face next youâ??re going to have to kill. In Call of Cthulhu, you never really are sure what youâ??re going to have to do next. You may have to sneak, fight, run, or all three in some combination. The variety of the levels and action is fun because it keeps you off balance, not unlike Jackâ??s mental state.

How much research has gone into the period look of the game?

I think when you see and play the game â?“ and you can certainly get a sense of this from the screenshots â?“ youâ??ll see a game that has a very authentic look and feel. The architecture, vehicles, weapons, clothingâ?¦it all looks and feels right.

How do you ensure you get the player involved and want to continue on playing while also keeping them intrigued and mesmerized with the setting?

I think so long as what theyâ??re doing at any given point, or what they just accomplished/survived was cool, theyâ??ll want to keep going to see whatâ??s around the next corner. Plus, the more you uncover and reveal about what Jack has gotten himself into, the more youâ??ll want to keep going to see what happens next in the story.

Can you tell us a couple of interesting facts about Jack Walters and any of the other key members of the cast?

It would be hard to reveal much about Jack, or the other characters youâ??ll meet, without spoiling the story in some way or another. To find out more, youâ??ll have to play the game and see what happens to him, and everyone else.

Traditionally, the only really effective weapon against the monsters of Lovecraftâ??s Mythos has been magic. Does Jack get to wield any magical weapons?

The weapons Jack has at his disposal for most of the game are traditional for that periodâ?¦crowbar, pistol, Tommy gunâ?¦that kind of thing. You do get access to some cool alien technology towards the end of the story as you start facing these monsters. I donâ??t want to give away any spoilers.

And finally, if you could have one Mythos creature as a pet, what would you go for?

Thatâ??s a toughie. Probably a flying polyp, or Father Dagon.

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth was released in the UK on October 28th, rest assured a belated review will follow shortlyâ?¦