The distant sounds of drunken sailors’ shanties, baleful chanting, creaking floorboards and suchlike are expertly deployed, creating a strong sense of unease that permeates the game’s gloomy environments. The setting is particularly strong, with Darkwater Island shrouded in mist, oil lamps casting an eerie emerald glow over the dilapidated buildings and heaps of whale bones (seriously, I haven’t played a game this green since the first Metal Gear Solid ). This is the launch pad for an utterly daft but gripping plot that manages to sustain a compelling pace, while retaining an element of intrigue until the final chapters, and sprinkles Lovecraftian characters, locations and other clichés throughout with contagious joy (expect to encounter unspeakable asylums, forbidden books, surly sea captains, mysterious artefacts and, err, boatloads of fish).Īs a Lovecraft fan it feels like a joyous celebration as a non-fan, I think the game’s appeal will depend upon whether you enjoy its setting and characters. The bereaved father of a dead woman visits him, hoping to hire Pierce to unravel the mystery surrounding his daughter’s death on the appropriately ominous-sounding Darkwater Island (what do people expect to happen when they give a place such a creepy name?), bringing one of her terrifying paintings as the only clue. The game begins by introducing us to troubled detective Edward Pierce as he potters around his office, boozing and muttering about military tragedies in his past.

The production boasts an impressive voice cast, a deliciously sinister setting, and some tantalising trailers, so when the game finished loading and the menu screen prompted me to press X to ‘enter madness’, I immediately knew I was in safe hands/claws/tentacles.

Quake 5 lovecraft