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Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth

EMAIL PRINT pc

7.6 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 17 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 39 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks / 2K Games

Developer: Headfirst Productions

Genre(s): First-Person Action, Adventure, Survival Horror

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: April 24, 2006

Summary

Call of Cthulhu -- Dark Corners of the Earth is a first-person horror game that combines intense action and adventure elements. You will draw upon your skills in exploration, investigation, and combat while faced with the seemingly impossible task of battling evil incarnate. Other than fighting, you have the ability to interact freely with characters and the gaming environment. To increase the sense of immersion, there is no interface or 'HUD' on screen at any time during normal gameplay. Instead, more intuitive methods are available for you to assess your condition, ammunition levels, and other relevant information. The combat within the game is extremely realistic, with a detailed damage and healing system that breaks down the healing process into conditions and treatments - rather than having the typical FPS 'health packs' lying around everywhere. The game also allows you to stamp your own style onto the proceedings via an advanced AI system that can react to your method of play. [Bethesda Softworks]

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What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Pelit (Finland)

Thanks to PC controls, shooting is no longer a source of constant irritation and the game can really shine. CoC in an excellent horror adventure. Fear and loss of sanity can really be seen and felt. The game is faithful to Cthulhu mythos, full of memorable scenes and has the only ending there can be. [Apr 2006]

Cheat Code Central

A fun game that is full of twists, turns and incredibly wonderful scary surprises. It's got a great atmosphere which is sustained by dark and grainy graphics, chilling sound effects and an incredibly improbable storyline that is treated properly as to suspend reality from creeping in and ruining your experience.

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PC Gamer UK

Despite the obvious flaws, the many subtler achievements make this compelling. You'll find better shooting elsewhere, but if you fancy getting more than bullet holes for once, this is for you. [May 2006, p.84]

PC Format

When a game is this gripping, who cares about a slightly cranky engine? [May 2006, p.91]

Four Fat Chicks

The overall quality of the game far outweighs every one of its shortcomings. In my humble opinion, this game represents a labor of love from people who wanted to pay homage to Lovecraft.

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GameSpot

A thick, unsettling atmosphere fills this ambitious first-person action adventure, which makes up for some frustrating moments and dated graphics with plenty of chills, variety, and originality.

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GameZone

If you’re looking for a true survival-horror title that will literally force you to try and survive in the face of horror, a game that will leave you on the edge of your seat more than once, and a game that provides a solid story with some gore and disturbing images, this is one you should definitely check out.

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IGN

The game wants to challenge you more entertain you.

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Game Over Online

If you’re a Lovecraft fan, you’ll want Dark Corners of the Earth because it’s great service to a fanbase that’s rarely treated this well. Any of the game’s problems can be overlooked considering what’s being given in return.

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Gamer 2.0

An undeniable effort. It can be fulfilling and mightily rewarding, but there are too many frustrating moments to say it’s a classic.

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ActionTrip

The distinctive setting and novel gameplay mechanics are definitely the strongest points of this title. It's a unique experience, to be sure.

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PC Zone UK

Dark Corners is at its best when you can immerse yourself in the story and get to work solving the biting mysteries on offer. Unfortunately, by the end of the game everything succumbs to a bit of FPS butchery, putting you in shotgun shootouts rather than mysterious crime scenes.

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GameSpy

Despite the occasional missteps, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is a more than fitting tribute to its literary inspiration. It's also a great way for fans of real horror to give themselves the heebie-jeebies for a dozen hours or so. Just don't play it late at night, alone.

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Computer Games Online RO

Since we’re in need of good games right now, I’d rather be playing an original episodic game than one of the sequels flooding the market these days.

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Computer Games Magazine

If you can stomach the difficulty and the middle-of-the-road graphics, Dark Corners of the Earth offers a lot of suspense-filled gameplay in the 10 or so hours it takes to complete the adventure. [Sept. 2006, p.70]

GameShark

Despite offering an assortment of weapons and a nifty “iron sights” aiming system to boot, Call of Cthulhu is clearly not a combat-oriented game.

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PC Gamer

Fans of the Cthulhu Mythos may go straight to heaven with such a faithful adaptation of Lovecraft's spine-chilling years. Others may find that Call of Cthulhu drives them to the mountains of madness. [July 2006, p.55]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 39 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Sebastian Dahl M gave it a9:
Would have been 10 if not for the amount of bugs. Headfirst Productions should have been given a little more time to finish it.

Nardtre gave it a9:
Yes there are a few shortcomings but a great story and great atmosphere. you don't even get a weapon till a third of the way through but this works very well. Lots of variation in gameplay from chase scenes both on foot and in vehicles. My niece wandered in and caught a glimpse of this game before I sent her out of the room. She didn't sleep for a week and now she seems slightly odd. Buy it.

Tadas N gave it a3:
Terrible shooting, very, very weak main character, the little variety of enemies. Disapointing. The beginning was interesting, but later game become clownade.

Mike B gave it a5:
Fascinating but buggy as hell. A good game ruined by bad QA.

Maarten V. gave it an8:
awesome game. The story is filled with twists and turns and generally a lot of weird shit. Theres no hud wich makes things even nicer and theres this sanity thing wich is a very unique touch to the gameplay. It takes quite long before the action starts and you cant skip the cinematics wich could get annoying. Also the engine is well shaky, it just takes an alt-tab to crash the game. I lost count of how many times i crashed but i kept on playing it and playing it. The story makes up for the imperfections cause its just so surreal and you really want to see it trough to the end.

Moss the Boss gave it a7:
Good ambiance and mood all over. Story is well based on Lovecraft's literature with interesting additions. Voice acting and dialogs are good and reinforce the atmosphere and time setting in the early 20's. Concept is quite unique blending 3 or 4 major genres, and it is one of a very scant group of games based on the Cthulhu mythos. The "however" is that, at least once along the game, all of these genres perform ifalteringly when compared to the average of games using as their core one these styles. Puzzles unintuitive or strangely easy (you are done and do not realize it); shooter erratic and with an infinite amount of respawns; stealth with unreadable patrols to almost render this nice possibility unfeseable; etc. Anyway in most cases the game pulls through and no matter how frustrating it could become, and how close to real insanity it may push you towards, you very soon forget and forgive, since it has the virtue of truly making you curious of what is yonder the next, very dark, corner.

Kent B. gave it a9:
The game follows the Lovecraft style very well. The main character is influenced by the things he sees, and he gets (annoyingly sometimes) dizzy, hears voices, etc., as he "loses sanity". Find a quiet place to hide and you calm back down, so its generally not a problem, per se. The developers kept the screen clean, so there is no HUD or crosshair. You aim weapons with the metal sites that have become more popular recently (e.g., STALKER, COD4). The plot pulls from many different Lovecraft stories, but perhaps follows the Shadow over Insmouth most closely. If you are looking for a game that has a story to it, I highly recommend this one.

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Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth

Game Info

Summary

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

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