The game is loosely based on H.P. Lovecraft's short story: The Shadow Over Innsmouth, a spine-chilling tale set in a dilapidated, mostly deserted fishing town where the folks ain't quite right. While the game features many of the locations and characters - plus some of the core events from the story - it doesn't cleave to Lovecraft's writing much beyond that and branches out to include other scenes and elements not found in The Shadow Over Innsmouth. This departure from the original work may horrify Cthulhu afficionados, but it was probably done through necessity; the original story is loaded with antiquated narrative and dialogue - much of it the crazed ramblings of the town drunk.

This would have made for a tedious game by today's standards, so Headfirst have used artistic license to modernise the dialogue and expand on the original tale, introducing extra characters, problem-solving, stealth, action and FPS elements to bulk out the story. We are happy to report that they have managed to achieve this whilst remaining basically true to the Cthulhu Mythos. In fact, they've done such a good job of it, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is what The Shadow Over Innsmouth may have become had Lovecraft extended it. But we're not here to speculate on such or draw comparison between the game and the work upon which it was based. Moving right along then...

The very first thing you notice about Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is the atmosphere. Colours are mostly sombre, cut-scenes have a grainy, washed-out quality, and the lighting levels are deliberately low; so low in fact, that you sometimes feel like you are literally stumbling around in the dark. We had to crank up the gamma levels considerably, just so we could see where we were going! There are two initial difficulty settings in the game the first (Boy Scout) is for those who want to follow the story with minimal and less taxing game play. Even on this "easy" level, gameplay is challenging enough to prove frustrating in places. Private Investigator level is more suited to the established player. Completing the game at this level unlocks Hardened Detective Mode, and depending how successful you are with this you can really challenge yourself as a Mythos Specialist.

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth takes place in Innsmouth at night, and a darker, more horrid town would be difficult to find. You quickly pick up on the intense atmosphere that pervades this 1920's town. It is dilapidated to the point of ruin, there are very few townsfolk around, and those you do meet are decidedly unfriendly and creepy - patrolling the town in a zombie-like shambling state. Every now and then you see a brief bird's eye view of the town as seen through the eyes of some inhuman creature, and you just know that something awful is about to happen. This scene setting is something that remains consistent throughout the game, and is possibly the game's strongest feature. Be warned however - there are some very adult elements included, such as suicide, murder, nightmarish monsters and a fair level of gore. Definitely a game to be played away from the eyes of the children.

When you first load the game you must sit through a lengthy loading sequence (you are warned that it will take a while); however this is a one-off event and subsequent loads are much quicker. The intro sees the main character, ace private investigator Jack Walters, reflecting on past events and the horror he has witnessed - a large chunk of which remains mercifully forgotten. Gamers new to the genre and to H.P. Lovecraft's work may find this initial part confusing, however the action soon moves onto the prologue and the scene of an ongoing crime investigation, where Jack has been bought in to assist the police. Immediately things degenerate from strange to weird, to a quick trip up the trouser leg of insanity. The night is dark and the the weather is foul, and you have no idea what to do. Worse, you have no weapon to comfort you - and won't get one until much later on in the piece. To cut a long story short, Jack encounters something that lands him in the infamous Arkham Asylum for 6 years, after which he is deemed fit to rejoin society. A phonecall and some cryptic clues see Jack heading for the town of Innsmouth, where the adventure proper begins.