If you're getting an almost instant crash like I did this worked for me https://support.gog.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019775837?product=gog
There is some great art direction, atmosphere, and voice acting sprinkled about but overall it's extremely mediocre with a fair share of jank like inconsistent audio levels, goofy enemy AI, and downright silly writing at times.
So unless you're big on Lovecraftian/cosmic horror and all it's trapping it's probably best to avoid this game
Lets get the bad out of the way first - the RPG system skills are kinda useless and only affect dialogue options. You get so no indication WHICH dialogue option ends the conversation, so keep that in mind. There is no combat whatsover and the sneak segments are not that good.
What the games DOES good is the atmosphere - the characters, the terror of the unknown, the madness, the slow realisation of the hopelessness of manking.
If you want more combat oriented game - The Sinking City or Dark Corners of the Earth are a better choise.
well they spent almost all the budget in the story and scenery and forgot gameplay.
the story is great the mood and setting is well done but takes away almost all the control from the player and makes this more like a walking simulator/story teller than a simulation of an rpg/tabletop.
so as a cosmic horror story game it suceeds but as an rpg not so much.
still it is a great game although it is very very linear.
but it is a start and surelly cthulhu fans will love despite the gaming lacks.
The Sinking City is the best cthulhu game out there so ill recomend that one over this if you have to choose.
if not get them both.
the last step wil be to merge the greatness of both games in one...
overall it is aceptable and it is more a guilty pleasure than a what is promises to be, anyway good attempt but still a wait for a sale.
If you're not a TTRPG die-hard, and you like the original Lovecraft stories, give this game a shot.
I get that some TTRPG fans feel this game did not live up to their hopes and dreams, but as someone who has not played the TTRPG — but has played many other Lovecraftian games that fell far short of the vibes and intrigue of the stories — I thought this game was great. That's probably all the more frustrating for TTRPG players since they maybe SHOULD be the target market... But I'll add that I'm now interested to explore the TTRPG *and* I'm fine knowing that it'll probably be "better" in many ways.
Why this worked for me: I play games like this for the storytelling and atmosphere, on an easier setting. It did great played like that. No mechanical aspect of the game is totally original, but all done well enough (like the memory mechanic) that it was engaging and didn't feel like it was getting in the way. And it wowed at the end. I think first-person is a great way to communicate the cosmic horror/dread in Lovecraft's work and for me, and the way that the set and music and story came together at the end passed my requirements! I saw stuff finally in-game that I've always wanted to see.
I admit that the pace of the plot and movement from one set/plot point to the next did feel a little rushed, not in the sense of any one of them being poorly done, but in the sense that it was a bit of a whirlwind. I could've spent more time in some spots before going on.
The graphics and story is alright.
The gameplay however is straight forward. It's like reading a book or watching episodes of a mini TV serie. Simple game, it's not an immersive sim and, to it's defense, does not describe itself so either.
I am glad that I tried it. I have also tried Sinking City. These two games share some similarities like the investigation scenes. Both games have their up and downsides. Still a worthwhile try.
Call of Cthulhu Dark Corners of the Earth is still the best Lovecraft game that I have tried. If you haven't already you should definately try that one out.
If you're really interested in trying out more Lovecraft games I would say this one doesn't hurt to complete at least once.