Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss Review — Deep, Dark

I wasn’t totally sure what to expect going into Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss, a Lovecraftian horror adventure published by Nacon and developed by Big Bad Wolf Studio. Lovecraftian horror stories are often ambitious but don’t always hit the mark, something that is especially true in the video game world, where narrative is just one part of a formula and engaging gameplay is just as, if not more, important, while easily clashing with the storytelling staples of Lovecraft’s fiction.

I was relieved, then, to discover that Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss didn’t go the route of some big-budget action game or heart-pounding horror, but instead allowed itself to be a steady, well-paced, narrative-driven detective game. You’re not blasting through the horrors or mashing quick-time events to proceed in this Lovecraftian tale, but instead asking questions that slowly inch you towards answers you might not want, but desperately desire. I cannot imagine a truer Lovecraftian experience than that sentence.

This does mean that Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss plays a bit slower than a lot of other games. It wants to gradually introduce you to the overarching story, using both traditional exposition and environmental storytelling to ease you in. Prepare for a lot of reading, as the game hides much of its subtleties and plot within “long” (by video game standards, we’re talking about two to four paragraphs at a time) newspaper clippings and journal entries throughout the world. The game also expects you to pay attention. If you don’t like reading, listening to expanded dialogue segments, and watching first-person cutscenes, I don’t think you’re going to enjoy Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss very much. The approach it takes is much more akin to an interactive visual novel than your traditional video game.

The story that it does tell is a timeless yet utterly relevant combination of politics and Lovecraftian mythos. Without spoiling anything, the story is about corporations turning to the sea to collect resources as they become ever scarcer on the surface, and discovering something hidden below the waves in the process. It’s a biting commentary on corporations and the economic exploitation of the environment, and it is incredibly devoted to the Lovecraftian mythos. The game will take you from a creepy abandoned home to massive substations below the ocean waves, and even to unknown monoliths deep in the black expanse of space.

To reiterate, the gameplay of Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is not the most exciting in the traditional sense. That isn’t to say that it’s boring either. The game manages to gamify the deductive process to turn the interactive mystery into more than just walking from point A to point B and clicking on the interactable prompts as they are presented. While the game features traditional puzzles, the investigation process is also represented in a way where you have to actually find the answers to questions and track clues as you find them. It is not only a fun way to stimulate the inner detective, but also gives anyone who has ever wanted to put up a pinboard with a bunch of red strings a way to fulfill that fantasy.

You must also battle madness, as one doesn’t get to just uncover ancient, forbidden truths without consequences.

There is a lot to like about Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss, especially if you’re looking for a slower, more immersive, and narrative experience as opposed to a more traditional kind of game. For all the game has to offer, however, there were certainly areas where I think it could be improved upon, as well as my own subjective preferences.

To get the subjective out of the way, I wasn’t really big on the game’s whole near-future sci-fi thing. The game takes place in the 2050s and therefore uses slightly more advanced technology. This feels like a justification for there to be global flooding, resource scarcities, giant underwater facilities, and AI assistants, but something about it didn’t totally click for me. Maybe things just felt a little too sci-fi for me, but I don’t think this will be a problem for most people who play the game.

The game thankfully avoids the trap of making the Lovecraftian mythos feel like an alien movie. I mean… they are aliens, but they’re also not. It’s a weird thing to explain, but I think fans of the fiction will know precisely what I mean by this.

On a more objective note, the game does suffer from some performance issues, and I’m almost certain a day-one patch will be pushed to address them. They were never too impeding to the game or incredibly distracting, but in areas with especially high reflection counts or shiny textures, I experienced a pretty significant frame drop. There was also occasional Z-fighting and other small texture or graphical glitches that pulled me ever so slightly out of the experience.

I don’t think Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is going to appeal to everyone. I think the game’s slow nature and focus on deduction, as well as the dreaded inclusion of reading (yuck!), will put off players looking for a more traditional game, even in the horror sphere. However, for those who love narrative games and those with a love for mystery and detective work, Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss will be an excellent pick. The game’s vibes are also excellent for an adaptation of Lovecraftian mythos, and I would say that this is likely the staple of what a Lovecraft-to-video-game conversion should look like.

Try Hard Guides was provided a Steam code for this PC review of Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is available on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation.