If there is one author whose works would seem to translate to video games, it would be Howard Phillips Lovecraft. An author whose works created an entire genre of monsters, his style is suited for the video game world. There have be many attempts to make his works into games, but one of the closest was released in 2005. Published by 
, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth was an action game that brought players into the world of Lovecraften horror.
All Jack Walters wants to do is forget that horrible night six years ago when he found something unspeakable in the basement of an old house in Boston. He works as a private investigator and is searching for a missing person. His search will take him to a town who does not trust outsiders and wants him gone by any means necessary. Walters will dig around and learn that his missing person, the town and that long ago night are all connected.
The name on the box might say Call of Cthulhu, but the main inspiration is The Shadow Over Innsmouth. This is a pretty accurate adaption of that story. While Cthulhu might be the name most people know, he actually does not appear all that much in the story that bears his name. Innsmouth is a much better choice, as their is more story and more monsters lurking in the dark streets.
The look of this game is dead on. From the moment you arrive in Innsmouth, the colors are muted and grayish. The people speak with a slurred and somewhat unnatural tone of voice. One distinct feature is that the people in Innsmouth who are shall we say not entirely human, are spotted right away. You begin to grow concerned when you realize these people far outnumber the normal ones. The story moves along at a good pace. One unforgettable sequence occurs when you suddenly are looking through some thing’s eyes. It is on the roof, and is looking right where you are standing.
The game had a few bugs, but the story and look make up for it. In one section, you have to sneak around a patrol man to get into a store. In another, you are crashing through doors and windows as bullets fly by your head. Call of Cthulhu is one of those games that starts creeping you out and that feeling continues as you play. If you want to play, I would suggest the PC version over the Xbox. This version came out later and it seems most of the bugs were patched. While we never got the sequel, this game still stands up.
