Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is a first-person 3D investigative horror adventure strongly focused on exploration. Gameplay revolves around collecting clues, reading documents, and solving environmental puzzles, with the combination of scanner and sonar helping to mitigate classic pixel hunting. The absence of fast-paced combat is offset by a strong atmosphere. The integration between classic H. P. Lovecraft elements and modern technology, such as the AI assistant Key, works very well. The need to read notes and logs to progress may not appeal to action-oriented players, but this approach feels like a natural evolution of the adventure genre. And it works.

Big Bad Wolf's Lovecraftian investigation horror experience pulls out all the stops to corrupt the brains of many a Cthulhu fan. From dazzling locations full of references to volumes of H.P. Lovecraft lore, Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss spares no detail. The fact that you have to scan every square centimeter until you lose your mind, and still run the risk of missing vital information, might well be a low point for some. With a bit of bad luck, it drives you to mental corruption, but it is a sacrifice that an audience with The Great Old One requires.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is an incredibly fun adventure puzzle game with some very well put-together mechanics that make investigating and solving puzzles almost as interesting as its Lovecraftian roots, which is why it's a shame that it fumbles properly connecting those roots to its gameplay, leaving much of the horror and tension built up in its early chapters at the bottom of the ocean. Odd missteps in its storytelling and an unfortunate amount of bugs that entirely blocked progression and left save files corrupted don't help its case, but when it's all working as it should, the gameplay generates a rewarding and fun loop that'll keep you glued to your screen as if Cthulhu already has full control of your mind.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss takes an ambitious swing but it just doesn’t fully connect. It nails the atmosphere and tone but struggles where it matters most. The investigation systems are deep, yet buried under a clunky complex UI that often turns discovery into frustration. There’s a compelling game here but maybe it’s for a very specific type of player. In the end, Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss feels like a strong concept held back by execution.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is an interesting AA detective game, with fun investigation mechanics and a gripping premise, but quickly falls apart in the second half of the story. It’s disappointing, because there are occasional sparks of ingenuity in some of the game’s later chapters, and it’s a shame to see the final quality so inconsistent.