Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss

A game that isn’t afraid to let players muddle through it on their own is an idea to be lauded, and here there is a core mystery that will provide a compelling enough reason to continue if you can get into the rhythm of the puzzling.

At times innovative and, above all, immersive, Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss offers a solid experience for a mystery game, but it sorely lacks the horror element that’s supposed to send shivers down your spine.

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 is an ambitiously detailed Lovecraftian detective story that makes great use of its supernatural horror source material. Open-ended puzzles across each chapter challenge in all the right ways, giving you the tools to sort through the mountains of evidence. Sometimes overly fiddly, and with more than few technical issues, pondering can be replaced with bursts of annoyance, but this is more often than not a great chin-stroker.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is an interesting take on the Cthulhu Mythos, even if its overall narrative doesn't stand out. Slow-paced, frustrating at times because its puzzles can be opaque, and very dedicated to gathering and understanding clues, it's an experience that should appeal to players who enjoy the detective-like approach of studying every clue they come across.

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 a Lovecraftian game to the core, but it is also an investigative adventure with an overly slow pace and less frightening than expected.

In the end, Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is fine. The lack of combat combined with a lack of guidance creates a challenging and refreshing experience for most — and frustrating for some. The overall presentation is fine, despite the game's use of an engine intended to deliver stunning visuals. The game will appeal to those who are fascinated with the Cthulhu universe more than those looking for thrills and scares. Players won't feel compelled to stick with this title for long sessions at a time.

When The Cosmic Abyss plays more like a walking sim or a first-person horror, it's excellent story really shines through, but its overdesigned systems tend to get in the way of its otherworldly ambitions. [Issue#424, p.119]

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.

It's a horror game that isn't scary, an adventure game that isn't exciting, and a narrative-driven game that feels more like a glorified tech demo. There's nothing bad to be found here, but nothing worth writing home over either.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is a flawed, but interesting experience. The narrative is straight out of a Lovecraft story and it escalates into a suitably maddening conclusion. The mechanics are interesting and promising but the lack of polish across multiple platforms and the inconsistency of responsiveness made for an overly frustrating time and I was ready for the game to end quite a bit before an incredibly complicated final puzzle. I’m glad that I persevered (albeit with the ingame AI assistance) as the ending felt appropriate. If you have the patience, and enjoy the setting, then there is some fun to be had, but perhaps wait for further patches for a less frustrating experience.