Myth hunters and Lovecraftian creatures, beware! Focus Home Interactive has confirmed a brand new Call of Cthulhu for 2017.
It has been two years since Frogwares along with Focus Home Interactive announced that there was another Cthulhu title brewing down in the RPG world. Two years of ostracism, on the other hand, because right after that announcement we did not get any further updates or a confirmation that the whole business was indeed happening. Until yesterday.
Focus Home Entertainment has finally taken Call of Cthulhu out of the shadows and revealed a first batch of official details. The most visible one is probably the change of developer. Frogwares takes the rear door and leaves the project, giving the development reins to Cyanide Studio, creators of Blood Bowl and Styx: Master of Shadows. The movement is not at all surprising if you consider that Focus Home has been partnering with Cyanide for almost a decade already. And it seems that the folks at Cyanide have been wanting to make an adaptation of Lovecraft’s universe for years now. The first images that they have released show us that they are taking the job seriously and a lot of effort is being put in building the oppressive atmosphere that reigns over all Lovecraftian tales.
What can we expect from the next Call of Cthulhu? No less than a full RPG-investigation game with great doses of psychological horror and stealth mechanics. If you happened to play the previous Cthulhu-based tile, Dark Corners of the Earth (developed by Headfirst Productions and published by Bethesda in 2005), you will probably find both the ambiance and gameplay rather familiar. A shooter mode has yet to be confirmed though – but it would certainly add a lot to the whole experience. They are also talking about “semi-open environments,” all supported by the wonderful Unreal Engine 4.
As for the story, we will put ourselves in the shoes of an investigator on a mission to find the truth behind the death of an acclaimed artist and her family. It’s a principle in all Lovecraft’s stories that first impressions can only be deceptive and that isolated areas always make room for the eerie. This game will not be an exception. More disturbing truths will be waiting for us, including most likely the awakening of a Great Old One. Yes, those annoying deities that like to sleep beneath the Earth they once ruled…
Call of Cthulhu will arrive in 2017 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Cyanide Studio has already opened an official website so make sure you check it regularly for updates.
