Chronicle of Innsmouth

Lovecraft is probably one of the most influential authors in video games, if not the most. Countless games draw inspiration from his work, and I have to admit to finding a certain appeal to playing them. Chronicles of Innsmouth is just another entry in that trend. But is it any good? https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3601815595 The game starts off well. It has great pixel art and is fully voiced. Music and sound effects are excellent, and the atmosphere slowly grows more unsettling as the game progresses. Plotwise, the game is inspired by the [i]Shadow over Innsmouth[/i] novella from Lovecraft and tells the tale of a very curious and stubborn young man compelled by the unknown and the mysterious. Intrigued by all the stories he heard about the strange city of Innsmouth, he decides to travel there to uncover its mystery. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3601815394 At first, progression is handled with classic retro PnC mechanics. But then, in the second half of the game, the devs seemed to have switched to their Hyde side, as if compelled by Dagon to make their player base suffer. The player is as such subjected to a horrendous series …

I have to put the NO recommend because of some puzzle gameplay issues. I liked the story and specially the voice acting. First half of the game is great, I believe it has been properly tested and is a classic point and click. The problems appear in the second part of the game. There is a light related puzzle that doesn't work properly or it is made in a very unfriendly way. The next one is almost impossible to guess what you have to do unless you check a guide. There is a "easy" mode in a following part of the game that I think is bugged, because the time to solve the puzzle went sorter instead of larger by activating the easy mode. So if you get the game for a good price, and are willing to "suffer" these issues, go try the game. You can beat the game, but it affects the experience.

I like how this game starts. The jazzy vibes, humor, interactions with the world and NPCs, and all the tongue-in-cheek jokes set the mood for anything but a Lovecraftian game about Cthulhu. However, this changes once you arrive in Innsmouth, where the game takes on a more serious tone. Not by a lot, but it does feel different, especially in the later part of the game. This is where it starts to transition from an investigative point-and-click adventure into some stressful quick-time event challenges, which get annoying pretty fast given the pixel art graphics, not-so-great UI feedback, and controls. There are also some items that you never use, or at least I never found any use for them even with 100% completion / achievements, so I don't really understand why even bother picking them up or having them in inventory. Overall, I think this is an ok-ish game if you have 4–6 hours to play something. The atmosphere and humor are enjoyable, but the later sections bring it down a bit. Definitely consider grabbing if on discount.

I want Zadok to come over to my house for Thanksgiving dinner.

Chronicle of Innsmouth is a deliberately old-school point-and-click adventure that takes the unsettling ideas of H. P. Lovecraft and presents them through the style of graphic adventures from the early 1990s. Developed by PsychoDev and published by AtomicHorde, the game was released on May 5, 2017. Its inspirations are immediately apparent, particularly the traditional LucasArts approach to exploration and puzzle solving combined with a story based on Lovecraft's The Shadow over Innsmouth. Rather than modernizing the material with action combat or cinematic spectacle, the game concentrates on investigation, conversations, environmental observation, inventory management, and puzzles. The story begins during a journey through New England when the protagonist hears about Innsmouth while at Newburyport station. Once a prosperous fishing port, Innsmouth has deteriorated into an isolated and decaying community surrounded by disturbing rumors. People speak of disappearances, secretive cults, strange residents, and events outsiders cannot easily explain. Curiosity motivates the protagonist to visit the town and investigate these stories personally. Predictably, the decision leads deeper i…

A Lovecraft story in the style of Monkey Island. Feels like it was made for me! I love it.