Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
 

So, apparentally it's been released on Xbox with zero fanfare and murky chances of a PC release. If anyone's got it, it'd be good to hear what they think of it, seeing as I got my, you know, last PC so I could play it upon its then imminent release. I heard that they'd copped out and added a HUD, but from that thread it seems like it might still be worth playing afterall.

Another very positive review.

Yeah, really positive. If it came out on PC I'd consider buying it, crumbly visuals or no.

Wow. It's something I've actually been waiting for, for so damn long, and now it's out for a system I don't even have.

I'm utterly speechless.

WTF? They started developing this game for PC only in, like what? 1998? I was waiting for ages.... NOOO! :\


edit: Here's a post I just found on the Cthulhu forums:

Let's keep our fingers crossed. That's just too much. :(

Another case of how PC gamers are treated like second class citizens, and how a PC game not only moved to a console, but on its way it got delayed and might not even show up on the PC. Rainbow Six Lockdown anybody???? It really sucks to be a PC gamer these days. :(

Goddamnit! I'm still not over it. I'm all fire! Like the excorcist, but more breakdancing. On the other hand, in some five years we could probably play it on an emulator. Still: ANGER! :devil:

Woah, woah, wait up a second. This game is good?!

I was so not expecting that. Seriously. The game's been delayed for years, no longer looks visually impressive and is by the team that screwed up big time with Simon the Sorcerer 3D.

But, yeah, we need a PC version, dammit (particularly if it's getting positive reviews)!

What the hell are you guys talking about? It says "This is out in stores NOW on XBox in the US. It will be released on the PC on March 6th, 2006." Just hang in there!

I was a little bit worried about that, too. But there were two things that kept my excited:

a) It's a game based on Lovecraft's works
b) The Woodroffe's at Headfirst made some of the finest Horror games of the early 90s.

Bought this today. AWESOME thus far, but...I'm not very far. Half an hour in.

Wanted to update everyone. At 5 hours in, this game is still totally bad ass in my opinion. You don't get a weapon until about 4 hours in (good for more exploration/adventure types), and the atmosphere is KILLER.

Trep (aka Mr. XBox), you need to get this! It seems right up your alley!

*cries*

I'm actually surprised he hasn't chimed in on this thread already. I remember him waiting for this game.

Then again, maybe the graphics aren't fancy enough. ;) :kiss:

Simon the Sorcerer is a little scarry, but I wouldn't call it horror :P

No?

That doesn't work.

*screams in terror* :D

I can't get it right now. My PC is kinda screwed up and I'm bent on getting a new laptop in a few weeks. What's the straight dope on the Xbox version?

What's the system reqs, anyway? Maybe I can do this on the laptop.

bigstud

There's some fancy graphics for you, beeyatch!

EDIT: Oh. It's selling for $40 for Xbox? Hmm.....

Xbox only. I wouldn't hold my breath for a PC version. They really should have advertised the game's release, it just went completely under the radar. I didn't even know it was out until I saw this thread. I just got it today, but I haven't played it yet.

By the way, it's not 480p or widescreen enabled from what I've read, which is a shame. I hate playing 4:3 aspect ratio games on my widescreen HDTV.

Maybe they need another 6 months or so to optimize the PC version so it looks good and then they'll make a big stink for that release? I dunno, though, sounds kinda stupid to me to just slip it out on Xbox and never even toss out a press release or anything. EB Games is pimping a PS2 version, too, but it's not out. Weird.

I hear you... Still, your HDTV should have the next best thing. Does it have any kind of internal line doubler or "Smart Stretch" function? With my projector, if games aren't in 480p, it can upscale on its own. Also, Smart Stretch gives you the 16 : 9 aspect ratio, while not causing everything to look disproportional. Call of Cthulhu looks quite good for an XBox game I think...

EDIT: Oh, I almost forgot... Another plus for the XBox version is, believe it or not, the great controller vibration support. In most games I couldn't care less, but in Call of Cthulhu they do a really good job combining the onscreen mental effects and imagery with the vibrations you feel in your hands. It really enhances the experience.

I just have a regular t.v., and Splinter Cell: CT looks incredible as is on it :9 . Or maybe I'm actually not the graphics slut bigdope originally thought I was.

Well, Chaos Theory is probably the best looking XBox game out there...it would look pretty damn good on anything. Heh. Also, the difference between 480p and 480i is more noticable on big screens (I'm not sure what size TV you play on, but that could be a factor). As for the 16 : 9 ratio, it's generally considered more cinematic and more appealing visually. It's not a necessity by any means, but once you get into all this stuff, you can't go back...graphics whore or not.

It's not about 16 : 9's look so much as it fits the shape of my widescreen TV without distorting the image. I don't like stretching the image to fill the screen, and I don't like playing in 4:3 aspect ratio with gray bars on the sides. That's my only problem, really.

I have a 65" HDTV in my living room, but I'm thinking of playing Call of Cthulhu on my 120" screen in my den, which is also 16 : 9 (though in the den I don't think I'll mind the gray bars as I won't risk burn in or anything since I'll be playing through a DLP projector). The den setup has 5.1 surround sound, where my living room doesn't, along with an external scaler that upconverts everything to 720p.

I'm coming over to your house.:) I'll bring my favorite movies.

*Shocked*

*Jealous*

*Idea*

Movie party at your house. I'll bring the popcorn.

Call of Cthulhu will have a slow burn imo. Destined to become a classic of the horror genre.

And I love you! :)

Mine's 123". What projector and screen are you using? You and I should continue to inform people about the greatness of projectors and screens. It's cheaper than a really nice HDTV, it looks just as good (arguably better for sports), and it's a lot bigger!

EDIT: By the way, DLP projectors usually have a Smart Stretch function. It creates a 16 : 9 image from a 4:3 image WITHOUT screwing everything over proportionately. Works very well.

Sharp XVZ-10000. I love watching movies on that screen. It's a lot more fun than watching on a 65" screen, but I prefer to watch most of my content on the 65" screen, so I can still have that feeling of awe to some extent when I go down into the den and watch a movie like Lord of the Rings or something. The worst thing that can happen is for me to become "used" to having such an awesome setup, IMHO.

Especially since my screen pretty much fills up the entire wall. It just can't get any bigger or else I won't have any room for the front satellite speakers to be set up unless they were behind the screen somehow.

I'll definitely check out the smart stretch function though.

I agree that as the desirable screen size gets better, buying a projector and screen becomes a better value. And you avoid burn-in which is associated with CRT and plasma technologies.

One day, when I'm not a student, I might consider getting a large screen. But 123"? :crazy:

My dick is really huge.

:D

I'm so sorry, I really couldn't resist. :devil:

I was resisting the urge to make the "my one is bigger than yours" jokes. You know that post about how every thread gets turned into a sex thread, squaresie?... :shifty:

Don't look at me!

I'm just enjoying my new, free-talking single status. :D

:shifty:

Don't make me get my chit-chat hat out of the cupboard.

That's Discworld 1, my friend. Simon had some varied refusals.

Sweet! Same projector here. My screen is a Stewart Ultramatte 150. We have pretty much the same setup so I understand where you are coming from. :) Now I can tell you for sure that the Smart Stretch function on that SPECIFIC projector is very nice.

Also, for me it works similar to what you do... I watch the vast majority of TV material on my regular TV, and I watch high def sports and DVD movies in my theater room.

*confused

So what, is it actually coming aout on PC?

*gets himself tied to the chair, so as not to get the Xbox version...yet*

Awesome. I have a Runco PFP-11 scaler hooked up that upconverts everything to 720p, so it'll be interesting to see how Call of Cthulhu looks on that.


By the way, Call of Cthulhu MIGHT come out on the PC. It's not definite as far as I can see. PS2 version is definitely cancelled though.

Also, Gamespot reviewed Call of Cthulhu and gave it an 8.3.

I don't upscale games to 720p (just 480p, which the Z10000 can do with its own internal scaler), but all of my DVDs are upscaled to 720p by my DVD player. I use a DVI connection between the DVD player and the projector so there is zero conversion to analog along the way (the result is a better picture than even component cables provide). Pure digital for me, heh. I love it, but then again...I'm a movie maniac, moreso than a game maniac. :)