Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet

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Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet is a single player arcade puzzle game with horror, mystery and thriller themes. It was developed by Infogrames and was released on November 4, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet, you play as a journalist investigating strange occurrences in a small New England town. The game combines point-and-click exploration with puzzles and horror elements, inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Your goal is to uncover the truth behind the town's dark secrets and the return of a rare comet.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet screenshot

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70%

Audience ScoreBased on 80 reviews

story18 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

The game offers a challenging and rewarding experience for fans of old-school adventure games, particularly those who appreciate the Lovecraftian atmosphere.
The art, music, and voice acting contribute to a creepy and immersive experience, enhancing the overall storytelling.
Players who enjoy solving difficult puzzles and exploring intricate narratives will find this game to be a nostalgic and engaging journey.

The controls and user interface are clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and interaction frustrating at times.
Many puzzles lack clear guidance, often requiring players to rely on walkthroughs to progress, which can detract from the experience.
The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs and performance problems when run on modern systems, which can hinder gameplay.

story
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
70%
4%
The story of the game is a well-crafted adaptation of Lovecraftian themes, particularly "Shadow Over Innsmouth," featuring a protagonist who defies the typical fate of characters in the Cthulhu mythos. While the narrative is engaging and atmospheric, many players find the execution flawed due to clunky mechanics, lack of guidance for progression, and some illogical plot elements. Overall, the story is appreciated for its charm and depth, but it is marred by frustrating gameplay issues that detract from the experience.
- “Good story but not recommended for anyone who seeks the actual Cthulhu mythos experience because the story in this game focuses on the protagonist who can stop the awakening of the Great Old One and become a hero, unlike other Cthulhu mythos media characters who mostly end up insane, suicidal, depressed, or live in fear for their entire life.”
- “Fantastic, well-paced Lovecraftian story let down by some clunky point-and-click controls and a few very unfair circumstances!”
- “The story is quite good, the voice acting is good enough, and the soundtrack is also good.”
- “On top of that, there are many times when there are just no pointers to what you're supposed to do next to move the story along, so you just have to stumble upon it.”
- “This is not helped by the player's character, Mr. Parker, not giving his thoughts about almost anything, and when he finally does decide to comment on something, it's usually not with any practical value for the sake of progression of the game or the story.”
- “It's a shame because the story and theme have real potential, but the execution is flawed to the point of agony.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
45%
13%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, creating a creepy and immersive experience that complements the art and story. Reviewers highlight the detailed soundtrack as bone-chilling and effective in setting a nightmarish tone, although some noted moments of silence that added to the tension. Overall, the combination of music, pixel art, and narrative elements contributes significantly to the game's eerie vibe.
- “The ambience and music pieces all work really, really well.”
- “The music and pixel art combine to create something that is truly bone chilling.”
- “I turned off the music and halvened the melody.”
- “There is an instance when you have to visit a cemetery, and there is no soundtrack.”
- “The soundtrack is very creepy, letting you know that you are about to enter a world of nightmare.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
65%
20%
The gameplay is heavily criticized for its outdated mechanics and lack of clear navigation, making it frustrating and often unplayable. Players find themselves stuck due to unclear progression requirements and a clunky interface that fails to highlight interactable elements. While the game has historical significance and appealing visuals, it demands a high tolerance for its tedious gameplay.
- “The look, the sounds, the soundtrack, and the game mechanics are just great for the time it was made.”
- “The backgrounds are so detailed, but the clunkiness of the interface makes it difficult to know what is or isn't interactable unless it’s an item you can pick up. There is no highlight function for non-object items, which can lead to players getting stuck.”
- “But the gameplay doesn't really do the content justice.”
- “I am halfway through the game, and even if the story seems okay, the mechanics are so old that they are frustrating.”
- “Although it has an interesting story, it is unplayable due to the lack of information provided by the game for the player to navigate and know what they have to do. Mechanically, the game only progresses if you do exactly one action, but you have no clues to know that you should do that action.”
- “The backgrounds are so detailed, but the clunkiness of the interface makes it so you have no idea what is or is not interactable unless it’s an item you can pick up. This relies on an awkward 'dashed line from the eyes to show something you’re looking at' mechanic that doesn’t always work. There is no highlight function for things that are not objects, such as cupboard doors or hidden spaces, which leads to constant frustration.”
atmosphere
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
27%
17%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its dark, immersive qualities, effectively capturing a Lovecraftian vibe and a Twin Peaks-like eerie underbelly. While the story and soundtrack enhance the overall experience, some players note that certain elements may detract from the narrative's coherence. Despite gameplay issues, the atmospheric elements are considered a standout feature, making it one of the most notable titles in its genre.
- “Amazing adventure with a great, dark atmosphere!”
- “One of the finest and most atmospheric Lovecraftian games you can play.”
- “This works, it lends itself a great Twin Peaks atmosphere of extra-spooky, seamy underbelly type stuff.”
- “Bottom line at the top: a classic title whose story and atmosphere holds up much better than its interface and programming.”
- “Some people believe the story and the ending were too happy for a Lovecraftian story, but I enjoyed it; it has an eerie soundtrack and atmosphere.”
- “I have a couple of problems with it (e.g. there's a very gratuitous death that seemed to be there only to gross you out; some story elements also make little logical sense), but I liked most of it very much, especially the story, which is definitely quite Lovecraftian in nature (and it even manages to capture Lovecraft's atmosphere to a certain degree).”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, showcasing a nostalgic pixel art style reminiscent of early retro games, though they are considered dated by modern standards. While there are minor graphical glitches, they are infrequent and do not significantly detract from the overall experience. Players appreciate the charm of the sprite-based visuals, despite some challenges with controls.
- “The graphics are quite nice, and for the most part I really like them.”
- “Early retro pixel graphics really were an art form, and this game is a great example of that.”
- “Graphically, the game is like most MS-DOS games: quite simple and composed of sprites.”
- “Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet is a point-and-click adventure, with old graphics and rather dated voice acting by today's standards.”
- “The game came out in 1993, which means a couple of things: the graphics are obviously extremely dated, but more importantly, the market audience was more patient and forgiving of obtuseness.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The optimization of this point-and-click adventure title is noted to be somewhat dated, with full vocal performances and sound effects that, while impressive for their time, exhibit inconsistencies in syntax. Overall, the performance may not meet modern standards but reflects the game's historical context.
- “Clearly, this point-and-click adventure title would have been highly regarded in its day, with full vocal performances and sound effects.”
- “Clearly, this point-and-click adventure title would have been highly regarded in its day, with full vocal performances (showing some spotty syntax) & sound effects.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by quirky and unexpected elements, such as a character resembling Jack Nicholson from "The Shining," which can disrupt immersion but also elicit laughter. Additionally, the sparse and sometimes odd sound effects contribute to a comedic atmosphere, though they fall short compared to similar titles from the same era.
- “Although there was this one person whose face was simply a trace of Jack Nicholson from The Shining, which made me laugh and lose my immersion.”
- “Sound effects are lacking when compared to similar titles from its time (even other Infogrames’ titles), sometimes just plain weird and funny and also very sparse.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that while the game holds significant historical value, it requires a considerable tolerance for outdated and tedious grinding mechanics.
- “This game is important for its historical gaming value, but you must have a high tolerance for old, tedious game mechanics.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and often detracts from the overall experience.”
- “I found myself spending more time grinding than actually enjoying the game.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with only a few minor graphical glitches reported, such as transparency issues where assets appeared dark red. These occurrences are infrequent and do not significantly impact gameplay.
- “There were some minor graphical glitches, where things that ought to have been transparent in image assets became dark red instead, but these things were few and far between, and didn't cause any actual problems.”

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Frequently Asked Questions

Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet is a arcade puzzle game with horror, mystery and thriller themes.

Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet is available on PC, Windows, Linux and Ms Dos.

Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet was released on November 4, 2015.

Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet was developed by Infogrames.

Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet is a single player game.

Similar games include Black Mirror, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father®, Post Mortem, The Longest Journey, Sanitarium and others.

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