Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land

67%
Game Brain Score Based on 231 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land Game Cover
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"Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land" is a tactical RPG set in the early 20th century, inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Players lead a team of investigators through a narrative filled with horror and mystery, battling unspeakable creatures and uncovering dark secrets. The game features strategic combat and character development, with a focus on exploration and puzzle-solving.

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  • Windows
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Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

67%
Audience ScoreBased on 231 reviews
story30 positive mentions
music6 negative mentions
  • Quirky and entertaining turn-based tactics game set in a unique WWI and Lovecraftian horror theme.
  • Offers a solid challenge, especially as team members can go insane, adding depth to gameplay.
  • Great atmosphere and interesting story elements that appeal to fans of the Cthulhu mythos.
  • Clunky controls and a poorly designed user interface make gameplay frustrating and unintuitive.
  • The game feels like a mobile port, lacking features and polish expected from a PC title.
  • Frequent bugs and crashes, along with a lack of clear objectives, detract from the overall experience.
  • story124 mentions

    The game's story, set during World War I, follows a British team investigating a cult, providing a straightforward yet engaging narrative that many players found enjoyable, despite its linearity and simplicity. While some players appreciated the Lovecraftian themes and character development, others criticized the dialogue and plot writing as lacking depth. Overall, the story serves as a solid backdrop for gameplay, with extra missions adding to the experience, though some players felt the conclusion was abrupt and left them wanting more.

    • “Set in the year 1915 during World War I, you will control a team of investigators and soldiers who have been sent on a mission to investigate the cult of the awakened.”
    • “An enjoyable Lovecraftian plot and fun gameplay makes this a great experience.”
    • “The storyline, so far, has got me.”
    • “The storyline is very simplistic and linear, just an excuse for you to fight some monstrous creatures, but it provided a quite enjoyable ride.”
    • “Dialogue and story/plot writing is slightly worse than most B-movies.”
    • “The story isn't all that interesting but it's not completely dull; often there are these particularly tense (or annoying) sections where your main protagonist is taken into a small dream and forced to stand against various foreshadowing creatures.”
  • gameplay44 mentions

    Gameplay reviews highlight significant flaws, including clunky mechanics, slow pacing, and a lack of strategic options like screen scrolling, which detracts from the tactical experience. While some players appreciate the Lovecraftian atmosphere and character growth systems, many find the overall execution lacking, with dull level designs and frustrating combat mechanics. Overall, the game struggles to engage players, making it hard to recommend despite its interesting storyline and potential for improvement.

    • “An enjoyable Lovecraftian plot and fun gameplay makes this a great experience.”
    • “The usual mechanics you'd expect to find in a tactical RPG are here: your units will try to shoot at targets within range during the opponent's turn if they have enough action points, terrain and armor have an effect on how quickly your units are out of action points, etc.”
    • “That said, the mechanics for the system and character growth are fun and worth experimenting with, each character being molded how you would like to use them, along with in-battle skill growth based on weapon usage.”
    • “From the game mechanics to the fact you can't even scroll the screen, it makes it infuriating. The only choice available to you is to blindly walk forward, triggering reactionary fire and walking into traps. For a game based around the idea of tactics and strategic positioning, to not allow you to even scroll the screen makes this borderline unplayable.”
    • “The environments are almost soundless, the gameplay is excruciatingly slow-paced, the dialogue is uninteresting, and the level designs are dull, with a good chunk of them featuring trenches.”
    • “This lovely feature, combined with some of the most dry and dusty gameplay ever conceived, makes 'Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land' hard to recommend even to the most avid H.P. Lovecraft fans.”
  • graphics28 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many noting that they are dated and lack polish, often comparing them to SNES-era visuals. While some appreciate the atmosphere created by the visuals and sound, others criticize the graphics as subpar, especially for a modern title, suggesting that significant improvements are needed for future iterations. Overall, the graphics are seen as a weak point, though some elements, like hand-drawn artwork, are positively highlighted.

    • “I love the graphics; the story is quite good.”
    • “Tho I like to warn most people, graphics-wise it's not the best in the market, but it will give you warm and decent textures and environment.”
    • “I love the artwork (hand drawn?).”
    • “The graphics are a bit dated and ugly (which is fair, considering that the popular imagination of World War I is fairly drab/ugly).”
    • “It's a port straight from a mobile game, so don't expect triple-A graphics.”
    • “The graphics are a major problem; I mean they look okay for the aesthetic, but they could definitely be more impressive or have something more to it.”
  • atmosphere22 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its effective blend of Lovecraftian themes and a WWI setting, creating a sense of dread and unease that resonates with fans of the genre. While the graphics and combat mechanics may not impress, the overall ambiance, enhanced by sound design, successfully immerses players in a dark and mysterious world. Despite its short length, the game delivers a compelling and enjoyable atmospheric experience.

    • “The atmosphere feels great with Lovecraftian themes, not just from Cthulhu but also from Herbert West: Reanimator.”
    • “The atmosphere is nice; the WWI meets Cthulhu cult setting really works.”
    • “The look and the atmosphere is right for a Cthulhu game, but the combat mechanics are hilariously bad.”
    • “All game atmosphere is faithful to the dark, hopeless, and weird Lovecraft stories.”
    • “A certain atmosphere of breathless and unexplainable dread of outer, unknown forces must be present; and there must be a hint, expressed with a seriousness and portentousness becoming its subject, of that most terrible conception of the human brain - a malign and particular suspension or defeat of those laws of nature which are our only safeguard against the assaults of chaos and the daemons of unplumbed space.”
  • music16 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its quality while others find it lacking or poorly produced, particularly the intro track. There are complaints about the music occasionally cutting out and the inability to adjust sound settings easily. Overall, while the music may not appeal to everyone, it is considered decent for the game's low price point.

    • “Has some pretty good music in it.”
    • “The music is nice but not my cup of tea.”
    • “The music and voice acting is next to non-existent, which for a £3 game.. I'm not complaining.”
    • “The intro song tries to be spooky and atmospheric but comes off just sounding like badly-produced pop music.”
    • “The music and voice acting is next to non-existent, which for a £3 game... I'm not complaining.”
    • “Can't put it in windowed mode, can't turn off the bad music without turning off sound entirely.”
  • stability14 mentions

    The game exhibits significant stability issues, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes, particularly on PC. While it runs smoothly on mobile devices, the controls can be frustrating, leading to unintended consequences during gameplay. Despite these problems, some players appreciate the game's atmosphere and value given its low price point.

    • “The game is really really buggy.”
    • “I'm up to the fourth mission and have had all kinds of bugs/glitches and even a couple of crashes.”
    • “The controls are buggy, moving your character into position can be a pain and one wrong click can literally wreck havoc on the mission (an undo or an 'are you sure?' prompt would have been good).”
  • replayability8 mentions

    Overall, the game offers limited replayability, with many players noting that after completing the main content and achievements, there isn't much incentive to return. While it may provide a satisfying experience for fans of Lovecraftian stories, its short length and lack of engaging additional content diminish its long-term appeal.

    • “Not much replay value though after you earned all the achievements and finished all the modes.”
    • “It has its replay value, but for most people, once you finish it you probably won't be touching it again, save for the extra missions.”
    • “Very short game, not much replayability, but for anyone that likes Lovecraft's stories, this is worth a playthrough.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a profound sense of dread and an atmosphere that evokes feelings of awe and contact with the unknown. Reviewers emphasize that the true measure of its impact lies in the emotional experience it provides, rather than the plot mechanics or authorial intent. While the game may have replay value, many players are unlikely to revisit it extensively after completion, aside from additional missions.

    • “A certain atmosphere of breathless and unexplainable dread of outer, unknown forces must be present; and there must be a hint, expressed with a seriousness and portentousness becoming its subject, of that most terrible conception of the human brain - a malign and particular suspension or defeat of those laws of nature which are our only safeguard against the assaults of chaos and the daemons of unplumbed space. Therefore we must judge a weird tale not by the author's intent, or by the mere mechanics of the plot; but by the emotional level which it attains at its least mundane point. The one test of the really weird is simply this - whether or not there be excited in the reader a profound sense of dread, and of contact with unknown spheres and powers; a subtle attitude of awed listening, as if for the beating of black wings or the scratching of outside shapes and entities on the known universe's utmost rim.”
    • “A certain atmosphere of breathless and unexplainable dread of outer, unknown forces must be present; and there must be a hint, expressed with a seriousness and portentousness becoming its subject, of that most terrible conception of the human brain - a malign and particular suspension or defeat of those laws of nature which are our only safeguard against the assaults of chaos and the daemons of unplumbed space. Therefore we must judge a weird tale not by the author's intent, or by the mere mechanics of the plot; but by the emotional level which it attains at its least mundane point. The one test of the really weird is simply this - whether or not there be excited in the reader a profound sense of dread, and of contact with unknown spheres and powers; a subtle attitude of awed listening, as if for the beating of black wings or the scratching of outside shapes and entities on the known universe's utmost rim.”
  • humor4 mentions

    Players find the game's atmosphere fitting for a Cthulhu theme, but the combat mechanics are humorously flawed. Many suggest that the tutorial, which provides helpful insights into the user interface, should be integrated into the main campaign for a better experience.

    • “The look and the atmosphere is right for a Cthulhu game, but the combat mechanics are hilariously bad.”
    • “The funny thing is if you actually listen to the tutorial, it explains it. I think the tutorial should be implemented into the campaign rather than an option later, as it helps a lot with the UI.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players express uncertainty about the grinding aspect of the game, noting that it may become tedious as the campaign progresses, but they remain hopeful that the game's charm will sustain their interest.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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