Chronicle of Innsmouth: Mountains of Madness
- March 23, 2021
- PsychoDev
Get on Steam"Chronicle of Innsmouth: Mountains of Madness" is a first-person horror adventure game set in the Lovecraftian universe. Explore the snowy mountains and investigate chilling events while avoiding grotesque monsters. Solve puzzles, uncover hidden secrets and delve into the rich lore as you journey through a thrilling and immersive narrative.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Great pixel art, engaging story, and interesting characters that enhance the Lovecraftian atmosphere.
- Fully voiced with a good group dynamic among characters, making for an immersive experience.
- Improved graphics and simplified controls compared to the previous game, making it accessible for fans of the genre.
- Significant technical issues, including a persistent black screen bug that renders the game unplayable for many users, especially on AMD systems.
- Voice acting is often criticized as robotic and inconsistent, detracting from the overall experience.
- The game suffers from pacing issues, with excessive exposition and cutscenes that disrupt gameplay and immersion.
- story27 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game received mixed reviews, with some praising its grandiose and immersive narrative, while others criticized it for being overly simplistic, poorly executed, or lacking cohesion. Many players appreciated the engaging characters and atmosphere, but found the plot to be railroaded and the dialogue tedious. Overall, while some enjoyed the storytelling and its integration with puzzles, others felt it needed significant improvement to reach its full potential.
“This was an amazing story to play through!”
“Great art and atmosphere, engaging story and interesting characters.”
“The storytelling was good, solid Lovecraft fare.”
“Overall, I would say this story needs to be rewritten from scratch to work.”
“The story is dull, as are the characters and the dialogue.”
“But even after finishing the game twice, I'm still confused about the story.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the improved visuals, detailed animations, and artistic backgrounds, particularly in comparison to its predecessor. However, several users report persistent graphical and UI issues, minor glitches, and a lack of polish that detracts from the overall experience. While the artwork is generally considered decent, it does not consistently meet the expectations set by the game's price point.
“Excellent graphics but can feel light on gameplay and relies heavily on exposition at times.”
“On the tech side, the game has good quality graphics (gotta love that pixel-art, motion comics interludes and hand-drawn backgrounds), good animations, great original music, and a well-polished interface.”
“From what I've seen so far, the graphics have been greatly improved in both cut scenes and regular gameplay with a few truly incredible landscapes.”
“Graphical/UI issues that have been prevalent for certain users for years are still here.”
“Graphics, music, and voices are decent but nothing more.”
“Okayish artwork, okayish puzzles, somewhat sub-par story arc, really bad mechanics at times (like chasing scenes on a map, not being able to skip cutscenes for achievement hunting/replay, minor graphic glitches) - at this price tag really disappointing to be honest.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay in the sequel to "Chronicles of Innsmouth" retains classic adventure mechanics but is criticized for being limited and overly simplified, with some players feeling it leans too heavily on cinematic elements. While "Mountains of Madness" offers polished point-and-click gameplay and impressive graphics, it also faces criticism for its reliance on exposition and occasional mechanical flaws. Overall, the gameplay experience is mixed, with some praising its homage to classic adventure games while others find it lacking in depth and engagement.
“Sequel to Chronicles of Innsmouth, it renews the graphics but keeps the classic adventure mechanics unchanged as well as the very good quality.”
“"Mountains of Madness" is an atmospheric, compact, and overall polished point-and-click adventure that pays homage to the source material and its gameplay inspirations (LucasArts adventure games, especially "Fate of Atlantis"), while maintaining its own strong autonomy and dignity.”
“This and the prequel were excellent games. I thought the point-and-click gameplay would be off-putting, but as fans of the genre know, there's not much the protagonist can do except follow the story, and what a story it was.”
“I'd say it's still a little weaker than its predecessor because the gameplay and puzzles are limited and simplified, with the game literally turning into a movie for whole parts.”
“Okayish artwork, okayish puzzles, somewhat sub-par story arc, really bad mechanics at times (like chasing scenes on a map, not being able to skip cutscenes for achievement hunting/replay, minor graphic glitches) - at this price tag, really disappointing to be honest.”
“Excellent graphics but can feel light on gameplay and relies heavily on exposition at times.”
- music8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its originality and quality, with some themes evoking strong emotions and enhancing the overall experience. While some reviews mention that the music is decent but not exceptional, others highlight it as a standout feature that complements the game's visuals and narrative effectively. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, with particular appreciation for the end credits theme.
“Good background music with an original score.”
“On the tech side, the game has good quality graphics (gotta love that pixel art, motion comics interludes, and hand-drawn backgrounds), good animations, great original music (some themes will give you a chill or two, and the end credits theme is awesome) and a well-polished interface.”
“Very well-written story and really nice graphics and music.”
“Within the first 20 minutes, I had to Ctrl/Alt/Delete to get out of the game when it just went to a black background with the music still going.”
“Graphics, music, and voices are decent but nothing more.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Mountains of Madness" is praised for its great art and engaging storytelling, creating a polished and immersive experience. While it may not be overtly scary, it effectively blends adventure and mystery elements, paying homage to classic LucasArts games while maintaining its own unique identity. Overall, the atmosphere is described as strong and captivating.
“Great art and atmosphere, engaging story and interesting characters.”
“"Mountains of Madness" is an atmospheric, compact, and overall polished point-and-click adventure that pays homage to the source material and its gameplay inspirations (LucasArts adventure games, especially "Fate of Atlantis"), while maintaining its own strong autonomy and dignity.”
“The atmosphere rocks.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for being buggy, with issues such as black screens during cutscenes and minor graphic glitches. Players have also noted frustrating mechanics, including unskippable cutscenes, which detracts from the overall experience, especially given the game's price point.
“Played the first game and it was great, but this one seems buggy. I'm getting a black screen during cutscenes and can't progress.”
“Okay artwork, okay puzzles, somewhat sub-par story arc, and really bad mechanics at times (like chasing scenes on a map). Not being able to skip cutscenes for achievement hunting or replay, along with minor graphic glitches, is really disappointing at this price point.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with many puzzles feeling unsatisfying and frustrating, leading to excessive backtracking. While some puzzles are enjoyable, the overall experience can be marred by the repetitive nature of the gameplay.
“For some, this might be a tedious issue.”
“The underlying adventure game has a few good puzzles, but many are not satisfying to solve and some are frustrating, tedious, and require a lot of back and forth.”
