Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss – Demo Impressions

Now, there is a name that proudly says what kind of game this will be. And for the smart ones of you, dear readers, as you might be able to tell Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss, will be yet another title set in the Lovecraft universe. I don’t mind, as long as it’s good. The more, the merrier is my motto, but Lovecraft being public domain, there is bound to be a lot of crap. So how does the demo of Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss fare? I’m glad to tell you it had me intrigued as far as adventure games go.

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Dverghold – Demo Impressions

Christmas must have come early this year, because here is yet another turn-based blobber on a grid. And just like the demo of Underkeep, the Dverghold demo is excellent too—landing right between feeling genuinely old-school and modern in the form of UI and snappiness. There doesn’t seem to be a way to create custom party members, which is a bit of a bummer. However, I understand the design decision, as it seems death is permanent. Meaning that the run will continue, even in defeat, as long as you have recruits for your dungeon diving gang back at base.

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The Dark Rites of Arkham – The Swearing Detective [Review]

The Dark Rites of Arkham could exist in the same world as Dreams in the Witch House, going by the visual style and gameplay. However, the one thing that crashes the illusion is that the story of Walter Gilman and the Witch is in The Dark Rites of Arkham. Don’t worry, this is not a best-of-Lovecraft kind of tale, even if most games that tackle the cosmic horrors of H. P. Lovecraft, end up becoming just that. There are many clear references, though, but the location and setting explain that to a degree—shielding itself from most of the been-there-done-that type of feeling.

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Pragmata Sketchbook – Demo Impressions

Yes, I’m as surprised as you. A demo for an upcoming AAA game? Yeah, it’s an oddity in both regards—me playing a new AAA game and that a big publisher in this day and age actually releasing a demo. What stunned me even more is that I found Pragmata Sketchbook genuinely entertaining. Two things had me questioning the game going in: the little girl companion, and that the combat has puzzle elements right in the middle of the third-person shooting.

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