Call of the Elder Gods Review

"Call of the Elder Gods," by Out of the Blue Games, is a sequel to 2020's "Call of the Sea," balancing story-focused adventure with puzzle-solving. Unlike typical Lovecraftian horror, it emphasizes surreal mystery and emotional stakes. Set two decades after the first game, it follows new protagonist Evangeline Drayton, daughter of Frank Drayton from the original expedition, and returning character Professor Harry Everheart. Evangeline, experiencing memory lapses and dreams of an ancient city, seeks answers from Harry about the expedition. The original protagonist, Nora, narrates, adding intrigue. While "Call of the Sea" was an island mystery, "Call of the Elder Gods" is a globe-trotting adventure, expanding the series' scope with profound and bizarre moments that stretch across time and space. It channels Lovecraft's "The Color Out of Space" and "The Shadow Out of Time," escalating into out-of-body experiences and time-bending phenomena. The journey takes players from the Everheart estate to ancient caves in Virginia and remote Australian deserts, even an abandoned Nazi compound and an ancient city. This sweeping adventure, however, sacrifices connection to each location due to its brisk pace, sometimes funneling players into less imaginative enclosed spaces. Cutscenes, while showcasing strong personalities, can feel like stilted transitions. The game focuses on investigation and puzzle-solving, reminiscent of "Myst" and "Riven," with Nora's journal tracking information. Puzzles are inventive, offering organic moments of discovery. An early example involves positioning statues during a storm to unlock an area, subtly introducing Lovecraftian dread. The visually striking environments enhance the story-driven puzzles, with a greater variety of spaces reflecting escalating stakes. However, the fragmented structure leads to uneven difficulty. Some puzzles are easily solved, while others present an overload of information, particularly machine-heavy ones. A hint option prevents stalling, but more natural guidance or better explanations for mechanisms would improve the experience. Despite these stumbles, the core mystery across time and space is compelling. The dual protagonists, Harry and Evangeline, unravel connections to otherworldly forces, sometimes solving puzzles in tandem or making decisions during interrogations and personal trauma. A sinister cult chasing ancient power adds an adversarial element, raising stakes. The strong writing and voice performances by Yuri Loenthal and Mara Junat bring characters to life. The ending, however, is unsatisfying, leaving mysteries unresolved. Yet, Evangeline's arc adds weight to the original game's tragic expedition. "Call of the Elder Gods" captures the otherworldly tone and mystery of its predecessor, offering a touching sequel that explores past events and provides rewarding puzzle-solving in a quest for closure.