Editorials ‘Alone in the Dark’: A Brief History of Lovecraft in Gaming It’s no big surprise that Lovecraft and video games have done a dance or two over the years. Lovecraft dabbling in the fear of the unknown and unknowable, the madness resulting from being unable to comprehend what it is we see, and of course, the go-to for many in the Cthulhu mythos, aka “The Thing That Should Not Be”. The latest taste of Lovecraftian mythos arrives on March 20th with THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive’s long-awaited remake. The series has largely stuck with cosmic horror throughout its entries, and from the sounds of things, the upcoming remake will have fans once again jumping into the thick of it. But we didn’t get here overnight, obviously. There have been numerous titles that have used Lovecraft’s writings to get us here (Steam alone lists over 950 games tagged “Lovecraftian”), so let’s pare it down to some of the more significant ones that emphasize the aspects of Lovecraftian horror. Alone in the Dark Lovecraftian horror made the jump to video games beginning with Infocom’s 1987 interactive fiction title . Designed by The Lurking Horror Dave Lebling , the game casts you as a student at G.U.E. Tech who travels to the school’s computer lab to work on his grad paper. However, you discover that the file containing your document has been partially overwritten by the Department of Alchemy’s files. At first your goal is to retrieve your document, but you soon realize that there’s something beyond evil in the depths of the building. Seeing as The Lurking Horror is entirely text-based (it’s from the same folks behind the classic series), the reliance on the descriptions of what you see nails the atmosphere and sense of foreboding that one would feel from Lovecraft’s writings. While you don’t outright experience madness yourself, a suicide note you find at the Great Dome of the university campus gives you a glimpse into the horrors that should have remained unseen. You can, however, get yourself sacrificed to a god from another dimension. Probably of the most disturbing parts of Zork The Lurking Horror is finding out what happened to all of the urchins that were roaming around the campus. Obviously, we can’t forget the original Alone in the Dark from 1992. We previously covered the granddaddy of Survival Horror for its 30th anniversary. Private investigator Edward Carnby is assigned to investigate the death of painter Jeremy Hartwood in a Louisiana mansion known as Derceto. Carnby is joined by Hartwood’s niece, Emily. Upon arriving at Derceto, you quickly discover there’s more to Hartwood’s disappearance than initially appeared. Heavily inspired by Cthulhu mythos, there are plenty of nods and references to Lovecraft’s universe. Some of the creatures you encounter in Derceto are straight out of Cthulhu, even a mention of Cthulhu himself. There’s also the aspect of madness found in Hartwood’s note, talking about the mansion being “the prey of evil” with the “hellish forces” that lurk underneath. This was also at a time where developers would include physical pieces along with the game to further the atmosphere they were trying to convey. In this case, the faux newsletter “The Mystery Examiner” included a biography of Lovecraft, as well as a drawing of a Lovecraftian being that hits home the indescribable horror of a cosmic being. Not long after Alone in the Dark hit the shelves, Infogrames released , an adventure game that once again relied on Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos, borrowing elements from Shadow of the Comet and “The Dunwich Horror” . Taking place in 1910, young British reporter John T. Parker has travelled to the isolated New England town of Illsmouth to witness and photograph the passage of Halley’s Comet. In addition, Parker hopes to uncover the truth about Lord Boleskine, who in 1834, travelled to Illsmouth to observe the passing of Halley’s comet. What he observed that night, however, had turned him into a raving lunatic. “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” Officially licensed by trademark holders Chaosium (the company behind the tabletop RPGs inspired by Lovecraft’s writings), Call of Cthulhu Shadow of the Comet oozes the atmosphere you’d expect from a Lovecraft-inspired video game, helped by unsettling score and sound work. Along with Cthulhu, Parker will also confront other “Great Old Ones” of Lovecraft in Dagon, Nyarlathotep, and Yog Sothoth. Once again, along with the atmosphere, the story sucks players in with its mix of murder, mystery, madness, and the occult. Philippe Vachey The concept of madness could be perceived as difficult to incorporate as a gameplay mechanic, but Silicon Knights certainly didn’t have a problem with their 2002 classic . In fact, Nintendo obviously knew that the developer had a hit on their hands, and ended up trademarking Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem Eternal Darkness ‘ Sanity Effects. The story takes place over four fictional locations between different time periods. Alexandra Roivas gets a late night call from the police, informing her that the grandfather, Edward, has been brutally murdered. After searching his estate, she discovers a mysterious book bound in human flesh called The Tome of Eternal Darkness. The tome tells of the vast influence of sinister beings known as Ancients playing out their world-ending plans across time and space, and the people across time who seek to thwart them. While not outright stating as much, Eternal Darkness clearly tapped into Lovecraft’s mythos with the Ancients functioning as the Elder Gods, the game’s creeping atmosphere, and of course, the Sanity Effects. Beginning with the game’s second chapter, players will need to watch their meter, which decreases every time the player is spotted by an enemy. The lower the meter, the more “surprises” happen. A lot of the effects are obviously meant to toy with the player, such as you entering the room and finding yourself on the ceiling, or heads of statues that will follow the player. Others are more intrusive, such as the game blue screening or the volume being fiddled. The thing is, these effects can happen at any time, and true to form, are designed to rattle the player. Sadly, as many fans know, they can’t all be winners. Headfirst Productions’ in 2005 is one such example. Players take on the role of Jack Walters, a private investigator aiding police in the raid of an old house that is headquarter of a bizarre cult. During the raid, Jack experiences a disturbing encounter that subsequently leaves him mentally disturbed and locked in an asylum for six years. When he finally regains his sanity, he is asked to track down a missing person in the town of Innsmouth, Massachusetts. As soon as he arrives, however, he discovers that strangers are not at all welcomed in the isolated town, but more importantly, this case is somehow linked to the strange events from the old house years earlier. Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth While Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth mashes together inspirations from different works by Lovecraft and effectively mixes in action, adventure, and puzzle solving with a Survival Horror experience, the final game is undone by its numerous bugs. It’s a shame, because the gameplay is fascinatingly complex. There’s no HUD to speak of, and instead, you need to check your weapon to see how much ammo you have, and listen for sounds cues to determine your health condition. Once again, sanity plays a big part in the game, where looking directly at upsetting elements found in the game results in a hit to your sanity If your sanity becomes too low, it leads to audio/visual hallucinations, and increased control sensitivity. If you go too far, your grip on reality breaks, it’s game over. It’s all topped off with a grim, atmosphere that once again compliments the Lovecraftian ambience. It’s such a shame that the game was a flop. While not explicitly stated, one could confidently state that Frictional Games’ makes use of Lovecraft’s work. In fact, we said just as much and then some. The Dark Descent puts you in the role of Daniel, an amnesiac trapped in the mansion of a Prussian Baron named Alexander. The only clues to Daniel’s true identity are mementos and notes left behind by Daniel himself, who reminds himself to find and kill Alexander. You’ll need to solve the mystery of the mansion while running from a Shadow that is constantly chasing you throughout the game. Amnesia: The Dark Descent Nailing the fear of the unknown and unknowable, you can’t fight the Shadow in Amnesia: The Dark Descent , or even look at it. Doing so will cause you to go insane. The darkness is also your enemy, as remaining in it for too long will affect your sanity, as well. As with previously-mentioned titles, lower sanity causes hallucinations, and an increased chance of attracting monsters. You can thankfully use light sources to restore sanity, including the use of tinderboxes and your oil lamp. Amnesia also dips its toes into Lovecraft’s short story, with allusions to extra-dimensional beings, bizarre human experimentation, and forbidden knowledge. “Herbert West–Reanimator” Which brings us back to 2024’s Alone in the Dark . While Pieces Interactive aren’t doing a 1-to-1 remake, there appears to be plenty of Lovecraft to go around here that will no doubt satisfy. You have the madness found in the residents of Derceto, the Cthulhu cult in the form of The Dark Man following Emily’s uncle, the otherworldly monster designs by Guy Davis (who teamed with Guillermo del Toro on creature designs for and Crimson Peak ), and the atmosphere crafted by The Shape of Water Mikael Hedberg , who also happens to have written Amnesia: The Dark Descent . All of this points to Alone in the Dark having the goods to satisfy Lovecraft fans, while also giving gamers a scary good time later this month. ALONE IN THE DARK, the highly anticipated re-imagination of the iconic survival horror game, is now available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. https://bit.ly/3VrXSVk Editorials “Extreme Ghostbusters” – Revisiting the Underrated Sequel to “The Real Ghostbusters” The Real Ghostbusters had only concluded six years before its direct sequel premiered in 1997. And, as with many things geared toward children at the time, there was this trend of overselling the product to bring in both eyes and money. Hence the title of (hereinafter referred to as Extreme Ghostbusters XGB ). The revival never quite lived up to the marketing hype, however, this cartoon was also no lightweight. It proved to be a worthy successor that was neither afraid of no ghost nor afraid to push the envelope in ways its predecessor could not. After a few blissful years of zero paranormal activity in XGB , the supernatural has returned in full force to haunt New York City and the rest of America. So who you gonna call to handle this new flux of specters, ghouls and other uncanny creatures? Well, not the Ghostbusters. The original team understandably disbanded after fulfilling their mission. Which brings us to the next option: another quartet of eager ghost hunters whose arsenal include upgraded proton packs and a heavier-duty ghost trap. Unlike before, though, the heroes are not another assemblage of adult scientists. Just the opposite, the XGB squad is made up of the four young college students who so happened to be enrolled in Egon Spengler’s Paranormal Phenomena 101 course. Had things gone differently, it would have been Ghostbusters receptionist and ally Janine Melnitz training undergrads to be mankind’s last hope in these new and spooky times. The switch from Janine to Egon as the team mentor was one of several significant changes made behind the scenes before the finished product aired in ‘97. In fact, XGB nearly turned out to be two female Ghostbusters fighting alongside Eduardo Rivera (voiced by Rino Romano ). Character designer Fil Barlow ( Godzilla: The Series , Starship Troopers: Roughneck Chronicles ) certainly had his work cut out for him when handed the revisions later on. Although, the XGB roster featured a ‘buster with a physical disability from the beginning; adrenaline chaser “Lucy” eventually became Garrett Miller ( Jason Marsden ). Rounding out the finalized cast of misfits was goth Kylie Griffin ( Tara Strong ) and mechanics whiz Roland Jackson ( Alfonso Ribeiro ). The Breakfast Club -ish appearance of the core cast seemingly undermines the edgier aim of XGB , but these characters are not always so agreeable or straight-laced. For instance, ginger jock Garrett, who was popular with both boys and girls during a children’s test screening, does not rally his teammates so much as rile them up with his arrogance and endless quips. He does not shy away from self-deprecation either, namely in regards to his wheelchair. Meanwhile, Eduardo is the resident smartass who fancies Kylie — with some PG-13 jokes slipped in to help sell his massive crush — and habitually feigns disinterest in helping the haunted. And when Eduardo has to “come out” (as a Ghostbuster) to his older brother, who is also a cop, it becomes clear that Rivera’s slacker trait is really a cover-up for his fear of failure. Roland, on the other hand, is more responsible and level-headed than his teammates. Yet for all the respect he carries for technology, he dreads the same tech failing him when he needs it the most. Lastly, Kylie offers an element overlooked in The Real Ghostbusters : death. The taboo topic was glossed over in the ‘80s cartoon despite the constant presence of ghosts and the series’ own version of the afterlife. Here mortality is more openly discussed and usually in regards to Kylie, whose grandmother’s passing influenced her interest in the paranormal (as well as contributed to the return of ghosts en masse). For the time, XGB was a considerable exercise in creating more well-rounded characters in genre animation on TV. While most episodes contained no-frills ghostbusting, others colored outside the lines and better qualified the use of “extreme” in the title. “The True Face of a Monster” was the first to show how XGB was willing to take on heavier content, such as anti-Semitism; Garret unknowingly joined, then helped stop the bad crowd vandalizing a local synagogue and provoking a summoned Golem. There were also the Cenobites-esque and torture-craving antagonists (to go with an obvious R. L. Stine parody) in the fan-favorite episode “Deadliners.” Finally, and in an episode directly referencing an event from The Real Ghostbusters , “Grundelesque” saw Kylie confronting her childhood trauma: her friend went missing and presumably died because of The Grundel. The same episode used the boogeyman-like entity to, essentially, show how killers create other killers. Of course, it was not always that serious or high-stakes in XGB ; many times over the team entered into more inconsequential but no less entertaining confrontations with the otherworldly. This includes encounters with a famous cryptid (“The Jersey Devil Made Me Do It”), a leprechaun who curses Garrett (“The Luck of the Irish”), and teenage witches who, out of desperation more than desire, recruit Eduardo into their coven (“Witchy Woman”). Then there are other minor episodes with a touch more going for them in the nightmare fuel department: “Home is Where the Horror Is” presents a living ghost house that feeds on children, aspects of “Killjoys” seem inspired by Killer Klowns from Outer Space , and “Fear Itself” is the show’s vivid take on the ever popular “face your fears or they will kill you” prompt. In addition to the new class, the legacy characters were given their own spotlight episodes here and there. Janine, beloved GB clerical warrior and occasional frontline reinforcement, was voiced by her overall third actor in the animated continuity, Pat Musick . XGB Janine slightly resembles her loathed redesigns from the retooled seasons of The Real Ghostbusters , minus the lobotomized personality. This Miss Melnitz retains her acerbic wit, hankers hard for Egon (“The Crawler”), and will suit up if the need rises (“A Temporary Insanity”). As for Mr. Spengler ( Maurice LaMarche ), he is not “long-bearded and robed” as he was envisioned during pre-production; that wizard-like design along with an obsession with the Netherworld were both passed on to Egon’s rival-turned-foe Edward Kirilian (“Heart of Darkness”). Egon is, more or less, the same as before (withdrawn, rational, and oblivious to Janine’s affection), only now with a spot of age anxiety whenever he feels past his prime as a Ghostbuster (“The Sphinx”). Finally there is Slimer ( Billy West ), once the bane of many Real fans, who is now not anywhere as obnoxious as his former iteration. XGB makes certain to remind everyone that Slimer is a member of the team — Egon considers him his family — and even gives the green glob a chance to save the day in heroic fashion (“Slimer’s Sacrifice”). It only made sense to bring back the rest of the old gang at some point in XGB . Serving as the series finale, the two-parter “Back in the Saddle” is a tremendous gift for longtime fans of RGB . At first the youngers are in awe of their elders — who, by the way, are not anywhere as ancient as the writing makes them out to be — but when Peter and the others indulge their, as Janine put it so delicately, collective mid-life crisis, viewers cannot help but feel sympathy for Kylie and her teammates. Particularly after their predecessors contemplate un-retiring. The inferiority the XGBs experience here is soon replaced with validation as they prove they are not just stand-ins for the originals. No, they are indeed bonafide Ghostbusters who have earned their spots and our respect. This is a satisfying display of one generation passing the torch to the next, all while reminding fans why they love this franchise to begin with. Extreme Ghostbusters was a small yet significant part of the animation renaissance happening on television back then. Its bolder and often complex storytelling made the series appealing to viewers of all ages and not just the kid demographic. The classic Ghostbusters cartoon went on to downplay its creepiness over time, whereas XGB turned up the dial whenever possible. Unfortunately, a lousy early-morning time slot and low toy sales killed the show; it was swiftly canceled after one season. Based on steady appearances in the comics as well as the fandom’s largely positive (and not rose-colored) nostalgia, though, there is still plenty of love for the XGBs all these years later. Kylie, Eduardo, Roland and Garrett deserved better than they were given, and it would be a treat to see them back in action in the near future. Stream Extreme Ghostbusters and buy the complete series on DVD now.
This content was originally published here.
