Do you like dark atmospheres à la Lovecraft? Here is a selection of essentials of the genre!

Game news Do you like dark atmospheres à la Lovecraft? Here is a selection of essentials of the genre!

In this selection, we are going to focus on games whose atmosphere is inspired by the writer Lovecraftwithout dwelling on obvious and explicit references like Call of Cthulhu or Lovecraft’s Untold Stories.

Darkest Dungeon

It’s hard not to mention Darkest Dungeon in a selection of games with a Lovecraftian atmosphere. Officially released in 2016, this rogue-like RPG developed by Red Hook Studios transcribed a horrifying atmosphere where stress and sanity are at the heart of the gameplay. Cruel and sadistic, this really isn’t the right game to get attached to characters you level up knowing they’ll serve as cannon fodder at some point or another. Many of the Lovecraft references are notable in storytelling, bestiary, and environments. Darkest Dungeon received the excellent score of 18/20 from JV, we can regret that the second was less successful than the first.

Bloodborne

Another figurehead of video games inspired by Lovecraft: Bloodborne. FromSoftware’s action-RPG marvelously transcribes the essence of the Lovecraftian imagination. The sets and the sumptuous artistic direction are reminiscent of the urban landscapes of Eastern European countries transposed to the Victorian era. The dark and heavy atmosphere coupled with the grueling fights make this title a must in the Souls saga. At JV, it’s an 18/20 that adorns Bloodborne, to which we could add the relevance of the Lovecraftian touch that accompanies the player perfectly.

Eternal Darkness

Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem is a video game that was so inspired by the universe of Lovecraft, that it is at the limit of adaptation. Released in 2002 on Gamecube, this title is a remarkable survival horror. Sanity is at the very center of storytelling and gameplay. The whole thing feels like an endless nightmare tinged with myth and magic. Eternal Darkness can cause various playable characters, but also the player, to lose their minds. If the health is at its lowest, the save can be deleted. Thus, those who, noticing this, in turn taste the decrepitude of the spirit. At JV, this title was rated 16/20, proof of its high quality.

Amnesia: Dark Descent

Always with a gameplay based on the management of mental health, Amnesia: The Dark Descent had marked the spirits when it was released in 2010. On Youtube, many Let’s Play had flourished, which had given the game a terrifying aura. This survival horror is particularly breathtaking and captivating. Darkness represents an omnipresent danger, even an enemy in its own right. The player must try to preserve his reason at all costs at the risk of suffering increasingly disturbing effects. It was given a 15/20 at the time and highlighted the many Lovecraft references in its screenplay.

Sunless Seas

Let’s finish our selection with Sunless Sea. It is a video game that is a mix between adventure, RPG and rogue-like that takes place in a universe steeped in Lovecraftian mythology. As the title suggests, you sail on a dark sea plagued by dangers that are as realistic as they are fantastic. Sunless Seas is an original indie game that deserves more attention, but remains a reference for Lovecraft fans. The aesthetics of the early 20th century is reminiscent of the period attached to the works of the famous writer. It received the rating of 17/20 from JV, when it was released in 2015, highlighting in particular its scriptwriting quality.