Review - Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss

Nikolas Tolgyesi
8 minutes ago
5 min read

Developer: Big Bad Wolf

Publisher: Nacon

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam)

Reviewed on: Xbox Series X

Trying to pronounce and spell Cthulhu felt like a task more daunting than the game itself. But I have to admit a title like 'Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss' does make the ears perk up. With a cover featuring a diver gasping for air, combined with tentacles underwater, it is safe to say the cover art designer knew their stuff. However, riddled with bugs and the absence of the great beast, we need to have a serious discussion.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is broken down into 7 chapters, each roughly 40 minutes in length. Players begin at a house with their partner, Elsa, investigating the disappearance of a lady by the name of Mei. You quickly realize clues are scattered throughout, which will eventually lead you to the basement. Here, you will come face-to-face with an entrance to another realm that you must figure out how to enter.

Once this new world has consumed you, there is unfortunately very little in terms of material. You will spend the next 6 chapters walking, collecting the odd item here and there, only to stab a cube, which will wrap up the game. Cthulhu is never seen. At the very end, seconds before stabbing the cube you brought with you, a rogue tentacle will move across the background. So much for facing this monstrosity head-on. At no point are you battling ooze-filled creatures, diving to the depths to unlock the secret of the story, or even getting caught up in your head, battling to stay focused on the mission at hand. You only walk through a deserted wasteland.

Waypoints, Baby, Waypoints

I think I could have forgiven a lot of the faults if the task displayed in the top corner was accurate. For example, in Chapter 2, the task shown instructs you to swim through an underwater labyrinth. Nice and easy. Frustration quickly sets in when you realize you must go back to the place you started. All this after trekking down to the maze to perform a series of tasks needed to complete the main objective. If I had known I needed to spend 40 minutes in the laboratory on the sea floor before going in circles for an hour, I would have been a lot happier to continue. A waypoint pointing back to the laboratory, or even a reminder that a few steps are needed back at the facility in order to advance, would have changed everything, knowing that you cannot progress until all steps are done. A verbal cue with a hint also would have done wonders to recenter players when they hit the progression wall.

The Scenery Hits Differently

When an aspect of a game is done really well, I always want to make sure I include and highlight it. Cthulhu has some incredibly creepy but magnificent atmosphere. Looking out over a vast wasteland after entering a vortex of mystery will have an impact regardless of the story. Swimming through narrow passages only to emerge in a body of water that is eerily still will trigger goosebumps every time. There is a moment when you have to walk past a creature with an eyeball locked onto you several times, almost as if it has you in its crosshairs. In the final stage of the game, you climb a staircase only to be on a platform overlooking the boundless abyss, almost making you reflect on how far you have traveled.

Remember the Bug Spray

There have to be several critical bugs before I will consider a game broken. Cthulhu was teetering right on the edge. At one point, I even thought I broke the game and locked myself out of progressing. Turns out it was a glitch. In Chapter 2, after completing all prerequisites to enter the tunnel deep under the sea, I was swimming towards the entrance, only for my character to skip about 10 feet to the left. After this disorienting jump, the frame rate dropped significantly, and it was almost impossible to control my diver. After several minutes, the quality finally improved again, allowing me to continue. There was also a significant frame drop when placing the pipe in the basement of the laboratory, reducing the rate for an extended period of time.

The second glitch happened in Chapter 3 after performing all actions to enter the portal and begin Chapter 4. I collected all the cubes and placed them in the mystical slots that illuminated shortly after. From there, I made my way to the landing where the final slot was and inserted the final cube. The slot illuminated momentarily, only to spit out my cube, leaving me lost. I spent the next 30 minutes double-checking all my work, which was correct. In the end, one of the cubes reset after being placed and locked in, meaning the cutscene could not start.

The third glitch I experienced happened in Chapter 6 while using the sonar ability to find critical clues. The day after I completed the game, I saw that an update was rolled out addressing the bug I am referencing. When using the pigment frequency, several items are supposed to change color, becoming bright and distinct. This was not the case, and I had to reference a guide for item locations.

The Key to Success

It was extremely difficult to hit my stride in Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss because of all the issues out of the box. On your journey, you have an AI assistant, Key, who provides dialogue and hints. The problem with these hints is that they came not only infrequently and oftentimes too late, but they were also largely irrelevant. A hint that consistently provides next steps would have been the perfect addition, but Key only gave you a hint at a seemingly random time, taking away from the task at hand. A feature to call upon Key at any time for assistance would have made the story much smoother.

Easy to Control

So many times, my irritation bubbles over when controls do not even make sense for a gamer with 2 working hands. I really appreciate that Cthulhu’s controls were thought through. They flowed. They jived. They made my heart grow a few sizes, much like the Grinch. Interacting was as easy as pressing a main button on the front of the controller. Oftentimes, the action button was 'A' or 'Cross' for my PlayStation crew. Thank you for using logic, Big Bad Wolf; it was very much valued.

No Light Down Here

The concept was a creative one, but without any big moments or fright, there was not enough for players to get excited about or latch on to. If you were a fan of Death Stranding, you may enjoy walking for 1 or 2 chapters, but you quickly realize that is the extent of your adventure. Throw in some almost fatal glitches and extended frame drops to seal the fate of the abyss.