History YMMV / CallOfCthulhuTheOfficialVideoGame

* ClicheStorm: For any fan of the Franchise/CthulhuMythos, this game contains a huge number of references to the game that it seems like the entirety of the Mythos was dumped into a single adventure experience. There's elements from ''Literature/TheCallOfCthulhu'', ''Literature/TheShadowOverInnsmouth'', ''Literature/TheHorrorAtTheMuseum'', ''Literature/TheRatsInTheWall'', and others.

* EvilIsSexy:
** A rare example of such in an HPL game. Catherine "Cat" Baker who is an attractive {{Bifauxnen}} woman who runs the local bootlegging regime. [[spoiler: She's not tied in with the Mythos so it may actually be averted as selling liquor and threatening people with slicing their faces is the least of evils on the island.]]
** [[spoiler: Sarah Hawking and Marie Colden both are quite pretty (at least the former is after she's had a chance to clean up) but both become BrainwashedAndCrazy by the end.]]

* {{Narm}}: The animations are a bit on the stiff side so almost no one actually looks legitimately creepy [[UncannyValley for the right reasons.]] Edward Pierce's "scared" face is one of the most silly in the game.

* EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame: Aside from searching for clues, talking to people, and a few short steal segments--there actually isn't that much gameplay at all. The vast majority of the game is simply wandering around the setting and gradually learning the secrets of Darkwater Island.

* ThatOneLevel: Given the relatively sparse stealth elements the player would have been exposed to by this point, Pierce's encounter with [[spoiler: the Dimensional Shambler]] in the art gallery during Chapter 6 can constitute a stark jump in challenge while also being one of the most difficult sections of the game, requiring careful stealth along a large area and even some trial-and-error. Compounding the challenge is that there are multiple versions of the same item you need, but only one of them will work. Plus there's no way to get to any of them without alerting the monster to your presence. There are clues you could find by exploring the gallery before the monster appears, but it's easy to trigger the cut scene leading to the monster's appearance, getting autosaved out of going back and having a chance to explore the gallery in depth.

* ThatOneLevel: Given the relatively sparse stealth elements the player would have been exposed to by this point, Pierce's encounter with [[spoiler: the Dimensional Shambler]] in the art gallery during Chapter 6 can constitute a stark jump in challenge while also being one of the most difficult sections of the game, requiring careful stealth along a large area and even some trial-and-error. Compounding the challenge is that there are multiple versions of the same item you need, and there's no way to get to any of them without alerting the monster to your presence. There are clues you could find by exploring the gallery before the monster appears, but it's easy to trigger the cut scene leading to the monster's appearance, getting autosaved out of going back and having a chance to explore the gallery in depth.

* ThatOneLevel: Given the relatively sparse stealth elements the player would have been exposed to by this point, Pierce's encounter with [[spoiler: the Dimensional Shambler]] in the art gallery during Chapter 6 can constitute a stark jump in difficulty while also being one of the most difficult sections of the game. Compounding the challenge is that there are multiple versions of the same item you need, and there's no way to get to any of them without alerting the monster to your presence. There are clues you could find by exploring the gallery before the monster appears, but it's easy to trigger the cut scene leading to the monster's appearance, getting autosaved out of going back and having a chance to explore the gallery in depth.

** The aforementioned [[MadDoctor Dr. Thomas Fuller]], head physician of Riverside Institute and a member of the crew that found Leviathan, uses his new discovery to slake his thirst for knowledge to "end the Gods" themselves. Fuller, using the serum extracted from Leviathan's flesh, [[PlayingWithSyringes experiments horribly]] on dozens of innocents in the basement of Riverside Institute, leaving countless insane, mutated, and in pain, and countless more killed, with his morgue and laboratory clogged with corpses and body parts. Fuller experiments on Edward Pierce when he falls into his clutches, murders the single level-headed doctor in his employ when she tries to stop the experiments, and is even revealed to have been keeping Sarah Hawkins in his lab in preparation for Darkwater's cult to use her to end the world by summoning Cthulhu.

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: Drinking heavily is actually a good way to maintain your sanity in the face of the Mythos. May also qualify as a SpaceWhaleAesop. The game also encourages you not to take the medicine for your sanity prescribed by your doctor but given he's a heavy drinker, that may be ValuesResonance.

* ClicheStorm: For any fan of the Franchise/CthulhuMythos, this game contains a huge number of references to the game that it seems like the entirety of the Mythos was dumped into a single adventure experience. There's elements from ''Literature/TheCallOfCthulhu'', ''Literature/TheShadowOverInnsmouth'', ''The Horror At The Museum'', ''The Rats in the Wall'', and others.

* EvilIsSexy: A rare example of such in an HPL game. Catherine "Cat" Baker who is an attractive {{Bifauxnen}} woman who runs the local bootlegging regime. [[spoiler: She's not tied in with the Mythos so it may actually be averted as selling liquor and threatening people with slicing their faces is the least of evils on the island.]]

* AuthorsSavingThrow: Despite being based on ''Literature/TheShadowOverInnsmouth'', the video game makes some changes to the origins of the cult as well as its actions. The original story is frequently criticized for its racist implications (interbreeding with other species is bad). Here, the origins of the cult is [[spoiler: due to consuming the flesh of a Star Spawn with an explicit anti-whaling message.]]

* CounterpartComparison: Both of their protagonists are private detectives who go to an isolated New England village and uncover more than they bargain for. Both stories are loosely based on the ''Literature/TheShadowOverInnsmouth''.

* {{Narm}}: The animations are a bit on the stiff side so almost no one actually looks legitimately creepy [[UncannyValey for the right reasons.]] Edward Pierce's "scared" face is one of the most silly in the game.

* SpiritualSuccessor: One of these to ''VideoGame/CallOfCthulhuDarkCornersOfTheEarth'' with a very similar protagonist and premise.

* CompleteMonster:
** [[BitchInSheepsClothing James Fitzroy]], the charismatic captain of the ship that brought the passengers to Darkwater, is revealed to be one of the higher members of the [[ApocalypseCult cult]] that worships Cthulhu. When [[PlayerCharacter Edward Pierce]] investigates the mysterious tunnels in the Hawkins family's mansion, it's revealed that Fitzroy sacrificed his own cult members under the pretense that their minds and bodies will be merged together with their master. In addition, it was revealed that Fitzroy conspired with Riverside Institute's Dr. Fuller by greenlighting the latter's sickening experiments, as well as that he was behind the shootout at a criminal syndicate territory. After Pierce encounters the cult near the end of the game to save Sarah Hawkins, Fitzroy willingly tries to cause the apocalypse to happen by summoning Cthulhu, and proves his seriousness by taking the occultist librarian, Algernon Drake, as a hostage in order to force Pierce to do the ritual.
** The aforementioned [[MadDoctor Dr. Thomas Fuller]], head physician of Riverside Institute and a member of the crew that found Leviathan, uses his new discovery to slake his thirst for knowledge to "end the Gods" themselves. Fuller, using the serum extracted from Leviathan's flesh, [[PlayingWithSyringes experiments horribly]] on dozens of innocents in the basement of Riverside Institute, leaving countless insane, mutated, and in pain, and countless more killed, with his morgue and laboratory clogged with corpses and body parts. Fuller experiments on Edward Pierce when he falls into his clutches, murders the single level-headed doctor in his employ when she tries to stop the experiments, and is even revealed to have been keeping Sarah Hawkins in his lab in preparation for Darkwater's cult to use her to end the world by summoning Cthulhu.

* SoOkayItsAverage: The general impression is the game is perfectly fine with an engaging story, interesting protagonist, and spooky atmosphere but has a number of flaws:
** ItsShortSoItSucks: The game is about six hours long, total, and doesn't have much replay value as different character traits just result in a change of a line of dialogue here and there. The only real differences are in the endings that all vary on a single choice.
** ItsEasySoItSucks: The game is very hard to lose with only a few stealth sections providing lose states.
** The graphics have also been criticized as being dated and look to be a generation behind on consoles as well as PC.

** The aforementioned [[MadDoctor Dr. Thomas Fuller]], head physician of Riverside Institute and a member of the crew that found Leviathan, uses his new discovery to slake his thirst for knowledge to "end the Gods" themselves. Fuller, using the serum extracted from Leviathan's flesh, [[PlayingWithSyringes experiments horribly]] on dozens of innocents in the basement of Riverside Institute, leaving countless insane, mutated, and in pain, and countless more killed, with his morgue and laboratory clogged with corpses and body parts. Fuller experiments on Edward Pierce when he falls into his clutches, murders the single level-headed doctor in his employ when she tries to stop the experiments, and is even revealed to have been keeping Sarah Hawkins in his lab in preparation for Darkwater's cult to use her to end the world by summoning Cthulhu.

** The aforementioned [[MadDoctor Dr. Thomas Fuller]], head physician of Riverside Institute and a member of the crew that found Leviathan, uses his new discovery to slake his thirst for knowledge to "end the Gods" themselves. Fuller, using the serum extracted from Leviathan's flesh, [[PlayingWithSyringes experiments horribly]] on dozens of innocents in the basement of Riverside Institute, leaving countless insane, mutated, and in pain, and countless more killed, with his morgue and laboratory clogged with corpses and body parts. Fuller experiments on Edward Pierce when he falls into his clutches, murders the single level-headed doctor in his employ when she tries to stop the experiments, and is even revealed to have been keeping Sarah Hawkins in his lab in preparation for Darkwater's cult to use her to end the world by summoning Cthulhu.
* NightmareFuel: The game is the closest to depict the CosmicHorrorStory nature of Lovecraft's works.

** The aforementioned [[MadDoctor Dr. Thomas Fuller]], head physician of Riverside Institute and a member of the crew that found Leviathan, uses his new discovery to slake his thirst for knowledge to "end the Gods" themselves. Fuller, using the serum extracted from Leviathan's flesh, [[PlayingWithSyringes experiments horribly]] on dozens of innocents in the basement of Riverside Institute, leaving countless insane, mutated, and in pain, and countless more killed, with his morgue and laboratory clogged with corpses and body parts. Fuller experiments on Edward Pierce when he falls into his clutches, murders the single level-headed doctor in his employ when she tries to stop the experiments, and is even revealed to have been keeping Sarah Hawkins in his lab in preparation for Darkwater's cult to use her to end the world by summoning Cthulhu.