Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet | Forgotten Gems
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- Опубліковано 8 лип 2018
- To support my channel, consider joining my Patreon!
ragnarrox.com/patreon/
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In this series, we're delving into video game oblivion.
Titles that have, at some point, fallen into obscurity.
Today, we're revisiting Shadow of the Comet, the first graphic adventure set in H.P. Lovecraft's Call of Cthulhu universe, released in 1993 by the French developer infogrames.
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Social Media Links
Facebook: facebook.ragnarrox.com/
Twitter: twitter.ragnarrox.com/
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Get the game DRM free on GOG.com
af.gog.com/game/call_of_cthul...
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Credits
Contains gameplay scenes from:
Fungo
/ fungo
VaatiVidya
/ vaatividya
World of Longplays
/ cubex55
JPlay
/ @jplay9710
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Music:
By the Wall - Floex
store.floex.cz/album/machinari...
Theodor Bastard - Doctor's Dead
theodorbastard.bandcamp.com/a...
Dark Pulse - Marc Straight
Contains music from Sam & Max Hit the Road by Clint Bajakian, Peter McConnell, Michael Z. Land
Contains music from King's Quest V - Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! by Ken Allen, Mark Seibert
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If you should believe that a work of yours had been used without proper credit or appropriate authorization, please contact me: mail@ragnarrox.com - Ігри
God that ending is repugnant, you weren’t kidding saying that lovecraft would be screaming in rage at this
Jesus christ, it is as bad as Evangelion "Congratulation Shinji".
Eva's ending is a fuck you to the viewer for being an otaku asshole, total opposite of this game's.
which evangelion ending are you talking about? the "the end of evangelion"-movie-ending was okay, imho.
other than you saying "despite that not being the actual ending" i don´t know what you mean by "context".
or who says "congratulation shinji" in what part of the franchise? there are more than two narratives of evangelion by now.
i know the backstory of episodes 25 and 26.
it ended up being not satisfying at all.
I always have to disagree with people who say that "the essence of Lovecraft is being unable to challenge the forces of the cosmos" (or some variety thereof).
There are a variety of works in which protagonists both challenge and sometimes outright defeat these very forces.
The Dunwich Horror is beaten back and Yogsothoth never makes it to earth.
In Call of Cthulhu, R'lyeh has risen, Cthulhu is awake - 3000 years of madness and destruction is upon humanity and a dude in a ship says "HELL NO", rams Cthulhu in the face and Cthulhu promptly decides to chill his ass back to sleep.
In the Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward, a cosmic entity straight up helps the protagonist stop the antagonist.
The entirety of the Dream Cycle.
Challenging the entities, or at least stalling them is possible in Lovecraft's works and has been done before
TheBloodswordsman can you remind me who helped to kill curwen in dexter ward
NicolasCageCultist
If I remember correctly, said eldritch abomination was never named in the story. Protag accidentally summons it, faints and wakes up with the entity having left latin instructions for him to follow.
ooh you mean that.. i thought it was just one of the wizards who curwen resurrected from salts and tortured for knowledge
"In Call of Cthulhu, R'lyeh has risen, Cthulhu is awake - 3000 years of madness and destruction is upon humanity and a dude in a ship says "HELL NO", rams Cthulhu in the face and Cthulhu promptly decides to chill his ass back to sleep."
According to the sailor who returned, Cthulhu's form was already reconstituting before he leaves the area - attempts to verify his story went unfounded as they never found either Cthulhu nor the city of R'lyeh. The narrator (a guy combing through his uncle's collection of documents) speculates that Cthulhu still slumbers after that, but that's only a guess that he ventured: for all we know Cthulhu is wandering the earth - the fact that the sailor that returned died under mysterious circumstances suggests that Cthulhu's cult (or perhaps even Cthulhu himself) saw to his demise to shut him up so they can continue operating in secret.
In short, he did *not* successfully challenge Cthulhu - he simply escaped to be destroyed at a later date.
"In the Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward, a cosmic entity straight up helps the protagonist stop the antagonist."
And without that rival cosmic entity the protagonist would be completely f-cked - if anything, that tale suggests that challenging an eldritch horror without the help of another eldritch horror is suicide.
UUh what about Dunwich horror ? Three elderly human professors banish bastard hybrid son of Yog Sothoth. Sure they studied and read necronomicon but it still counts. Humans can fight eldritch beings when armed with knowledge and equipment, also most of mythos monsters are destrucible...barring outer gods
6:29 DAMN IT PARKER WHO CARES ABOUT HALEY'S COMET JUST GET ME SOME PICTURES OF SPIDER-MAN
Did anyone else notice how some of the characters are actors?
6:30 Vincent Price
6:38 Robert Mitchum
7:12 Nick Nolte
7:17 Glenn Shadix (from Beetlejuice)
7:20 Jack Nicholson
As always a great video from Ragnar
Greatest Adventurer and Parker kinda looks like Sam Neil.
I guess this videogame has the most impressive and famous 'cast' of actors xD
I noticed the Vincent Price and Jack Nicholson ones.
I was about to comment this!
Lol yes...thanks for taking notes...
7:20 Jack Nicholson is basically a copy from this shot: ua-cam.com/video/JRnvalwBhy8/v-deo.html
I always thought the idea with Lovecraftian horrors was less that the old ones are malevolent and more that they're totally indifferent to humanity. Using them as a minor stepping stone to accomplish their own goals with any great success on humanities part being little more than the equivalent of you finding a pebble in your shoe on the way to the store. It's this element which is very hard to capture in a video game where you're almost always going to be the center of the world driving it forwards with even games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance which do very well to make you feel like a minor cog in a machine eventually falling away to center on the player.
I think interestingly enough the game which best captures the core of Lovecraftian horror is MGS2 where the established order gives way to an absolutely batfuck reality which is impossible to fully comprehend and that you cannot actually harm or influence directly. In the end the antagonistic entity accomplishes its mission, you receive no closure and you having been revealed as little more than a pawn the whole time only react by rejecting the entire event and moving on into willful self delusion to cope with everything that just happened.
At least until MGS4 fucked it all up of course.
Can't see the reply to this comment but I'm sure knowing UA-cam that it was a very well written and nuanced take ;)
Have to disagree. The antagonistic in MSG2 still took the time to explain what it was doing, which contradicts the entire point of The Old Ones.
They are unknowable, an Old God explaining its intentions to a human would be like the antagonistic in MGS2 explaining its plans to a mosquito.
My favorite game adaptation of Lovecraft's work has to be the "Entity" Deck in Yugioh, because the experience of attempting to make it for any official tournament truly captures the feeling of morbid curiosity, desperation, and madness that the author is known for.
Just when you thought all hope is lost...
Ragnar uploads an amazing video, bless this man
Been replaying Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth and damn, the game really goes to shit once you get a gun. Very sad, because it starts so strong.
Yup, exactly that. It starts so promising and then it basically becomes Duke Nukem: Cthulhu edition. Very sad.
I suspect that it was a Corp-meddling from Bethesda!
Still a very potent game on the harder difficulties with scarcer supplies 😉
I agree that after getting the gun the game loses quality, but the second half of the game is just so amazing that it doesn't matter how bad the combat gets. The adventure really goes to the dark corneres of the earth, far and deep, giving you a sense of powerlessness all the way. This game is 10/10 even considering the bad combat, lack of running in the game, and the impassable game-breaking bugs!
Magixxar
I cant tell if youre trolling or not
Ah, the classic "loose end that was stitched together last minute" ending. LOVE those.
A minimalist fix for the ending: keep everything as it is, but then show the last act was all in his head as he's gone insane.
Your closing point about the game's technical limitations being part of its charm really hit home for me. I love early adventure games, and a big part of the appeal was how the narrow scope made them feel inherently mysterious, and fired my imagination about what's happening 'just out of frame' in the game's world.
I had never considered this before, but that characteristic makes adventure games an ideal format for Lovecraftian themes -- stories about monstrous things lurking outside the contours of reason and imagination. Thanks for making such a great video.
At long last!!! A new video!!! Keep up the good work boss!!!
This sparked the most vivid memory of trying to help my not cousins but basically cousins play a Kings Quest. We had a 7yo, a 5yo who was considered smart but couldn’t quite read yet, and a creative 4yo. We never got very far
Kept us waiting huh? Seems like you're back in business Ragnar, happy days
Fantastic, as *ALWAYS*
Garrus Vakarian damn right!
Amazing video yet again Ragnarox.I think your the only channel that i sit through the ads for because i understand and can see the amount of work and passion you put into your videos.I think youve set the standards for the highest quality videos for me.
Perfect! it's my birthday to day, so an upload from RagnarRox is more then i can ask for.
thank you for the gift! :D
happy birthday! 🎉
Duuudddeee! I was binge rewatching all your videos last night and then you go and upload a new one!? I LOVE YOU BRO!!
Ragnar, there's a game coming out on Steam in 2019, called "Stygian, reign of the old ones" that is based on Lovecraft's universe. It looks really interesting
But it happened to be pretty bad, not even finished, they released and unfinished game and didn't even finish it after release or whatever.
*My prayers to the elder ones havr been answered! Praise thy upload.*
I was just thinking about watching one of your videos today, and then you drop this! Thank you!
Was just wondering where you at today. So good to see you back!!
Ragnarox always provides the most curious videos. Thank you.
AMAZING work as usual, interesting content, great production. Already looking forward to the next episode. :)
I was waiting for the video about cthulhu for so long !
Good job.
I love your reviews man, most of the games are from my childhood like NOLF and Giants so the nostalgia is huge.
Keep up the good work!
Been waiting for your vids man and its always worth the wait.
Goddamnit, each time I watch one of your videos I go on a bender. Another masterpiece as always. Can’t wait for Pathologic
Finally! Welcome back!
The thing about Lovecraft and "madness" is that in his stories, he explicitly makes it clear to the reader that his characters are not "mad", they simply know things beyond what is scientifically or rationally explainable, and they appear as mad to other people. Mountains of madness is a good example where the survivor, Dyer, warns others from staying away explicitly because he understands what these things are, but to anyone reading his warning he would seem like an insane person. THAT is the crux of Lovecraftian horror. Not that you will "go insaaaaane", but that beyond the veil of quaint victorian-era life and the civil behavior of society are unconscionable beings just waiting to be discovered, who are indifferent to humanity as a whole, and any attempt to bring these beings to light will make you look insane.
Thank You!
CONGRATULATIONS
Wooohooo! I acutally bought this game during the steam summer sale.
I'm sure you get this enough, but god damn, I love the content you produce!
YESSS!! And at the same time NOOO! haha, I was just re-watching a bunch of your videos because of how good/ interesting they are! But I was hoping the new upload would be an analysis to the new Death Stranding E3 trailer.. Well guess I will keep waiting for a few months, gonna enjoy this video to the max while I wait ! Thank you Ragnar🤘🏿
Everytime I see one of your video or forgotten gems no matter what's happening I click and watch ❤ best videos known to man
Things that you probably won't read: I just found your channel, and subscribed because I need more channels that say what's right than just bash on the game. Yes, you discuss the flawed ending, but the praise for the rest still outweighs the rest. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Hehe
Read it, thank you kindly for the nice comment, means a lot!
Everytime Ragnar uploads it's just like going to a 5 star restaurant and getting those bite sized meals rich people love so much. Just an extremely high quality thing that lasts a short while, but is amazing nonetheless.
Some Evangelion feels with the ending
Claps
7:47 *"Zenophobia everywhere. Very true to the author who inspired it"*
....I see what you did there.
Based author.
😎😎😎
I usually use these videos to help me fall asleep but last night I woke up in panic in the middle of the voiced sequence @11:45, holy shit.
yes! its a holiday in my house to have new video from you!
NAILED IT. There is something so dark and fascinating about Lovecraft's world.
FINALLY! WE MISSED YOU RAG!
Well, just as I waited and waited. Another wonderful video from you Rangar! Oh here’s a #gemsuggetion for you. I think I mentioned it earlier for a video but this is a growing forgotten gem that’s getting a bigger audience in the West over time, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne.
Please post another video soon. I subscribed and watched everything in like 2 days and now i'm sad!
Wonderful video. I'd love to see a video about other Chtulu related games like Chtulu Dark Corners Of Earth. I also miss your film analysis. Something about David Lynch movies or a particular recommendation, if you're up to it, is very welcomed!
You should check the Zero Escape trilogy, Ragnar they're a visual novel/escape the room kind of games with some really intersting plots and kinda spooky vibes and they definitely deserve more recognition
"I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" - Good game.
3dh he already did a vid about this one ♡
This was a great video Ragnar! I’ve been having a lovecraft itch recently so this came out at the perfect time!
Also the dick joke made me shout in laughter!!
Awesome content, thanks
THANK YOU! ..... THANK YOU!
That was as bad as Mass Effect 3 in only possible endings . It is a huge middle finger to the player as the contast between the endings and the rest of the game is too stark for my tastes.
Idk what Ragnar is talking about, that seagull’s speech during the ending scene rivals Shakespeare with its iconicness
Didn't expect you to cover this game at all, honestly! :D Good video, as always!
If there's one #GemSuggestion I can think of, it's definitely Nightmare Creatures
I enjoyed hearing you pronounce the names of your patreons so much :D
Hello to everyone here! I'm about to out myself as a total newbie to everything Lovecraftian ever. So , with that out, im searching for some "tips" on where to start my journey with Lovecraft, be it with games or his literature. I'm really intrigued what he did and i think getting first hand experiences are better than " some random blog."
Thank you in advance, pls don't hate uwu .
4:40 Stamper, is tat you?
Haha! I love this comment
Holy shit, it does sound like him.
wait hold on there . . . At 7:21 Isn't that Jack Torrance??
Croz Raven I'm glad you noticed it too, I was just about to put it myself
+Croz Raven
In early 90s you could get away with some very liberal 'sampling' from any entertainment medium
I think some of these characters were visually sourced from horror films. I saw a Vincent Price and a Jack Torrance.
As always, loved the video!
I love this game, even with its flaws. It's a brilliant example of the eerie ambiance of Lovecraft's stories. I think they managed to get that right at least.
Pathologic #GemSuggestion
Rodolfo Rodrigues can't wait for the remake, because the original was never translated in my native language
I'd love to watch him do this one, got it on steam for a discount, though it's confusing at first I love every bit of it.
You and Hbomb this week! It's like an otherworldly force is speaking to us...
Ahhhhhhh yis boi! New video!!!
Hell of a way to start my day.
Greatest youtuber of all time.
This upload is all that I asked FOR...
cool as always
We missed you Ragnar. Hope to see you soon c:
Is it mere coincidence that there's a rash of delightful Lovecraftian lore/study/essays spreading in the last couple weeks? First Hbomber, then Mythology Explained, now you?
I feel spoiled. :)
Yo, I don't know if you've been approached by the "iclassics collection" people in the app market, but I honestly think you'd be the perfect person for a sponsored video with them. Loving the vids bro!
nice vid!
I want to tell you: ...THANK YOU! ...THANK YOU! For this video.
>defeating lovecraftian horrors goes against the nature of the matter
>Cthulhu is defeated by a steamboat
>Other elder gods have been banished by incantations
tbh Lovecrafts works were all over the place.
Gameplay wise, the trick would to make the player feel the price that one has to pay to go toe to toe with a literal god. The Cthulhu p&p system has a pretty good way to deal with that issue.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
i think this was my first exposition to the mythos. for what it's worth, i remember it fondly. iä iä, ftaghn.
So much Cthulhu! Can't get enough!
*THANK YOU!*
Thank you Parker.
CONGRATULATION!
OMEDETOU!
A lot of these portraits look like actors. I saw Vincent Price and Jack Nicholoson from his role in The Shining
Calvin C. Most likely used as referance images, good eye.
Congratulations!
Congratulations!
Congratulations!
All I could think of during the post-credits scene.
reminded me of Neon Genesis Evangelion's tv series ending lol
Wunderbar!
I laughed so hard at voice acting when it came to the screaming
THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU !!!!
I think I'm at a point in my life where I don't need to watch your videos to put likes under them :P
That said, still gonna watch it afterwards xD
Truly wonderful game! I adore it! Do thank you for the review! Cthulhu fhtagn!
This is a game where you outsmart and foil Dagon and f*cking Yog-Sothoth.
YEEEESS! I FUCKING MISSED YOU !. How you been Ragnar?
Dame boi you're mind is so dark and some how I like it
I really loved Consuming Shadow. There even if you win, there is no guarantee, that the ending will be good for you.
7:20. You've always lived in Innsmouth, Mr. Torrance!
Do a Forgotten Gem for Sierra's Lords of Magic!! Keith Zizza's soundtrack alone is worth that trip down memory lane
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!
:D
The writer for Shadow of the Comet is a teacher in our school, I wonder if I should show this video to him ot not.
Ask him about the ending.
Yesyesyesyes new video
Great vid, as always.
#GemSuggestion Pathologic
"Tue Feb 12" in the diary. I picked a strange day to watch this
Damn. That ending sure was something.
Ragnar laughing about the idea of me being crushed into a black hole? My fetish was finally adressed
Oh man, just got Prisoner of Ice of GOG not even an hour ago,wish this was there too.
I have to say, the idea of contrived puzzles in a Lovecraft game makes sense to me
Darkwatch #GemSuggestion
Spuzzwick YES PLEASE!
Would anyone know the background music that plays during the Patreon shout outs? It sounds very calming.
Okay nevermind it's from the Machinaria soundtrack (Tomáš Dvořák - By The Wall)