H.P. Lovecraft is a significant influence on game designers, from indie developers to those creating AAA titles. His work has left its mark on modern sci-fi and horror fantasy games.
However, many players may not know much about the man behind the mythos. He was an American author who wrote extensively in the early 20th century. His work initially had a cult following in pulp magazines and among fellow authors, but he didn’t achieve widespread fame during his lifetime. It was only after his death, in the 1970s, that his work gained a massive following. In his early life, he held some objectionable views on race and class, but these views evolved as his political stance changed after the Great Depression.
Dagon: Complete Edition offers a chance to experience some of his short stories, including Dagon and three DLC additions.
Dagon begins with a warning: this is not a traditional game with challenging gameplay. It’s more of an interactive experience, akin to walking through a storybook, progressing linearly from page to page. If you’re not a fan of Lovecraft’s stories, this game might not be for you.
Dagon is the main story and one of Lovecraft’s earliest works, written in 1917. It introduces themes of madness and alien sea creatures that would become prominent in his later writing. The story is narrated by a morphine-addicted man living in fear in a squalid room. He recounts his capture by the Germans during World War I while serving as a naval officer. He escapes on a small boat at night and, after days at sea, finds himself stranded on a foul-smelling bed of slime. He climbs a hill and discovers a deep trench, where he encounters a strange monolith…
Lovecraft is a captivating writer, and the story is both bizarre and engaging. The three DLC stories are shorter and less structured than Dagon, but still entertaining. One tells of a man lost in a moonlit garden, lured toward disaster. The second is a story Lovecraft wrote at the impressive age of seven. The last recounts a dream featuring a railway carriage and a demonic encounter.
Gameplay is simple: you’re presented with a scene from the story, sometimes animated, sometimes a static image. You can look around and listen to the narration. When a section concludes, you find a small circle that advances you to the next part. The stories also contain hidden secrets that unlock real-world facts about Lovecraft and his work.
Visually, Dagon: Complete Edition is striking and atmospheric. The environments effectively capture the otherworldly feel of Lovecraft’s stories, with particularly impressive skies and lighting effects.
And the voice acting is superb. A narrative-driven game needs a good narrator, and this game utilises a talented cast who deliver compelling performances. The soundtracks complement the narration, enhancing the eerie atmosphere.
I greatly appreciate a strong narrative in games, and Dagon: Complete Edition delivers a compelling interactive storytelling experience. It’s a storybook brought to life and I’d love to see this concept applied to other classic authors and stories. However, the game’s niche appeal and lack of traditional gameplay might not be for everyone.
With all the DLC, Dagon: Complete Edition only takes a couple of hours to complete, so should you be looking for a chilling story experience, this is worth considering.
Buy Dagon: Complete Edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/dagon-complete-edition/9NP0W1G35CVG/0010
