ven if you can’t pronounce it, don’t write off Bethesda Softworks’ (the folks behind Morrowind) upcoming Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth just yet. Recently, Pete Hines, Bethesda’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations stopped by our offices to show off the latest build of their upcoming Xbox/PC scare-fest. Part first-person adventure, part survival horror, the game features some truly bizarre and twisted visuals, as well as a deep and engrossing storyline that you may need to sit down and contemplate for a bit.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Cthulhu series, it’s based on the legendary writings and mythos created by H.P. Lovecraft, and gaming-wise was originally born as a pen and paper game. Now, jumping to the Xbox and PC, Cthulhu has the opportunity to not only spread the story and themes originally introduced by Lovecraft, but also the chance to expand on them in a more visceral and visual sense. For those who may not have the time to research the roots of the Lovecraft mythos, let’s just say that it involves aliens and their not so friendly intentions towards the humans of Earth, complete with abduction conspiracies and all sorts of spooky creatures.

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth takes place in the 1920’s and follows the life of police officer Jack Walters. When the game begins, we’re introduced to the poor chap as he’s sitting in an insane asylum cell, the walls of which are covered in strange runes and symbols. Obviously, something’s gotten to Jack and his mind, and from what I saw in the video demonstration, it’s just a bit too much for him to handle as he attempts to hang himself. After this initial scene, the story goes back in time 6 years to before Jack went crazy and introduces him as a hard-boiled, no nonsense police officer called out to a strange confrontation. It seems the inhabitants of a mysterious house, a strange cult, have started shooting at local police and for reasons unknown to Jack, have specially requested to talk to him. Storming the house, Jack discovers a room completely full of pictures and information about himself, as if the cult members have been tracking every single facet of his life right down to his daily routines. In the room, overcome with a strange feeling, Jack blacks out. From that point in the game Jack suffers some serous mental delusions that can only be described as both impressive and nauseating. It seems that there are in fact aliens amongst the humans and while experimenting on humans, they’ve also planned to take over the Earth. Oddly enough, there have even been strange cults set up that worship the aliens. While I don’t want to give away too much of the story, Jack will eventually uncover the alien plot and work his way through the alien’s vast array of bases and “infested” towns.

Visually, Cthulhu sports a first-person viewpoint, but to mix things up, won’t necessarily adhere to the rules that you would normally associate with it. First of all, there’s no on-screen HUD or health bar indicators to be found. Instead, the game will rely on more visual clues as to how you’re faring as you’re attacked by the game’s many and varied creatures. Things like blood splatter on the camera or even the way the camera focuses will help determine how much damage you’ve taken or can still take. This feature also applies to your weapons, as you won’t have an on-screen reticule to use for aiming. To help tap into the freaky and bizarre storyline, the game will also feature some dizzying insanity effects that will kick in during key moments of the game. For example, when walking up to a edge of a particularly high drop-off and look down, your viewpoint will go into a vertigo-like swirl. And, when confronting enemies or creatures for the first time, particularly the more frightening ones, your viewpoint will also go crazy as will your aim, since Jack is usually pretty terrified of the game’s many bizarre creatures.

While much wasn’t shown about the game’s weapons or items overall, we did manage to get a glimpse of a few key inclusions that will hopefully help keep Jack alive during the course of the game. Outside of his trust pistol, Jack can tote around things like a tommy gun, shotgun, and rifle. And, working together with the HUD-less health system, you’ll be able to pick up things like splints and bandages that you’ll need to apply to yourself in the event that you’re injured.

While our Xbox demonstration time was short, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is looking promising, thanks in part to its bizarre story and minimalist approach to on-screen indicators. While still off in the horizon in regards to a release date, be sure to keep checking Game Informer Online for more details, particularly when E3 hits, as Bethesda promised that there would be more to show then.