Early impressions: classic adventurers should hear the Call of the Elder Gods

It has been more than five years since Out of the Blue released Call of the Sea, and even more time has passed in-universe since Norah's trip to that remote island in the middle of the Pacific. Call of the Elder Gods is not out just yet, but after having the chance of going through its first three chapters —plus the Prologue— it becomes clear that it wants to establish itself as a proper continuation to that original story while still crafting enough suspense and filling some voids to be enjoyable those that will make this their first puzzle-oriented eldritch rodeo. So, the question isn't what Call of the Elder Gods is, but rather what are the ways in which it could surprise us.

In contrast to Call of the Sea and its The Lost World-inspired island, Call of the Elder Gods seems determined to manage a bigger pool of new yet expected atmospheres; an americana pastiche of elements sprinkled with noir-style narration, all in a picturesque world of gigantic manors with hidden doors, accursed caves holding gateways to temples long forgotten, and the kind of conspiracies you could expect from a secret society in the middle of the Cold War. The backbone of Call of the Sea is still there, but it all feels grander, expanded, and a bit less focused in lieu of what at first feels like an adventure flick, Raiders of the Lost Ark style, but rapidly shapes into something more akin to what you would find in a Call of Cthulhu campaign. The inspiration from Lovecraft's work is still clear and a given (one of the character's names and a bulk of the baseline narrative is lifted from The Shadow out of Time, a fact the Steam store page proudly recognises), but things like the back and forth of the protagonist or the general cadence and structure feel like something you could get out of experiencing the TTRPG, only with less interactivity and now it is realised into 3D landscapes... and what landscapes those are.

This is an extraordinarily gorgeous game, a beautiful collection of environments that gives form to a world that only offers more and more the further you submerge into it. The cartoon 3D style opens the path to glorious scenarios, just enough detail to trick your mind into seeing more than there is, but also so it doesn't feel overbearing. Jumping from place-to-place doesn't feel as jarring when you get to spend so much time ruminating on library walls and marveling at how the light seeps in and out of the caverns. There are some rooms that are clearly meant to be middle points for asset loading, and as such these are where most of the frame dips are found, but those instances are practically insular and only noticeable due to the game's linear nature. Even then, you will probably have to go back and forth for some of them, but even still, they are few and far between. Still, these pretty vistas, and they are pretty, are nothing if they don't hold puzzles worth interacting with, and that aspect is far more recognisable.

The first couple of hours present a real return to form, if you ever wanted more Call of the Sea? In that regard, Call of the Elder Gods is exactly that. The feeling of a point and click adventure brought into a more linear and open space is just as present; your notebook and knowledge in place of what would be your item selector screen, and a big, big focus on environmental puzzles that ranged between secret box style riddles to problems that span enormous instances or several rooms. Chapter 3's puzzle is so far, and by far, the stand-out in all of the best ways, a long-spanning multi-layered problem that focuses on the investigation side of things compared to the previous interaction focused ones, all which forced me to think things through, but also felt restrained. It felt pretty easy to get ahead of what the game expected of you, which makes some lines stating facts you already know feel redundant and makes the game's linearity to its immersion's detriment. Chapter 3, however, is mostly a set of rooms and a puzzle to solve, and here it shines through, not only because it's hard (at least for me and my weak, weak mind) but because it feels original and an exercise of a kind of archaeology and deduction based interactions with problem solving. I adore this in these kinds of games, and if there are more puzzles like it in the game ahead, I cannot wait.

I'd be remiss not to praise the presence of the Hint System, a given in most modern puzzle games, but that's carried out in the best way possible. You're never looked down upon for using it, but always encouraged to think for yourself. It respects you as a player and up until the very end, it acts as an extra, proper hint that can help your brain sort through the thoughts and gives you words of encouragement, a reminder that it's not wrong to use this kind of accessibility feature and it can strengthen your enjoyment of the experience. Even if you yourself aren't a fan or "good" at puzzle games, this is a feature that welcomes you with open arms, and I can only hope those unfamiliar with the genre make use of it if they find themselves interested in the game.

It feels rather soon to deliver any sort of verdict on Call of the Elder Gods as a whole, and the reason I've not even dared to tackle the story is because it feels rather foolish to make any assessments without reaching its conclusion, even if it keeps the same overall 80s film tone. What I'm sure of though is about my optimism with what's ahead. Should Call of the Elder Gods keep up these pace, it could end up being a really pleasant, interesting puzzle game and a beyond worthy sequel. Even now I leave it with a sweet taste and an appreciation for its exercise in environmental and riddle design, and if it has caught your eye, you definitely should keep it in your sight. Just don't stare at it for too long...

Call of the Elder Gods is set to release on May 12 for PC, Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with a demo already available covering the first chapter of the game.