Character interactions, particularly between Shane and Declan, are endearing and fun, and Shane’s reactions to the horrible things happening around him are humanizing and relatable. The sound design complements the visuals well errant, half-heard sounds and crescendos of sinister music enhancing the dread.Īs far as the writing is concerned, some elements work, while others fall flat. One is struck by the scale of the cyclopean ruins hidden beneath the surface of the red planet, with reliefs and friezes which look to have been chiseled out by giants untold eons ago. Sickly greens and angry reds attack the darkness - light offers not hope, but confusion and unease. While the visuals aren’t cutting edge, and textures can have issues loading at times, the art direction is superb. Luckily, Moons of Madness does this marvelously. Instilling feelings like those described above is important for any work inspired by Lovecraft. They seek to answer the question “are we alone in the universe?” Perhaps it is a question they should never have asked. Despite their technology and scientific acumen, Shane and his fellow cremates are wholly unprepared to face these forces. Although humanity has exerted enough control over space travel to overcome the hostile environment of Mars, other, stranger forces are at work. The opening of Moons of Madness features Shane attempting to repair equipment that keeps mysteriously breaking down. In fact, our profound irrelevance may be the only thing protecting us from being fully conquered or obliterated by those who occupy the spaces between dreams. All of the tools available to our small minds can only hope to stave off oblivion temporarily. One of the central themes of Lovecraftian Horror is the fragility and insignificance of humanity in the grand scheme of things. Players take control of a Mars astronaut beset by Lovecraftian horrors and a pervading sense of dread and mistrust. ![]() What is Moons of Madness? It’s a first-person survival horror game.However, with superb atmosphere, relatable character interactions, and engaging puzzles, Moons of Madness easily stands as a strong entry in the (quite large) Lovecraftian gaming canon - and it’s set on Mars! The story of this game unfolded without any big surprises or particularly salient insights into humanity or its place in the cosmos (Lovecraft might describe that place as irrelevant, insignificant, etc.). These influences make for an interesting blend, although they have a tendency to render the plot rather predictable. Visuals of Mars and the Invictus base could easily have come from 2015’s sci-fi/drama The Martian. The evil corporation and untrustworthy, accented scientist both recall Ridley Scott’s Alien. Protagonist Shane Newhart hangs a framed picture of the degree from his alma mater, Miskatonic University, eldritch, tentacled monstrosities stalk after him relentlessly, and the chants of deranged academics will be instantly recognizable for anyone who’s uttered the words “Cthulhu fhtagn.”īut play for a bit and you’ll recognize other influences pretty quickly. Down to the title, Moons of Madness is very obviously inspired by the works of Howard Phillips Lovecraft.
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