Nintendo Switch
A visual novel based on the world of HP Lovecraft presented with tongue firmly in cheek, The Innsmouth Case is a relatively fresh take on the miserable ones’ cosmic horror. That said, if the tone of humour doesn’t tickle your funny bone – as in my case – it can turn a quirky and breezily-written tale into a bit of a slog.
You play a pretty stereotypical hard drinkin’, messy-officed private eye who is hired by an enigmatic woman to locate her missing daughter. The bulk of the game takes place in the strange, seaside town of Innsmouth as you ostensibly hunt for Tabitha Marsh, all the while judging and casting aspersions on the townsfolk and their mysterious ways.
Whilst the writing is clean, brisk and well-presented (the game takes place almost exclusively through text presented as an open book on the screen) and the artwork has a zaniness that matches the writing - it reminded me somewhat of Oh Sir!! The Insult Simulator – I didn’t really click with the style of humour. From the option to wink and ‘nudge, nudge’ your way through dialogue with the hotel concierge through to how the protagonist rolls his eyes and dismisses people he comes into contact with, I found him more irritating than amusing and the lurches in the choices of response styles took me out of the chapters I was really getting hips deep into, such as the lighthouse section.
Moving beyond that, this pretty light visual novel is a pleasantly different take on the works of Lovecraft and the many dead-ends and a large number of chapters means that you can play and replay all of the segments to get the full story. If you fancy a humorous, easy read and you have a passing interest in HP Lovecraft this is a pleasant, well-presented diversion and, if you enjoy the humour you’ll get even more out of it.
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