For my inaugural play-through of Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure, I found it increasingly difficult to give my cheek muscles a break from smiling as I clicked my way through what can best be described as an unrelentingly charming point-and-click adventure that is simply teeming with Lovecraftian, noire-infused personality. Much like genre classics such as The Secret of Monkey Island or even the slightly more modern Grim Fandango, developer Stuck in Attic turns the sum of their game's parts into a postmodern gothic love letter to interactive story-telling, nerd culture, and most importantly - Cthuhulu.
You play as one of two characters, each with their own, interconnected story paths - an unassuming librarian with a hobbit-esque desire to avoid adventure named Buzz Kerwan, and a detective noire gumshoe stereotype named Don R. Ketype. The unlikely pair cross paths as the result of the rumored resurfacing of the fabled Necronomican that - even in a world saturated in the supernatural and occult - is seemingly dismissed as being fantasy. Through some brief shenanigans, Buzz becomes the unlikely recipient of the Necronomicon and for some unknown, irredeemable reason reads allowed a random passage from the book that grants his cat, Kitteh, sentience. From there, Buzz, Kitteh, and Don set out on a quest to figure out how to undo this magical deed - but because the Necronomican is a leather-bound agent of chaos, the characters are involuntarily thrusts into a greater, more sinister plot involving maniacal, hilariously bureaucratic cultists, smelly fish, and the Old Ones.
Stylistically, Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure is a visual achievement in and of itself, with the game's artists opting to hand-draw each of the game's many set-pieces and jam pack them with a commendable level of detail. Much like with other aspects of the game, a considerable amount of love and attention was clearly put into each of the game's locations, and no two set pieces appeared particularly derivative of another despite tonally sharing a common aesthetic. The use of perspective was especially effective throughout the game's sprawling locals, and created a sense of continuity that made traversing the streets of each town feel as though they were interconnected fragments of a larger picture. While there were some instances of what I would consider "advanced darkness" that inadvertently masked important details in some of the more dimly-lit backgrounds, the developers preemptively addressed any perceived visual hinderance by providing a mechanic that highlights points of interest on the screen for you.
In terms of gameplay, Gibbous stays true to being first and foremost a point-and-click adventure game. You may as well use your free hand to flip through a Latin-to-English dictionary, since, with the exception of the occasional spacebar for the aforementioned highlighting mechanic, the game is played almost exclusively with a mouse. Why a dictionary you may very well ask? Well, you're likely going to need some of Webster's wisdom in order to solve some of the game's later puzzles. If there's one thing I learned from this game about the occult - it's that they love using Latin to perform their creepy rituals. Speaking of puzzles, there are several - many of which I found to be as gratifying as they were difficult. Fortunately, I had my academically-proficient fiance to help me out with some of the more jarring examples, but also Gibbous is just so damn charming that any frustration I felt was quickly negated by the game's profound self-awareness into its own absurdity and willingness to accept the ridiculousness of its expectations. That said, the majority of the game is experienced through voice-acted dialogue and each character you interact with is rife with quirky, over-the-top personality and intrigue. However, those who prefer action over interaction may feel stifled, or unfulfilled by a more fact-finding, problem-solving approach to gameplay.
Aside from its visuals, one aspect of Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure that provides so much dimension to an otherwise 2D game is its morbidly delightful, often hilarious and on-the-nose writing. It's in each character's dialogue - both internal and external - that brings to attention just how much heart developer Stuck in Attic put into crafting its Lovecraftian magnum opus. You would be amiss to try and play Gibbous with the intention of getting from point A to point B as quickly and without distraction as possible, otherwise you may miss some decidedly choice content that can only be uncovered through interacting with the world. A fair amount of the game is precariously hidden in plain sight, which is to say that every fixture that looks like it might provide some context to your character's experience is worth looking into. Without giving too much away, one standout instance of this involves an unexceptional radio that the player can use to tune into the local radio station. If you're willing to wait around long enough, you'll be treated to a caller recounting an all-too-familiar story that is without a doubt a reference to another "game" of sorts.
Additional Thoughts
- The game's soundtrack provides an appropriately ominous and eerie atmosphere without ever being overtly prominent. Most of the game strikes a healthy balance between score and visuals. That said, there is one particular piece that, at the expense of my audible comfort, features a violin in a slightly-too-high key. This is probably nit-picky, as the game's music was enjoyable overall and a fitting backdrop that adequately set the mood.
- While this is probably not unique to Gibbous but rather an issue with point-and-click adventure games as a whole , there were times when I knew what needed to happen/where to go but had to navigate the correct sequence of events in order to gain access to it. Not necessarily a detractor, but at some points was a slight annoyance.
- Kitteh was sometimes slow to catch up to the player, which resulted in an extended waiting sequence prior to being able to interact with someone/something while waiting for Kitteh to reach her marker.
- With the exception of a few minor bugs that the developers are aware of and are actively fixing, Gibbous is surprisingly polished. This is of course a rarity for the industry, especially when compared to AAA games with infinitely more resources.
