Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is out now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Celebrating the launch, developer Big Bad Wolf and publisher Nacon have released a launch trailer, which clocks in at a minute and a half in length, and you can check it out below.
The trailer provides a brief rundown on the story setup for Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss. The narrative revolves around a submarine station in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, which had been shut down by the powerful mining corporation Ocean Eye. While the official statement was that it had simply been decommissioned, intercepted transmissions have indicated that there is more going on than the megacorp would want to admit.
The crew had started reporting hearing strange whispers in the dark, as well as the discovery of an underwater city resting on the ocean floor. The player takes on the role of an investigator working for a group known as Ansel with one simple mission: figure out what happened to the crew and figure out what they might have discovered. As the trailer notes, this isn’t a rescue operation. Rather, it is a “containment assessment,” and the player is only to “observe and report.”
To aid the player in their efforts, they have access to two distinct tools – an on-board AI assistant named KEY, and the SONAR, which can be used by the player to track down clues, which in turn can then be analyzed in the Vault. Game director Tommaso Sergi had outlined some of the gameplay and story elements of Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss earlier this month, noting that the studio wanted players to have “eureka moments” like they would in titles like Outer Wilds and The Forgotten City.
“From the start, our goal was to create a narrative detective where knowledge is the key,” he explained. “We wanted you to experience the same genuine ‘eureka’ moment that we all had in titles like Outer Wilds or The Forgotten City, when everything finally clicks, and the path forward seems clearer than ever.”
The horror game has been released to divisive reviews, with its aggregate score on Metacritic sitting at 70 based on ratings by 12 critics. While some have praised its polish and narrative, others have noted that it suffers from slow pacing that can potentially leave the player feeling frustrated.
Earlier this week, the studio had also released another trailer, this time around focusing on how the investigative horror game makes use of the PS5’s features. This includes haptic feedback and adaptive triggers from the DualSense controller, as well as support for 5.1 surround sound and Dolby Atmos through the console’s 3D audio capabilities.
Players who might be uncertain about whether or not they would enjoy the game can check out its free demo on Steam. Along with this, the studio had also released a trailer showcasing the opening minutes of Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss back in February. And if you’re looking for more Lovecraftian horror, ACE Team is working on the co-op title The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu, details of which you can check out here.