Is this Cthulu-inspired game Thurul-y enjoyable?
Edge of Sanity is a survival horror adventure with unique 2D art and an intense atmosphere, inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and set in the unforgiving wilderness of Alaska during the Cold War. Each day, you need to provide food and supplies to survive another night in your camp. During story-rich expeditions, you will encounter local cultists and monsters hiding in dark corners around a remote mountain valley. Use anything you find to stand a chance against powerful enemies, uncover secrets of the mysterious Thurul Stone, and unveil a tragic story of missing scientists.
At a glance, Edge of Sanity reminds me of This War of Mine with its camp management and even how it handles, to a degree. You can choose to be stealthy against monsters before giving them the slip or taking them out with whatever you happen to be carrying, as well as laying or activating traps if you lure them to their doom. Your objective each day is to pick an area on the map then scavenge it for supplies and survivors, while avoiding/defeating Lovecraft-type monsters along the way.
Your character has a sanity meter of sorts that increases when interacting with certain objects that provide a jump scare or a switch to Cthulu-type territory, if he gets too many of these he will pick up a fear perk that will either have positive or negative benefits, but you can lower it if you find certain objects to use. I will say that he is very calm about the whole situation he finds himself in, which I found a bit odd but other than that I enjoyed the story and Lovecraft-style atmosphere.
There is an issue with the game at the time of writing. If you bring up your inventory menu, you’ll sometimes throw whatever item you have equipped, such as a rock. It can sometimes cause you to give yourself away to the enemy, which is a big problem if you are playing on the permadeath mode. I would stay away from that one until its fixed, as you don’t want to lose all your progress because of a silly input issue.
The art style gives the game a graphic novel feel, which goes well with anything Lovecraft inspired. The framerate never dropped and the voice-acting is well done. Finally, the soundtrack is also brilliant, capturing the atmosphere well.
The Verdict
Edge of Sanity has some good ideas and they work, for the most part. The input issue hopefully will be fixed soon, if it hasn’t already been when I post this. It may lose its appeal after a bit as the gameplay becomes a bit repetitive, but it’s still an impressive game and one that Lovecraft fans will enjoy.