Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land Review (iOS)

rating:3.5

Note: The Wasted Land is a universal iOS game available for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. This review is based on the iPad version. The first game from independent studio Red Wasp Design, Call Of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land splices elements from H. P. Lovecraft's classic horror tale into traditional turn-based RPG mechanics. Set in the trenches of World War 1 €“ and taking place around a decade before the events in Lovecraft's original short story €“ your starting set of Allied soldier player characters is augmented by the presence of an American scholar and mystic, and your initial battles against opposing troops soon morph into skirmishes against members of the Cult of the Awakened, mages and devotees of dark forces. Cultural parallels between the Cthulhu mythos and the horrors of early 20th-century warfare have been drawn before: notably, the origin of Hellboy is rooted in a mixture of black magic, ritualistic monster-worship and Nazism, and Seed Of Destruction draws heavily on the Cthulhu story for its imagery and thematic focus. The tale speaks to a universal and irrational terror of the unknown that we can all identify with, and the subtle addition of elements of Lovecraftian mythology extends The Wasted Land into interesting territory. The distortion of traditional wargame RPGs starts at the intro screen where the eery strains of 'It's A Long Way To Tipperary' drift over the titles, efficiently setting the mood for a game that combines WW1 conventions with elements of fantasy and horror. Title screens between levels are adorned with quotes from the original story; in an extensive training manual covering combat and weaponry you find entries for spells that turn your enemies insane. 'Wrack Of Hate' is possibly the most original attack spell I've seen in any game ever, as it €œhas the effect of partially dislocating the whole battlefield from the current dimension, thus losing small amounts of enemy action into a non-Euclidean void€. In terms of action and gameplay, like most RPGs a heavy investment is required early on in carefully considering weapon purchases and skill upgrades, and after the initial couple of levels the game goes through a steep difficulty curve that may frustrate casual gamers. However, planning and perseverance are ultimately rewarded, with the game demanding a level of commitment that should satisfy dedicated strategy fans. Each character has their own innate strengths and talents when it comes to weaponry and spell-casting, and a large part of the pleasure of the game comes from playing to these strengths and devising tactics to account for what can otherwise be debilitating weaknesses. The range of period weaponry on offer is unusually broad €“ from bayonets and short-range handguns to rifles and HMGs, and even artillery attacks that you call via carrier pigeon €“ and additional hazards such as toxic gas clouds add further depth to the game. Visually it looks gorgeous, particularly for an iOS game €“ though the intro screens and training manuals seem to be rather under-designed compared to the main game itself. The team behind The Wasted Land have a history in creating good-looking strategy games for mobile devices before they formed Red Wasp €“ they previously worked on the iPhone and Windows Phone 7 game Star Wars: The Battle For Hoth €“ and the game should act as a calling card for the type of unique, high-quality content the studio are capable of producing. Although it demands a level of dedication I don't usually grant to mobile games, it's extremely refreshing to see a mature and challenging game being crafted for a platform that is currently best known for Angry Birds, Plants vs Zombies, Canabalt and their ilk. Not that I don't love Plants vs Zombies, but sometimes you need something a bit meatier to get your teeth stuck into. Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land is available now for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.