As a member of the point and click adventurers guild (that probably actually exists), I’m quite ashamed to say that I hadn’t previously heard of Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure. Then again, I’ve only recently returned to PC gaming, so I forgive myself.
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When the PR went out for the game, coming to the Switch, it felt only natural to have another point and click on the portable Nintendo, as some truly great titles are already available. But when I looked at the screenshots, I thought it would be too good to be true.
I like being wrong in these situations: Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure, from Stuck In Attic, is one of the best-looking adventure games I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. So much so that when playing in docked mode, my youngest asked what show I was watching.
Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure Review
It’s unfair to assume that you already know anything about this, I didn’t, so let’s give you the skinny. Our story begins with Don R Ketype – a hard-boiled PI on the look for the Necronomicon. His investigation leads him to a library, but just as he gets close to solving the case, he is knocked unconscious and taken away by a hooded figure.
The librarian he quizzed before losing consciousness, Buzz Kerwan, in the heat of the moment, vows to find out what happened to Don, his instant friend and through this catalytic event finds the book that Don was looking for.
Getting his bearings, he returns to his apartment and starts reading through the book for clues, inadvertently creating a spell that allows his cat to talk. Cue your companion for the adventure as you look to reverse the spell and rescue Don, while switching back and forth between the two as the latter looks to complete his mission.
Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure has just enough in-jokes and nods to its influences not to be distracting or pretentious, but the right amount for you to be searching every scene not only for clues but for pop culture references.
I Am Buzz, Mighty Pirate
The ‘in thing’ to do with point and clicks these days is to refer to The Secret Of Monkey Island, the Granddaddy to all of these adventures (there’s a signed Ron Gilbert photo in Buzz’s apartment) and to be full to the brim of adventure Easter Eggs. Willy Morgan and the Curse of Bone Town did it, Darkestville Castle and the recent Leisure Suit Larry – Wet Dreams Dry Twice, all made reference to LucasArts titles throughout.
This is a good thing as a fan, but it doesn’t distract from the rather excellent story and humour throughout Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure, and it doesn’t ride on the success of these stories. Though the appearance of a voodoo expert early on in the game made me chuckle and I did feel I was back on Mêlée Island.
Making the transition to the Switch has always been good for point and clicks, as you can often take advantage of the touchscreen, which is on offer here in handheld mode. The customary ‘highlight everything of interest’ button is also here, making it easier to pick out items in the superb illustrations. It’s easy for them to blend in as each is a work of art.
I may be a maverick here and say that Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure is one, if not the most attractive point and click I’ve ever played – and I’ve played a hell of a lot. Character designs are brilliant, and the voice acting is spot-on (even if it’s clear that one actor is using multiple voices as John DiMaggio does). But seriously, the visuals and audio are divine.
I may have spent even longer with Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure, not because of the puzzles, but for admiring the ambience and work that has gone into it. With point and clicks, the spell of escapism can often crack when you get stuck, and while that happened here on occasion, the overall experience was just incredible.
A Lovecraftian Adventure
There were a couple of things I didn’t like, but they were so trivial, it’s really not an issue, but I’ll tell you them anyway. That’s why you’re here. When highlighting points of interest, the overlayed text dominates the screen and is ugly. It’s hard to identify items when the text overlaps itself, especially in handheld mode. But the solution is an easy one: don’t use it and explore the screen without this stabiliser.
The other one is more of a comment than a critique. With the dialogue choices, it did feel a little procedural as all the options remain when selecting, so what you said often didn’t have a consequence, as there was usually only one sentence to progress. On this basis, some of the responses are continuations of a conversation that, in theory, hadn’t happened. On the upside, you get to go through and experience every bit of dialogue – it’s totally worth it due to the writing and voice talents.
Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure isn’t without the typical point and click brick wall of knowing what to do next, but that’s the nature of the genre. Whenever possible, I aim to get a good selection of screenshots from a game but found myself so into the story that a lot of the time, I forgot. That’s not a good sign when you’re reviewing a game as I’m certainly not playing games because I enjoy them, no siree…
Piecing it all together, though, Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure is a fantastic adventure with a brilliant story that wouldn’t be out of place in a Broken Sword adventure, humour from Day of the Tentacle, or artwork from something such as… well, a TV show – it’s that amazing. The skinny: I loved Gibbous A Cthulu Adventure.
Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure Review Summary
Taking the best elements from the top point and click adventures, hiring a team of elite artists, animators and voice talent, Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure throws them into the voodoo melting pot and creates an absolute belter of a game. Utterly worth a pickup for fellow adventurers and appreciators of art.
