Call of the Elder Gods Review: A Deep Dive into Cosmic Horror 2026

Set two decades after the first game, Call of the Elder Gods introduces newcomer Evangeline Drayton, daughter of Frank Drayton from the original's ill-fated expedition, alongside the returning Professor Harry Everheart. Evangeline, plagued by memory lapses and dreams of an ancient city, seeks answers from Harry regarding the expedition's findings. The narrative is further enriched by Nora, the original protagonist, who narrates events with a self-awareness that adds layers of intrigue. Unlike Call of the Sea's more contained island setting, this sequel adopts an Indiana Jones-style globe-trotting adventure, signified by streaking red lines across maps. This expanded scope leads to profound and bizarre moments for the protagonists, stretching across time and space.

The story escalates beautifully as Harry and Evangeline traverse increasingly peculiar locations, from the Everheart estate and ancient caves in Virginia to remote Australian deserts, an abandoned Nazi compound with Eldritch experiments, and even an ancient city from the distant past. While this sweeping adventure style is largely successful, the brisk pace can sometimes lead to less connection with individual locations compared to the original's cohesive setting.

Video Highlights:

• Explores the delicate balance between story and puzzles.
• Highlights the shift from Call of the Sea's island exploration to a globe-trotting adventure.
• Introduces dual protagonists, Evangeline Drayton and Professor Harry Everheart.
• Discusses the game's unique approach to Lovecraftian horror, focusing on mystery over gore.
• Mentions the game's 5-hour duration and its Lovecraftian influences.

Interactions between the two leads are a highlight, especially during story moments where player decisions influence their reactions to interrogations or personal trauma. A sinister cult, also seeking ancient power, provides the adversarial element needed to maintain high stakes.

Much like its predecessor, Call of the Elder Gods places a strong emphasis on investigation and puzzle-solving. Players utilize Nora's trusty journal to keep track of crucial information, reminiscent of classic puzzle games like Myst and Riven. The puzzles often involve collecting clues left by other characters and meticulously inspecting environmental details to overcome obstacles. The game features genuinely inventive puzzle design, creating organic moments where players decipher solutions by understanding how pieces fit together. This process, coupled with the wondrous atmosphere, is one of the game's great joys.

The game's sharp, visually striking environmental presentation enhances the story-driven puzzle-solving. It offers a larger variety of spaces to explore, reflecting the escalating stakes of the journey and giving each chapter a unique theme and flavor. However, compared to the original's straightforward progression, the more fragmented structure can lead to uneven puzzle difficulty. Some challenges present an overload of information, particularly machine-heavy puzzles that require extensive journal-checking, akin to reading an instruction manual.

Call of the Elder Gods elevates its predecessor through the clever use of dual perspectives. Harry and Evangeline's parallel emotional journeys are impressively crafted as they grapple with past memories and potential futures. The game allows players to swap between both characters to solve puzzles in tandem, adding a dynamic layer to the gameplay. The strong writing and stellar voice performances by Yuri Lowenthal (Harry) and Mara Junot (Evangeline) bring these characters and their story to life, making their personal struggles and discoveries deeply engaging.

The dual perspectives allow for a less isolating experience compared to the original, as the connections between the characters and otherworldly forces naturally unravel through clues and progression.

The game wonderfully captures the otherworldly tone and sense of mystery that made its predecessor a hidden gem. It effectively wields the surreal aspects of Lovecraftian horror, focusing on psychological unease and existential dread rather than overt gore. This approach immerses players in a world where the unknown is a constant, unsettling presence. The environmental design plays a crucial role in building this atmosphere, with each location contributing to the escalating stakes and unique thematic flavor of the journey.

The subtle creep of otherworldly forces, such as during the storm sequence at the Everheart estate, effectively places players in strange situations, building a sense of dread. While the overall experience is captivating, the game's ambitions occasionally chip away at its consistency. The ending, in particular, may feel unsatisfying, leaving too many mysteries unresolved. However, Evangeline's arc as a new protagonist significantly deepens the weight of the original game, adding a poignant sense of tragedy to the failed expedition's story.

Call of the Elder Gods is an ambitious and largely successful sequel that builds upon the foundations of Call of the Sea. It delivers a touching narrative that further explores the events of its predecessor, complemented by rewarding puzzle-solving and strong character development. Developer Out of the Blue Games nails the emotional core of its first-person adventure, allowing both its characters and puzzle design to shine. Despite some uneven difficulty and a less-than-conclusive ending, the journey is well worth taking for fans of cosmic horror, mystery, and narrative-driven experiences.