Investigations and Ancient Horror in the Overview Trailer for Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss
Developers from Big Bad Wolf studio have prepared a hands-on glimpse at gameplay for Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss. The clip runs about four minutes and leans into a mix of tense investigation and creeping dread — part puzzle, part mind-bend.
The setup isn’t subtle. It’s 2053 and humans are mining the deep sea, esp. the abyssal plains and continental slopes. One expedition turns up more than ore: the ruined, submerged city of R’lyeh — home of Cthulhu, apparently not in the mood to be disturbed.
You play Noah, an Interpol agent assigned to a covert occult unit. Noah has an AI partner named Ki; together they descend to an abandoned underwater station to piece together why everyone vanished. Players will interrogate objects, stitch clues together, and — when things go sideways — face what defies description. It’s claustrophobic; it’s eerie; you’ll probably flinch.
The following mechanics were highlighted in the overview trailer:
- Evidence analysis — examine items, interact with scenes, and pull out details that matter. Each inspection reveals composition data and opens new sonar frequencies, letting you follow similar traces elsewhere.
- Energy management — every scan or deep analysis eats into an energy pool. Use it sparingly, or pay later; choices about when to push are meaningful (i.e., not just cosmetic).
- Storage — a running database for found evidence and documents. Think of it as your case file: necessary for solving certain puzzles and for cross-referencing notes.
- Sonar — more than a light in the dark. It maps hidden corridors and exposes things the eye misses, turning silence into information.
- Artifacts and upgrades — strange finds can boost investigation tools, but upgrades come at a price. Trade-offs exist; rewards aren't free.
- Corruption gauge — actions and decisions nudge Noah toward instability. The meter affects perception, behavior, and ultimately how the mystery resolves.
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss will be released on April 16 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series with Russian text localization.