(time played: 8hrs, 52m)
(ending got: The Counter-Ritual)

I don't know if I've played a game that's such a mishmash of styles like this one. Some features are constant and decent – reconstructing crime scenes, the skill points system – while others feel very sparsely used and/or useless – the occasional audio logs, and being able to rotate items. I'm particularly salty about the latter, since I turned every single item around and never once saw something of note on the back. Also, a small note; very disappointing to have lockpicking in a game and then make it automatic instead of a real mechanic. Still, the mishmash of features – and story – is charming, but not very engaging.

The cutscenes are all extremely goofy except for maybe one, and the character model animations are very jank. My favorites being Sanders getting thrown around in the air and instead of the classic telekenisis unnatural bones break, he just sort of... had blood spurt in the general direction of his head and then died? And Cat saying she was bleeding out without there being a single scratch on her model.

A couple parts were very annoying – namely the first scene with the Shambler and that infinite door puzzle near the end – but other than that, the gameplay is okay. Reconstructing crime scenes blinds you every time you both enter and leave, and can be a little confusing when you don't know where you're supposed to be looking. I like that in the "semi-open world" sections you have multiple ways to tackle a problem; the asylum section as Pierce being the best example of this.

By far, this game's strength is in its atmosphere and its conversations. All the locations look appropriately eerie, and I love the aesthetic. I only wish we got to see more of Darkwater's general landscape instead of just the docks area. It wasn't very scary except for some sections that genuinely freaked me out. The conversations are pretty well crafted in that you aren't stuck listening to someone speak for too long – they give you a dialogue option fairly often. And having unlockable choices based on what you find and what you have skill points in was cool.

Chapter 5 marks when the story starts to go off the rails in a questionable way. I think the intro of this game is strong, with the spooky vision, poking around Pierce's office to get a feel for his character, and meeting Sarah's father. Darkwater has a great air of mystery at first, and I was very interested in Cat's storyline and the conversation I overheard about the asylum. But once you actually get admitted to the asylum, it takes a turn. The mystery surrounding Darkwater is dampened and it feels like it's just going through the motions of a typical cult story. Especially once you find out Sarah's actually alive. Somehow, it becomes simultaneously confusing and incredibly clear. I understood what was happening but not necessarily why. The character's motivations felt scattered – mainly Charles Hawkins – and the answers to previous questions not fully explained. Not to mention Cat's involvement in the story is a lot smaller than I expected it to be, and Fitzroy and Chief West aren't much of twist villains/sudden threats when you barely see them all game.

I got the Counter Ritual ending, which looking at the official list of endings, seems to be the most lackluster. But they all have one common thread – what about the dad? Like, in the ending where Pierce lives and makes it back, does he just say he didn't solve the case or does he explain to this man his daughter actually wasn't dead but now she is? Or what about the ending where Cthulhu gets summoned and everyone kills each other?

This game just feels like it lost its plot, with the beginning not really connecting to the end. There are such interesting plot threads but they're overtaken by the game one upping itself. Like, okay, now people are being experimented on illegally by an immoral doctor with an accent? And then now everyone is turning into zombies? For some reason?

Although I do talk so negatively about it, plus the fact that it made me extremely nauseous, I don't regret playing it and I'd even recommend it just for the experience. At the very least, it's better than The Sinking City, lol.

Ugh, I am so conflicted on this game. It's janky, the actual gameplay sucks, and I experienced many graphical glitches that were downright hilarious. BUT. This game nails the Lovecraftian atmosphere many others try to emulate. The sense of dread and mystery that hangs over you while you investigate Darkwater Island is palpable and engrossing. Even when it puts the horror directly in front of you, which in my opinion is not the best way to do Lovecraftian, it manages to be terrifying and unsettling. And of course, the "bad" ending where Cthulu is summoned is one of the coolest ending cutscenes I've ever seen in a horror game.

100% Completion Notes: I don't remember too much about this completion, which usually means it wasn't very notable. I remember having to replay the ending for all of the different choices, and enjoyed most of the endings delivered.