I mean - it's true: this game is not perfect.

But with every minute that I played it, it practically oozed with the love the devs had for the lore and the story. Between the Uncanny and old fashioned Lovecraftian horror, lie a bunch of weird characters with their own little lives and sorrows being absolutely one with the history of the place they live.

There was a reason for most folks ignoring the monsters, there were cases of human and monster clashing, there were weird cult guys, weird fish people and even the gorilla man had an in-game-reason as to why he was a gorilla man.

The soundtrack remained subtle but always fitting, esp. with the overall theme of a city drowning in water.

I was not a fan of the underwater-bits but those don't take a lot of room so it's fine.

I could have done without the combat system and found it to be wonky most times but this is also something I - personally - gladly deal with, if I get this type of experience out of it.

I also found it to be refreshing that the main character just didn't give a fuck from the very beginning about anything unless he got paid for it. This "fuck this shit" attitude made sense to me - the guy needs money and has enough baggage on his own that he REALLY doesn't need anyone else's - but he wasn't heartless.

Depending on the answers the player gives, he's between a "devil may care" and "jerk with a heard of gold" attitude. He doesn't really talk about his own demons but what he talks about is enough to get a good impression of it.

I also liked the stories in the mini-quests that basically play out in diary entries or letters only. They were a nice touch and I think the fact that they left a lot to the imagination, they were sometimes creepier than the bigger sidequests.

I did not enjoy what happened to the dog! :/ And so will no one else who reacts sensitively to animal deaths. Just a warning.

Another aspeckt that I liked was about the conclusions you make at the end of each case. There are always two of them and it is (as far as I remember) never stated which one is the "right" one.

Save those guys who are infected with madness - everyone around them goes mad too. Good job. Not.

Leave them where you found them - they starve to death and that's shitty too. :/

There are better examples of this but that would mean I get too spoilery.

You also have to actually use the map and find buildings and streets by yourself. Can't remember the last time a game had this much trust in me. :D
It shouldn't have done that. I was lost a lot. But that's just my dumb ass I guess. shrug

Anyway, I really loved the game. I think frogware threw a very solid piece of horror on the market that is a good cross between psychological and body horror.
Esp. the cutscenes of the protags nightmare visions were a treat for me!

P.S: The game lacks a satisfying ending. That sucked. :(