Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: Lust for Darkness
Developer: SimFabric
Publisher: SimFabric
Genre: Adventure
Price: $14.59
Also Available On: Steam
Nintendo isn’t normally predisposed to allowing content that serve to titillate, so Lust for Darkness is, if nothing else, among the few titles on the eShop that limit their appeal to mature audiences. No doubt, its status as an exception to the rule stems from the necessity of the explicit displays of intimacy in moving the narrative forward. Gamers take on the perspective of principal protagonist Jonathan Moon, who strives to save his wife, missing for a year, from the clutches of a cult bent on creating pathways to the underworld Lusst’ghaa and summoning an eldritch being through a ceremony in which they succumb to pleasures of the flesh.
List for Darkness promises to keep gamers on the edge of their seats with its unique take on psychological horror, but provides for no subtlety in pushing the boundaries of its medium. The setup is fairly engrossing, if straightforward. Moon heads to an appropriately sinister mansion on the strength of a letter he receives from his missing wife. As he ventures to save her, he finds himself going up against members of the cult and inhabitants of Lusst’ghaa as it begins to meld with the Victorian abode.
In this regard, developer Movie Games Lunarium strives to amp up the scares and keep gamers on their toes through varied gameplay. Its roots as a walking simulator are evident in its linear progression, with Moon having to do significant exploration work — examining his surroundings, opening lockers, poring through items, and so on and so forth — while going through passageways and corridors. On the flipside, it offers enough doses of stealth movement, running, and puzzle solving for the interest of the more impatient lot to be retained.
Unfortunately, Lust for Darkness seems an update or two away from becoming a solid port on the Nintendo Switch. As good as its personal computer version may be, it gets bogged down on the hybrid console by hardware and programming limitations. Frame drops are evident even with all the graphical sacrifices, and the Lovecraft-inspired imagery Movie Games Lunarium wants to bring to the fore sometimes gets lost in the literal absence of light. The ambient music does help convey the right atmosphere, but the voice acting, while getting the job done, could be better.
In the end, Lust for Darkness winds up being betrayed by its own hype. It begins with great promise; even the hefty 12.9-gigabyte eShop download seems to pledge results. Meanwhile, it’s a five-hour run-through at best, signifying that it would have fared better with tempered expectations. That said, investing in it does yield not inconsequential benefits; the more gamers collect in-game items (tomes, artifacts, and the like), the more they get to delve into the game’s underlying mythology — culminating in an unlocked cutscene that ties a ribbon around the narrative. It’s good on the whole, but sets a low bar for the upcoming sequel to hurdle.
THE GOOD
- Tonal consistency, with visuals and sounds providing the right atmosphere
- Pushes the envelope in subject matter and treatment
- Offers gameplay variety
- Collectibles add to the narrative
THE BAD
- Occasional frame drops even with compromised graphics
- Lack of lighting spoiling Lovecraft-inspired imagery
- Buggy port
- Relatively short
RATING: 6.5/10
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