Developing sequels is always a complex task, starting from the very earliest stages of an artistic production. The range of options is endless: staying on the same path, veering slightly off course, or even going completely against the grain. That is why so many follow-ups end up being less acclaimed than the original works in any kind of media. It’s not a rule, but it is an empirical constant in the history of pop culture.

Clearly, this was a challenge the Spanish studio Out of the Blue Games struggled to overcome, since its debut game, Call of the Sea, was critically acclaimed around the world. So how do you deliver something that lives up to fans’ expectations, especially considering that the first title doesn’t leave much room for sequels?

The answer they found was to immerse the player in that universe, investing in the narrative and making the puzzles even more cohesive, while also adapting a more mature, elaborate, and acclaimed work by H. P. Lovecraft, "The Shadow Out of Time." Thus Call of the Elder Gods was born.

Even though I’m an admitted fan of the developer, both because of its firstborn and the excellent American Arcadia, this sequel didn’t win me over right away. It was only in Chapter 3 that I was truly hooked by the journey of young Evie Drayton and Miskatonic University professor Harry Everhart. And yes, in case you’re wondering, Harry is Norah’s husband, the protagonist of Call of the Sea, who also returns here, though only as the story’s narrator.

The events take place years after the first game, with Everhart dedicating his life to studying the black ooze and supernatural phenomena, which puts him on the trail of a dark cult seeking to dominate the world. Meanwhile, Evie may hold the answers to all the questions Harry has spent his life trying to unravel.

The beginning is slow, with the two characters’ personalities and relationship taking time to develop, as do the story’s first major events. The narrative leans heavily on exposition, since we have two characters interacting directly and a third omniscient voice filling in the gaps.

This slow start also applies to the puzzles. Although they resemble escape-room setups, they fail to present any major challenge right away. The gears take a while to start turning, like an ethanol car on a cold day, but fortunately the script never leaves us feeling like we’re late for the appointment.

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As mentioned earlier, things really heat up from the third chapter onward. The cult’s evil plans and methods are laid bare; Evie’s relevance to the story becomes clear; and Harry takes on a much more active role. The game grows as a whole once the introductions are out of the way, putting newcomers and veterans on equal footing narratively as they take in the story’s steady development.

It was also in this chapter that I faced my first real challenge: a classic logic puzzle in which, with limited information, you must identify five traits belonging to five different characters. I spent nearly 30 minutes reading, rereading, and testing possibilities, which made finally finding the solution deeply satisfying. It’s nothing innovative or especially complex, but it draws on so many different elements of history, astronomy, and even chemistry that it all feels far more immersive.

From this point on, the game brings in beings from other planets, space and time travel, character-switching mechanics, World War II decryption machines, Egyptian mythology, alien languages, and a surprising ending.

Everything becomes more intense thanks to the performances of Harry (Yuri Lowenthal), Evie (Mara Junot), and Norah (Cissy Jones), who bring exactly the right balance of depth and lightness. The audio side, in fact, has always been one of Out of the Blue’s strengths, and that remains true here with the spectacular soundtrack composed by Eduardo de la Iglesia.

Overall, Call of the Elder Gods is like a small campfire made of damp twigs that takes a while to catch, but is still capable of setting an entire grove ablaze. Even if it doesn’t burn with the intensity of a forest fire like the games competing for the year’s biggest awards, it can still leave a mark on those who experience it, especially if they are fans of the unnameable Lovecraftian universe.

Call of the Elder Gods

Call of the Elder Gods

12 maio 2026

Puzzle

Developer: Out of the Blue Games

Publisher: Kwalee

Rating: 12 years

Platforms: PC

Tested on: PC