However, strictly speaking, Conarium – this game is not on Lovecraft , and in the spirit of his work, namely the book “Mountains of Madness”. Intersections with it are obvious, but in general the authors tell the original story.
The action also takes place at a research station in Antarctica, which is located almost at the South Pole. We play for one of the scientists, Frank Gilmena who wakes up and finds herself all alone – all colleagues had disappeared, and he really does not remember anything.
Finding a variety of records, we gradually realize that the station carried out some experiments in which scientists with the help of strange instruments and materials were immersed in a hypnotic sleep. So they wanted to join the mysteries and knowledge of the ancient alien race Elders, whose cave just under the station.
There, members of the expedition discovers a strange device, wall inscriptions, rune stones with unknown plants, blocking the passage in some areas, as well as sarcophagi with mummies reptilian creatures that have replaced the old.
And yet, Frank, and we along with it, a gut feeling that there is someone or something else – a strange, dangerous, incomprehensible and therefore even more terrible …
Mountains of madness
This, however, does not mean that we have to constantly run and hide from some monsters and jump from the “Screamer”. Such a situation, of course, occur, but very metered – the authors rely on thoughtful research locations and gradually increasing the voltage.
We find and study all kinds of documents, listening to audio, periodically try to contact the other, we see the events of the past and fall through either in memory, or in a dream – slowly the line between the present and the past is erased, and now do not understand really where sleep here, hallucinations and what was reality.
The transition between the different states of consciousness in Conarium made very precisely and delicately. Here we see some kind of flower and sitting next to the cat, the shadow of which falls on the wall, and now the flower suddenly starts to grow in his eyes, embracing tentacles petals entire room, and a cat’s head becomes an odd shape, increases, distorted, he turns … Ugh. In this situation, it scares much more effective than any regular “boo” – looks really mad, in lavkraftovski.
Worst of all, even not when periodically before the eyes flashed strange shadows, or have to run away from something terrible, rolled on you primitive horror, and when in the final, we understand what led the experiments of scientists, what price they paid for trying to touch the fact that people should not touch. narrative logic dictates that it is to this and everything will come, but still, when you first see the consequences of these experiments and understand what really happened with Frank and his colleagues, it makes a strong impression …
Mysteries of history
Compared with dilogii Darkness Within in Conarium become less complex, of abstract puzzles. At first, everything seems primitive at all – to find the key, pour gasoline in the generator and run it, knock the door after a few strikes, pick up items and use them in the right place.
Then still have to destroy the stone slab with an ax and charged special energy crystals to help them remove the plants overlapping way.
At some point even have to sit behind the wheel of the underwater vehicle and a few arcade-style swimming under water, trying not to bump into anything – the unit just three “life”.
Of course, from time to time appear more traditional puzzles, when we need to, for example, to properly configure the airwaves or in the correct sequence to place the coins with the symbols on a stone pedestal.
But there is nothing particularly complicated there – always a clue somewhere near or in Frank’s diary, which he carefully recorded and sketched all the found notes, and documents.
This does not mean that the game turned into something easy and sometimes even arcade. Just this time, the authors decided to focus on a consistent, coherent story, which detract from some tricky puzzles would be too dangerous to carefully line up the atmosphere.
