Tag: H.P. Lovecraft

Riding the Crazy Train With Railgods of Hysterra’s Latest Update

Although not every issue in Railgods of Hysterra has been fixed, whether or not it’s playable depends on whether enthusiasts have having a 75″ sized screen or bigger.

Railgods of Hysterra Video Game PosterBecause RailGods of Hysterra is missing one major fix, I haven’t enjoyed this cooperative survival game. That’s mostly because of the tiny text used throughout the game to identify objects, tell gamers what’s happening, etc. While I appreciate all the world-building that exists, not even after more than a month’s worth of casual play got me far. My original review can be read here. When this game is about making sure you catch the Katy, er, that sentient train and leave a mule to ride.

The latest updates (as of May 18, 2025, which appears to be the most recent significant patch noted):

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Will RailGods of Hysterra Be Fired Up and Ready for Travel in April?

Hopefully, the developers corrected the issues I found in the demo release for RailGods of Hysterra’s Early Access.

Railgods of Hysterra Video Game PosterEarly Access Will Be Available on April 10, 2025

Troglobytes Games’ RailGods of Hysterra is a survival game which needs an accessibility option if I’m going to keep playing. That’s because the text was incredibly tiny! Even on a 45 inch screen, I had trouble reading and there were no in-game controls to adjust contrast. I spent a week with the demo before deciding to get my eyes checked. They’re good, but even when I revisited it, I struggled with reading.

When there’s a game inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s fantasy world known as the Dreamlands. I’m certainly excited. Although it doesn’t borrow from any of ths stories, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time to find tie-in material. For now, this game is about surviving this world. When this version mixes up resource management, item builds and land exploration, I better be careful about what’s ’round the corner.

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[Interview] Catching Up With Chad Ferrin. From H.P. Lovecraft’s The Deep Ones to Unspeakable: Beyond the Wall of Sleep, What’s Next?

Beyond the Wall of Sleep is more than a tribute to the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Although it’s meant to be a sequel to another tale, Chad Ferrin massaged what he got into a quirky fun tale about the (coming) end of days.

Chad Ferring FilmmakerAvailable to stream on Apple TV and Amazon

From a simple film thrown together last minute to becoming a trilogy to honour the works of H.P. Lovecraft, Chad Ferrin doesn’t need that long of a re-introduction. When I spoke to him about his first work, The Deep Ones, (interview link) the ideas for a modern age retelling of several tales have its charm. And he wasted no time in working on a direct sequel for the first.

But for the third, it’s a completely different beast, and I had to chat with him again about how that came to be:

When compared to where you were in the past with making The Deep Ones to now, with Unspeakable: Beyond the Wall of Sleep, where do you think you are as a filmmaker?

Well, it was originally going to be a sequel to my first film, Unspeakable. Roger Garcia initially came to me and said he wanted to do a sequel to that. He said he has an investor who is up for it, and when he didn’t like the draft, I turned it into a H.P. Lovecraft movie because I know that there’s always a demand for that. I intertwined the characters from that first movie into this new one, and it just kind of flowed. Susan Priver helped find another investor, and before we knew it, we began shooting.

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In Rewinding Games’ Wild Demo of Roots Devour, Playing a Hungry Monster is Easy!

And we know which entity the player’s avatar will become in the intro to Roots Devour! Read on for our spoiler regarding whom that Great Old One is.

Roots DevourSpoiler Alert

Roots Devour is a puzzle solving game by Rewinding Games set in some dark woodland area, where players can play the villain! It borrows from H.P. Lovecraft‘s writings and perhaps Evil Dead too. That’s because the creature I’m playing had to seek not-so-innocent vertebrates to drink their blood! They give form I’m in the required essence to survive and grow. As the name suggests, it’s about extending a living tree’s roots to as far as they can go!

What’s effectively creepy is the fog of war which envelops this game. I’m never within it, and unless I extend the roots to explore, what’s revealed are either difficult terrain or playing cards. They represent either various aspects of a dying forest or victims I can either drain or have to figure a way around! This maze took more than a few tries to reach any place meaningful. Continue reading “In Rewinding Games’ Wild Demo of Roots Devour, Playing a Hungry Monster is Easy!”

To Hail a Lunar New Year with 2024’s Ape x Mecha Ape: New World Order

Even though The Asylum’s mockbusters are just that, sometimes there’s a diamond in the rough that gets my attention. When the focus is away from a mutant lizard, Ape x Mecha Ape: New World Order is surprisingly watchable.

Ape X Mecha Ape New World OrderAvailable to view on Google Play and Prime Video
Spoiler Alert

The Asylum is a movie studio well known for its parodies of blockbuster films, and sometimes they create a hidden gem I enjoy. What writer/director Marc Gottlieb got right in Ape X Mecha Ape: New World Order to honour that kaiju spirit. The biggest surprise is the design of the robot! I’d gladly have a model of it stomping on 1998s Godzilla on my shelf!

But for the former, as this planet’s saviour (sort of), the giant sized Abraham knows something the humans do not at the start of this film. And all his human watchers can do is stand by the sidelines and watch the devastation. If that’s not what a typical Toho film from the 70s looks like, then maybe someone can enlighten me. After this monkey’s first confrontation with a worm from outer space, all I wanted to see was who would win during round two!

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The Colour Out of Space Is Blue, If This Thrilling Cover Is Any Indication

After two movies based on The Colour Out of Space, there’s now going to be a manga by celebrated meister Gou Tanabe!

Gou Tanabe and HP Lovecraft's The Colour Out of Space Cover
Now available to preorder on Amazon

Just how many stories of H.P. Lovecraft manga artist Gou Tanabe plans to adapt is likely to keep him busy for most of his life! While there’s been a few cinematic takes of The Colour Out of Space, the director and studio can only do so much depending on the budget. Nick Cage’s version (you can read my review here) wasn’t too bad, but to see what this manga artist can deliver in black and white may well mean he has to add colour this time!

This next release from Dark Horse Comics is sure to please, and as for whether a splash of colour will be used in this artist’s rendition, I can’t wait to take a look and be transformed too!

From the Press Release:

The works of H.P. Lovecraft explore horrifically inconceivable gods and monsters amongst humanity. Gou Tanabe presents each of these tales in stunningly visceral artistic detail in his multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated manga adaptations. Now, Dark Horse Manga presents H.P. Lovecraft’s The Colour Out of Space by Tanabe, translated into English by Zack Davisson, translator of the two-time Eisner Award-winning Showa: A History of Japan by Shigeru Mizuki, and set to join the growing collection of Tanabe’s popular works in July 2025.

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