Swedrami: Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!
Tekeli-li! Indeed ^_^
Cool link! Going to watch later.
Since Lovecraft's writtings became public domain, everyone uses/references/markets/steals/parasites for profit on their products, instead of creating original things of their own. Some even have the hipocrisy to call it homage/tribute. A good chunk of his stories weren't even published when he was alive, and he never saw any reward from them. This is something that many artist suffered along the centuries. Famous names like Kafka or Van Gogh who were considered nothing in their lifetimes, completely exploited after their deaths. Kafka is known to have asked a friend to burn his stories when he die. The 'friend' didn't. Result: everyone involved except Kafka took advantage of his works.
The 'madness' and 'tentacles' things in popular culture are also very erroneous. Despite his very flourish style on his stories climaxes, clinical madness is pratically non-existant. Heck, in all his stories, I don't recall more than one or two characters that could be said to have a true complete dive into insanity [one from 'Horror at Red Hook', another from 'At the Mountains of (duh) Madness'].
The fame came from the excellent series of roleplaying games from Chaosium, 'The Call of Cthulhu', based on his works adultered by August Derleth. Cthulhu is not symbolic to water gods. There's a reason he's stuck inside the buildings of R'lyeh. He doesn't have tentacles (neither have octopuses; go check). Lovecraft described them as 'feelers'. His head does not even really look like an octopus to me (saw a drawing of him by Lovecraft), and has three eyes on each side.
From what I gather, the developer company is from Australia ('Ahitereiria'). A place where a good number of Lovecraft's stories dip their plots. I find quite cool. According to GOG's page, it's going to have Brazilian Portuguese translation. Feel a little sad that my country (Portugal) never has translations. Specially in this context where Lovecraft reference us at least three times in his stories. Mostly as villains, of course. ^_^
He also used a german as main character in one of his stories. The narrator from 'The Temple'. Contrary also to popular belief, he was not a fan of Germany as some sort of arian-master race (the 'hun' as he called them). He was pro-celtic. A true 'english gentleman'. If you pay attention to his words, he wrote the narrator from 'The Temple' as an arrogant pompous villain.
The inclusion of indigenous people and german nazis in a cross between 'Mountains of Madness' and 'Shadow Out of Time' seems enticing for a pulp or weird tale. There's good material there. Almost regret the originality of the exotic protagonist. Almost. ^_^
Can't wait to dive as a penguim in those cold antarctican waters. Wonder if there are going the leopard seals and orcas there. Wouldn't be surprised if there'll be mentions to at least six of famous Lovecraft's races. Wouldn't be surprised if the work of one or two others great writers were also mencioned. Wonder also if Lovecraft's 'The Nameless City' may also be mentioned. The narrator there is the same from 'The Shadow Out Of Time'
A surprising thing for anyone who knows about Lovecraft's xenophobia: According to his travel essays (that I'm reading at the moment), he actually denounced and disapproved mistreatments of indigenous americans by the hands first of europeans (specially english and dutch), and then worse by the USA.
But, although he referenced himself in one of his latter letters as: 'What a pompous jackass I was in those days'. (don't remember the rest of the words but they were also very self-insulting), he really was an instinctive xenophobe, make no mistake.
Makes me wonder about his unknown thoughts about Maori people (I believe appearing in this game). In 'Shadow over Innsmouth', Lovecraft wrote some as villains, and others as heroes who destroy those same villains.
Wonder what engine the developers used. I think another game they did before was with Unity. If this is going to be the same case, beware of possible background DRM.
Oh, yeah... Great design for the villains' flag. Find it very historical true.
Wishlisted. I know I'm extrapolating much from a small indie game from a small company, but I think these two characteristics can provide good qualities for the game. Evocative and original, but not too much ambitious. I'm sick and tired of those pseudo-AAA Unreal 534 static games raping Lovecraft's works popping up everywhere. The playing as a pinguin seems so different and cool, i'm very-very curious to see.
Gonna take a break from my readings and revisit 'At the Mountains of Madness'. This just gave me the vibes.
Tekeli-li everyone!
P.S.: If you want something to entertain until the game comes out, and with the same vibe, try 'Prisoner of Ice' and 'Dark Corners of The Earth', here on GOG. Along the likes of 'Alone in the Dark' 1 and 'Shadow of the Comet' (which make a trilogy with 'Prisoner'), they're some the last of the great Lovecraftian games. There are more, but they are all of the same publishing era.