H.P. Lovecraft’s impact on horror is incredibly far-reaching, influencing books, films, and video games alike. Known for his tales of cosmic dread and supernatural terrors, his work has redefined fear at its most basic level, making it less about death and pain and more about an overwhelming feeling of insignificance in a universe that cares little for one’s welfare. In the world of video games, his legacy has found its way intogames likeBloodborne,Call of Cthulhu, andAmnesia: The Dark Descent, each offering its own interpretation of Lovecraftian horror. Now, a new studio is stepping into that space. Vertpaint, an indie team with a background in major studios like Rockstar Games, is preparing to releaseRitual Tides, which promises to bring cosmic fear to the forefront in an unprecedented way.
Game Rant recently interviewed Vertpaint CEO and creative director James Macleod about howRitual Tidesplans to take Lovecraftian horror to the next level and then some. During the interview, Macleod offered some insight into what it means for an experience to be classified as Lovecraftian, as well as the story and atmosphere that Vertpaint believes will setRitual Tidesapart in the genre and one of its most beloved subgenres.
Ritual Tides Aims to Be One of the Darkest Lovecraftian Horror Games Yet
Ritual Tides Is Targeting Truly Authentic Lovecraftianism
When it comes to horror games, very few subgenres feature the psychological weight and existential dread of a Lovecraftian experience. While tentacled monsters and ancient tomes have proven to be staples of the genre,true cosmic horror gamesare less about the monstrous creatures that lurk in the shadows and more about the shadows themselves and the incomprehensible mysteries and dangers that might inhabit them. That’s the kind of horrorRitual Tidesaims for, as it wants to honor Lovecraft’s legacy by giving players a truly authentic Lovecraftian gaming experience. When asked about the inspiration behindRitual Tidesand how Lovecraftian themes are integrated into its story, Macleod responded,
“I’ve always been a fan of cosmological horror, and obviously Lovecraft, being the godfather of cosmological horror. Whenever I think of cosmological horror, I tend to think of insurmountable horror. It’s not like Jason, from the famous horror films. Although he’s got supernatural qualities, he’s still just a man with a machete. Whereas Azathoth is like an unbelievably, all-knowing entity, and Cthulhu is a similar thing. So, a lot of that influence has gone into the game and in the writing itself.”
The true horror ofRitual Tides, then, doesn’t solely rely on an external force of nature or even the supernatural, but instead primarily on the emotional and philosophical weight of its themes. Rather than makingRitual Tidesall aboutshocking players with jump scaresor terrifying creatures, Vertpaint has chosen to view the game’s development through a Lovecraftian lens to explore what it means to face evil on a scale that reaches something more internal — something that cannot be physically grasped and only felt, sensed, and experienced.
Ritual Tides' Story and Atmosphere Are the Heart and Soul of Its Horror
The narrative ofRitual Tides, especially, delves into a level of darkness that many horror developers who go through external publishers can’t embrace. These projects usually result in something more about shock value than the feeling of true dread and terror produced by a thematic story.Ritual Tides' horror story, on the other hand, has been structured to articulate how and why theworld within the game is so terrifying, with the product being a disturbing and downright uncomfortable narrative. Macleod continued,
“There are themes within the story that are exceedingly dark, and they’re exceedingly dark, not for gratuity’s sake — they’re exceedingly dark because they paint a picture of how dark this bad side of this, I want to say, “entity.” There are some really mean people in the game, and we could have danced around that and not shown that, but we decided to go the other way and to really dive into it because that is a big, big component as to why the game’s scary.”
The “exceedingly dark” themes inRitual Tidesare a major reason Vertpaint chose independence over an external publisher. If they had opted to go through a publisher withRitual Tides, Macleod added during the interview, “these things wouldn’t have been allowed.” While the themes themselves are bound to help root terror deep within the souls of players, they wouldn’t be as effective withoutan oppressive atmosphere, withRitual Tideshaving been designed to excel at.
WithRitual Tides, Vertpaint is leaning into the slow-burn methodology of thebest horror stories, choosing to spend more time creating tension and building anticipation than simply packing its world full of explosive scares. When asked aboutRitual Tides' balance between atmosphere and jump scares, Macleod replied,
“Building atmosphere and anticipation is a really, really important component, as it is in a Lovecraft book. Quite often I’d argue that the payoff in a Lovecraft book, the climax of the narrative isn’t the best bit. The best bit is the lead-up, the building up of atmosphere — the feeling that you’re about to be scared is the scariest moment. So, atmosphere is what we’re leaning really heavily into, especially with the visuals. We want people to be immersed in where they are in the world.”
If Vertpaint succeeds in its vision,Ritual Tidesmay be more than just another cosmic horror game. Instead, it could indeed prove to be one of the few in the subgenre that truly understands it. By embracing the psychological, narrative, and sensory elements that define Lovecraft’s legacy,Ritual Tidesaims to unsettle, provoke, and disturb at every turn, as it takes the stage alongside manyother horror gamesthat prefer to merely frighten.
