Lust from Beyond

I've played hundreds of video games over the last 25 years or so and very few games do I think about occasionally months or years after playing it. This game is particularly bizarre and interesting. What I liked about it was the story and the interesting ideas expressed throughout. In particular the Chamber of Change is a horrific idea. This game has been on my wishlist for 2 years now. I've been patiently waiting to support the devs by buying the game here DRM free. If you're on the fence about it, watch a let's play and see what you think. We need more obscure games like this!

In the wasteland of early access lootershooter semi-MMO crafting survival open-world macro & micro transaction live-service hell that video games have become there has in recent decades been only three games that I not only throughout enjoyed but vividly remembered a long time after playing them, that gave a fresh impression that stuck with me. Although reviews are supposed to stick to the game on this page they do conform to a singular theme. Outer Wilds is the only space game I've ever played that delivered on exploration and the sense of adventure you should feel when setting down your spaceship among crumbling alien ruins on another planet, solve the mystery of the dead precursor race and discover a cosmic mystery. Scorn delivered on the Giger-Beksiński vision of the possibilities of transhumanism and biopunk aesthetics which were integral to the story and gameplay, entirely unaccosted by flavour of the month video game trends. If you ever saw the first Alien film and wondered what the homeworld of the derelict vessel they found might have looked like, then this game finally delivered. A vision worthy of the inspiration, that takes it further and the idea is finally consummated. Lust from Beyond is the final gem in this trinity of games for an audience that prioritises the execution of a core idea rather than mechanical bloat, even if we clearly do not make up a majority of the market. Sex cults trying to use perverse ecstasy to reach something beyond the Earthly in the tradition preceding Crowley is more of a historical fact than fiction, but has rarely been depicted in games. Thematically it explores what lies beyond the limits of the sensual, much like Hellraiser successfully did. There is none of the irony poisoning so pervasive in other games. There is nothing you could remove or add to have the game make the core concept justice better. Excellent presentation, graphics, but it's not just a tech demo, it delivers precisely what it should in every area.

Considering I had to wait YEARS for it to finally be put on Gog, I'm more then a bit disapointed... mostly due to the hype being overblown. Anyway the music is good, the otherworld designs are great and the story is already. The worst part of the game is the start, where you are left wandering around the first town with NO direction! It took me over an hour to find the doctors number and that is your first real task. In the meantime, i found a way into a bar that I didn't need to go into and some clown statues. Is it worth playing? Yeah once through is worth it.... get it on sale. Is the sexual content any good... no. Go elsewhere if you want fap material. The gore is also pretty repugnent! The puzzles are ok, but there's really only two or three of them.

Lovecraftian stories are intriguing, which is why I was curious about this one. Although to me it seems they drew far more inspiration from H.R. Giger than Lovecraft. Regardless, for me this was just mediocre at best. The writing is janky, even though the idea behind it is interesting. Overall the game is very rough, and could certainly be done better. So a 3 for good effort, but that's about it for me. Like mentioned in the title, this isn't my cup of tea. Might be for you though if you like cosmic horror.