Shadow of the Comet
Encyclopedia
Shadow of the Comet is a computer game in the adventure game
genre. The game is based around H. P. Lovecraft
's Cthulhu Mythos
. A follow-up game, Prisoner of Ice
, was also published, though Prisoner of Ice is not a direct sequel.
The game uses many elements from Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror
and The Shadow Over Innsmouth
. The Necronomicon
, as well as Lovecraft himself (under a different name), make cameo
appearances in the game, along with well-known actors such as Jack Nicholson
and Vincent Price
.
photographer, John Parker, to the isolated New England
town of Illsmouth (an alteration on Lovecraft's Innsmouth
) to witness and photograph the passage of Halley's Comet.
In 1834, on the last passing, Lord Boleskine visited the town after learning that certain conditions near the town would allow astronomical objects to be seen clearer and closer than on any other spot on earth. He decides to test this theory by observing the comet from Illsmouth, but something unexpected happens and he goes insane, spending the rest of his life in a London
lunatic asylum. John Parker, learning of the 1834 incident and reading over Boleskine's papers, wishes to succeed where his predecessor failed.
When he arrives, Parker stumbles upon a sinister conspiracy and must survive the three days between his arrival and the comet's passage while finding out what happened in 1834.
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
genre. The game is based around H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
's Cthulhu Mythos
Cthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
. A follow-up game, Prisoner of Ice
Prisoner of Ice
Prisoner of Ice is a 1995 computer game based on H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, particularly At the Mountains of Madness...
, was also published, though Prisoner of Ice is not a direct sequel.
The game uses many elements from Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror
The Dunwich Horror
"The Dunwich Horror" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. Written in 1928, it was first published in the April 1929 issue of Weird Tales . It takes place in Dunwich, a fictional town in Massachusetts...
and The Shadow Over Innsmouth
The Shadow Over Innsmouth
The Shadow Over Innsmouth is a novella by H. P. Lovecraft. Written in November-December 1931, the story was first published in April 1936; this was the only fiction of Lovecraft's published during his lifetime that did not appear in a periodical....
. The Necronomicon
Necronomicon
The Necronomicon is a fictional grimoire appearing in the stories by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft and his followers. It was first mentioned in Lovecraft's 1924 short story "The Hound", written in 1922, though its purported author, the "Mad Arab" Abdul Alhazred, had been quoted a year earlier in...
, as well as Lovecraft himself (under a different name), make cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
appearances in the game, along with well-known actors such as Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
and Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
.
Plot
The game takes place in 1910, and concerns the visit of a young BritishUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
photographer, John Parker, to the isolated New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
town of Illsmouth (an alteration on Lovecraft's Innsmouth
Innsmouth
Innsmouth is a fictional town in the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, part of the Lovecraft Country setting of the Cthulhu Mythos.Lovecraft first used the name "Innsmouth" in his 1920 short story "Celephaïs" , where it refers to a fictional town in New England...
) to witness and photograph the passage of Halley's Comet.
In 1834, on the last passing, Lord Boleskine visited the town after learning that certain conditions near the town would allow astronomical objects to be seen clearer and closer than on any other spot on earth. He decides to test this theory by observing the comet from Illsmouth, but something unexpected happens and he goes insane, spending the rest of his life in a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
lunatic asylum. John Parker, learning of the 1834 incident and reading over Boleskine's papers, wishes to succeed where his predecessor failed.
When he arrives, Parker stumbles upon a sinister conspiracy and must survive the three days between his arrival and the comet's passage while finding out what happened in 1834.