Cosmic Horror And Fantasy Narrative In The Work Of H. P. Lovecraft Through The Mechanics Of The Video Game

Cinema has proved incapable of successfully adapting the work of H.P. Lovecraft due to the limitations of the medium to transfer to the viewer the suffocating atmosphere, the psychological terror, the fear of the unknown, and the consequences they all may have for the mental health of those who experience the so-called cosmic horror of the Lovecraftian fantastic narrative. However, the video game formulates and deploys elements such as interactivity, the subjective immersion of players in the face of challenges and plot decisions, and other elements that make up the various gameplay mechanics that seem to endow this digital entertainment medium with the ability to reproduce other types of experiences and sensations. Therefore, this article seeks to identify those elements present in video games that are inspired by Lovecraft’s work and —through a mixed analysis— to code those that are used to convey to players the psychological fear expressed by the cosmic horror fiction. The results allow us to conclude that video game is the most appropriate medium to adapt the Lovecraftian narrative and to establish the advanced game mechanics of genres such as survival horror, roguelike or action RPG. that allow the suffocating environment and the cosmic horror that make up his fantastic narrative universe to be reproduced in a holistic, multifaceted way.