Well I managed to get my hands on a copy of this for about $10. In truth, I finally took the plunge into Steam to do it. Gotta learn how to make Steam bow and scraqe before I let it turn on and force it to let me run my games without it interfering . . . but that is a subsidiary set of questions for a different thread and perhaps a different forum . . .

My questions here have specifically to do with running Call of Cthulu Dark Places on a modern dual core machine. I see there are references to graphics problems and bugs that are particular to running this game with moder modern systems, but not seeing a link to a "patch" or anything.

So far, just loading up the first episode I've noticed a couple graphical glitches:

1. Raindrops on the "camera" look like little triangles instead of raindrops

2. The darkness inside the house is so bloody dark I can barely find my way around.

Is there a flashlight or something that I'm missing out on? I mean I am all for atmosphere and a bit of having to look around, but sheeze: at least 50% of the interior of that first house was completely pitch black! The only way I found my way into the underground chambers under the house (where the poor schmuck was hung up in the weird electrical appratus) was by spending 10 min randomly moving back and forth/forwards and backwards and clicking my USE key in the dark corner of the room where the moans were audible.

I have a hard time thinking this is WAD. I have my monitor (a 42" big screen TV) contrast settings adjusted perfectly for the monitor calibration function in my video card. Admittedly, some more 'atmospheric' games do tend to be a bit contrasty and dark on the edges, but without some sort of adjustments I don't think I'll be able to play this game. Randomly moving a cursor around and clicking "F" on a pitch black screen is not so much fun as annoying.

Any suggestions along those lines?

Related to this, I'm not sure this is the style of game I'll get into anyway. I come from more of a Elder Scrolls / Mount & Blade open sandbox "shooter" sort of game, and so far, this game feels more like a story book kind of "follow the clues" to a predetermined conclusion type of thing. Admittedly, that is based on the first scene and not even having finished that, but . . . I just found the fact that I had no weapon, no flashlight and no option to shoot back or otherwise deal with the situation at the opening other than to charge into the house to be rather linear and unfun.

Is this pretty much what the whole game is like? I guess if so, no big deal, I'll just write it off as a $10 lesson in reading up on a game more before I commit, and that combined with the tecnical difficulties might just mean it is less annoying to just write it off than to try to get it to work and enjoy it.