2022's Gamescom has already seen some impressive reveals. Even with the event still underway, gamers have gotten a new look at some upcoming games as well as some world premieres. Big titles like Hogwarts Legacy and The Callisto Protocol have shown off new gameplay at Gamescom, but it hasn't all been about the latest AAA titles and plenty of smaller releases have shared some interesting trailers, too. Upcoming Lovecraftian metroidvania The Last Case of Benedict Fox, for example, has given fans a close look at the game's combat and story, as well as revealed a new character.
This new character is known as the Tattooist, and it is quickly made clear that she supports the titular Benedict Fox in his discovery of his family history. As The Last Case of Benedict Fox is a game that takes a lot of inspiration from the works of H.P. Lovecraft, it is likely that Benedict's family relations will include some sort of eldritch horror down the line, whether that be through someone in his family tree being involved in a cult or his great-grandfather actually being Cthuhlu.
The first 30 seconds or so of this new 90 second trailer are spent introducing gamers to the Tattooist and showing off how Benedict Fox gains upgrades in the game. Then, there's a closer look at the gameplay of The Last Case of Benedict Fox, which appears to revolve around a mix of puzzle-solving and combat, fighting off the eldritch creatures that have infested Benedict's family home. This results in The Last Case of Benedict Fox showing an interesting twist on the typical metroidvania style, especially where its atmosphere and storytelling are concerned.
Taking on this eldritch influence, one might question how Benedict Fox could face and fight Lovecraftian creatures, considering that the monsters of H.P. Lovecraft's stories and other cosmic horror works usually cannot be killed with guns or other typical weapons. However, it seems that the Tattooist comes in handy there to give Benedict power-ups in order to better combat the creatures in The Last Case of Benedict Fox.
The Tattooist isn't the only ally players will get in the game. In the first reveal trailer for The Last Case of Benedict Fox, viewers were introduced to the detective's demon companion. While currently the demon doesn't have a name, it was stated by the developers that the shadowy, tentacled form hovering over Benedict is not one of the monsters he will face in the game and is in fact an ally that could give him access to some eldritch abilities in a similar way to the Tattooist.
The Last Case of Benedict Fox is set to release in spring 2023 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.