This DLC doesn’t add any more features however it’s a good wrap up to the main game.

User Rating: 5 | Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land AND

Note: This review is based on the PC version of the DLC Kaul's Diaries.

Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land was a bit of a surprise hit considering it was a ported mobile game. There were certain areas where tactics was needed to complete a mission and despite the lack of features demonstrated in other noble turned based games like The Jagged Alliance series or X Com to name a few, it was still enjoyable to play. Now another surprised element arise for this game is this DLC, Kaul’s diary. Just like the main game, it’s a decent DLC as it plays on being on the ‘other side’ of this war, namely Kaul (funny enough). Yet, like most DLCs, it doesn’t add any more features however it’s a good wrap up to the main game.

So you play the role of Kaul, the main antagonist from the main game. This DLC serves as a prequel to the main game as you play on the events the rise of Kaul’s army. It doesn’t go into details of why Kaul decided to go on this path however it does well tying loose strings from the main game, namely you get to meet Emma Gold’s twin sister, how Kaul managed to build his machines of doom and the evolution of the Cthulhoids to name a few. Also you get to control some of the denizens like the Cultist, the Leng Spiders and of course the Cthulids. Also you get to appreciate how powerful these creatures are.

Bottlenecking never fails me (the numbers in blue are mine...red are the enemies).
Bottlenecking never fails me (the numbers in blue are mine...red are the enemies).

However don’t rest on your laurels as the ‘good guys’, namely the Brits and the Germans (yes the Germans are the good people here too) do have access to summon the Flying Polyp or even the Dark Young as technically, anyone has the ability to summon these creatures as long your sanity keeps up. Yet, because you are playing the other side, oddly enough there are no sanity checks for the good guys at all – yes the entire idea of sanity is not present in this DLC. A disappointment in my eyes however maybe it was left out was due to balancing as otherwise, the game could be woefully easy to finish. Yet I have to applaud the developers doing a ‘re-enactment’ of the 1915 Xmas truce yet I believe it should be 1914. Nevertheless, it was pretty cool regardless.

Another element was removed was there’s no role playing elements at all. Yes there are stats for every creature and personnel however you cannot up skill anyone at all – basically the idea of experience points has been thrown out through the window. The main character, Kaul, mentions right from the get-go that he will be relying on just spells only. Now if you read my previous review on Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land, I’ve mentioned spells are not worth your time due to the sanity costs. However, because sanity has been removed, spell casting to me is new (ironically so). Yet Kaul is armed with two spells, the Bane of Nyogth, basically a single target mega powerful spell that ignores armour and line of sight and the healing spell, Health of R’Lyeh.

Your spider friend, S’hul’zer is armed with the Venom of Azeth (basically an area of effect poisonous spell) and the healing spell, Health of R’Lyeh. So as you can imagine, it’s pretty balanced out between the two main characters however I still feel the Bane of Nyogth is one heck of an over-powered (OP) spell as it doesn’t require line of sight. Granted that the spell can fail over distance however you can practically spam the spell over and over again as there’s no sanity checks to worry about.

The game is not terribly long to complete as it only contains six missions but looking at the main game, for which has eleven missions, you really cannot argue the content. However what can be argued is that because the sanity part has been removed, you cannot up skill your character nor even purchase any equipment, it’s basically a watered down version of the main game. However don’t let that deter you as it’s quite entertaining to control the denizens like the Cthulids or the Leng Spiders as it requires to alter your tactics from the main game – that is most are melee and the range ones don’t do damage at all yet forces opponents to loose action points. Overall a decent DLC only because it wraps up nicely and the tactical approach can be played differently from the main game.

5.5 / 10