I’m not a very good horror reader or watcher. As such, I don’t really know all of the influential characters or writers who have shaped the genre — as well as many other genres. For example, the works of H. P. Lovecraft are rather popular in this day and age compared to when he originally wrote his stories. As I understand it, his stories are known for their dream-like feel and characters going insane when they encounter forces far greater than their internal resolve. It sounds odd, and this interesting aspect of the human condition has influenced areas far greater than we probably know. I can probably figure out how influential the character Cthulhu is, though. Indie game developer Zeboyd Games has created a love letter not only to role-playing games in general, but also to this influential being. Welcome to the hilarious homage world of Cthulhu Saves the World.

Cthulhu Saves the World follows the titular character as he awakens for the first time in about a millennia. Instead of him rising out of his watery “grave” to strike fear into the hearts of people worldwide, he gets cursed with saving the world first. His first “heroic” act is rescuing a young woman by the name of Umi who has a starfish in her hair. From that moment forward, Cthulhu has his first party member and groupie in his “reformed” attempt to save the world.

Although it isn’t the most prestigious of plots, it is hilarious. The game is a parody of what gamers consider a “heroic hero,” the demure heroine, a talking sword, a “cat,” necromancer, a forgetful man and a dragon pet. Astute gamers will recognize the various plot points from other games to create a world that only Cthulhu and his gang could fully live in. Ultimately, Cthulhu knows what it is and what it is not. It just has fun with every little part of its world. That is what makes Cthulhu Saves the World such an engaging game: You never really know what is going to happen next.

Graphically, Cthulhu takes its points from the early Super Nintendo days. In other words, it is a neo-16-bit-inspired world. Sprites are small and highly detailed. Cthulhu has his tentacles and wings, Paws the “cat” acts like any four-legged creature, October the necromancer is never seen without her whip and Sharp twirls around on screen as he moves.

Then there is the combat screen. Cthulhu continues what its older sibling — Breath of Death — started several months ago: simple menus and old-school presentation of combat. One will never see any of the characters rush up and strike the enemy. If one is lucky, the player will catch a quick blast of fire, the earth rising up or a jolt of electricity. It really is that fast.

Furthermore, combat has been completely rebalanced. Instead of one versus all spells, there is also the inclusion of spells that target groups. Breath of Death favored all targeting spells. Cthulhu prefers spells that attack groups and, ideally, hit multiple times to “exploit” the combo count. Then attack with a finishing move for massive damage. However, the best part is that characters feel much more customizable than their “dead” counterparts. Cthulhu functions like any “good” hero by allowing you to mold him into a pure fighter, mage or a twist of both. Umi can be the status-inflicting queen of physical or magical effects. October can be molded into a high-damage dealer for boss fights or everyday battles. The list of possibilities goes on, though some characters like Sharp are stuck in certain roles. For example, Sharp is the best “boss slayer” out of everyone due to his skills and status bonuses he receives.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention anything about “insanity.” Since Cthulhu is the god of insanity, he draws strength from it. Early on, you have the option to have it make him stronger magically or physically whenever this critical status effect is affecting a monster. There are tons of awesome looking monsters “losing” their minds when this occurs. Even worse for them is that they take much greater damage than sane. This comes at a price, though: They can inflict greater damage, and this becomes a threat to your party as monsters become stronger by 10 percent each turn of combat regardless if they are sane. This can easily make things much more intense — especially on higher difficulty levels.

Sound wise, everything is a joy to listen to. There is no way that an old SNES could create sounds or music of such high quality. Yes, the sounds effects have been heard several times before. The real joy comes from its music. Tunes range from being downright mellow to hardcore rock with guitars raging up and down the scales. Each tune fits the situation rather well, and I wish there more tunes to enjoy.

If we look at Cthulhu Saves the World as an overall piece of work, it is a solid game that stands on its own feet ... er, tentacles rather well. It allows for customization that is not seen in a traditional RPG, a strong soundtrack and a plot that turns every single RPG plot point on its head. This game allows for about a six hours of gameplay, something that can be beaten in a weekend. And it is worth the price of admission of $3 or 240 points. Very few RPGs, especially those on Xbox Live Arcade, are as well made as Cthulhu Saves the World. The developers have a keen eye for game design, and it shows on every level. My only complaint is that I wish we they play more with the gameplay mechanics as much as they play with plot. One of these days, this developer is going to be a household name. And I cannot wait for that day to occur.