Tesla vs Lovecraft
A twin-stick shooter pitting Nikola Tesla against Lovecraftian monsters.
In *Tesla vs Lovecraft*, a twin-stick shooter from 2018, Finnish developer and publisher 10tons pits inventor Nikola Tesla against horror writer H. P. Lovecraft and his monstrous forces. The story begins when Lovecraft, possessed by Cthulhu after Tesla ignores his warnings, steals Tesla’s inventions and uses them to tear open a dimensional rift, unleashing creatures from his own fiction. Players control Tesla, starting with basic guns and a teleporter, and can upgrade his arsenal—eventually obtaining a mecha—while power-ups provide temporary boosts. Killing enough enemies lets players pick perks that aid them throughout a level; dying offers a chance to choose different perks, which reset when moving to a new stage.
The game launched for Windows, macOS, and Linux on January 26, 2018. A PlayStation 4 version followed on March 13, 2018, with Xbox One and Nintendo Switch releases three days later. The iOS version arrived on October 25, 2018, and the Android version on May 2, 2019.
Critics praised the iOS version as a “wonderfully violent and perfectly challenging shooter” (Harry Slater, *Pocket Gamer*) and “an absolutely fantastic top-down shooter” that was 10tons’ best, despite control issues (Jared Nelson, *TouchArcade*). Ken Talbot of *Push Square* noted the PlayStation 4 version’s familiarity but found “so much to enjoy,” while Andrew Reiner of *Game Informer* highlighted how cleverly the environments are used. The Nintendo Switch version, reviewed by David Keremes of *Nintendo World Report*, drew criticism for lacking online co-op and having repetitive levels, though he called it “a solid and fun twin-stick shooter” that “looks and feels great.” The game won the ‘Big Screen Game of the Year 2018’ award at the Finnish Game Awards 2019 and was also nominated for ‘Finnish Game of the Year 2018’.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Tesla vs Lovecraft
- Developer
- 10tons
- Platforms
- Windows · macOS · Linux · PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 5 · Xbox One · iOS · Nintendo Switch
- Released
- NA · January 26, 2018
- Genre
- Twin-stick shooter
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In the game, horror author H. P. Lovecraft interrupts a demonstration of Nikola Tesla's newest invention. Tesla ignores Lovecraft's warnings, only to find that Lovecraft has become possessed by Cthulhu. Lovecraft steals all of Tesla's inventions and uses them to open a dimensional gateway for the monsters described in his fiction. Players take the role of Tesla as he fights the monsters, initially armed with conventional arms and a teleporter. Players can upgrade Tesla's weaponry as they find items, up to a mecha, and power-ups grant him brief advantages. Killing large numbers of monsters allows players to select perks, which grant special abilities during all fights on that level. Dying allows players to choose different perks, and they are reset when moving on to a new level.
Reader's Guide
Tesla vs Lovecraft was released for multiple platforms throughout 2018 and 2019, including Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. Reception was generally positive. Harry Slater of Pocket Gamer called the iOS version a 'wonderfully violent and perfectly challenging shooter'. Jared Nelson of TouchArcade called it 'an absolutely fantastic top-down shooter' and 10tons's best game, despite some issues with the iOS controls. Ken Talbot of Push Square wrote of the PlayStation 4 version, 'The PS4 isn't exactly wanting for top down shooters, yet despite the familiarity of its execution, there's just so much to enjoy here.' Andrew Reiner of Game Informer wrote, 'Tesla vs. Lovecraft seems simple at first, but the way the environments are used is quite clever.' The Nintendo Switch version, reviewed by David Keremes in Nintendo World Report, was criticized for lack of online co-op gameplay and the sameness of the levels, though Keremes said it 'looks and feels great' and concluded it is 'a solid and fun twin-stick shooter'. The game won the 'Big Screen Game of the Year 2018' award at Finnish Game Awards 2019 and was nominated for 'Finnish Game of the Year 2018'.
Did You Know?
- The game was developed and published by Finnish studio 10tons.
- Players can upgrade Tesla's weaponry up to a mecha.
- The iOS version launched on October 25, 2018.
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