Nice writing, but "Red Hook"?

[Beas Meeply]

I saw the studio name and wondered if it was a reference to The Horror at Red Hook (a notoriously racist and generally poor quality Lovecraft story). After watching about 15 seconds of the intro, I had my answer to that question -- this is such a good imitation of Lovecraft I could practically hear the unnecessary hyphens. That's really worth calling out, since so many people think that just means tentacles. The studio name, though? Questionable choice, guys! I might have gone with Moon-Bog Studios.

[RexIvan]

What?! That was a reference to a Lovecraft story? I thought they named themselves after the Brewery.

But seriously, Red Hook just sounds more menacing, bringing to mind a large, blood caked meat-hook dangling by a length of chain in the darkest corner of my grandmother's basement. I still have no idea why that was there. She never butchered animals, that I know of.

[Black Hammer]

Isn't "notoriously racist" and "Lovecraft story" a bit redundant?

I wouldn't call it poor quality, though. There isn't much dialogue, and that's where Lovecraft's shortcomings as a writer comes through most. Which is to be expected from a guy who didn't like to leave the house, live in or near buildings that weren't colonial architecture, and claimed to be a royalist. All while in America in the 1930s.

[Beas Meeply]

I'm not an apologist for the guy, but he wrote plenty of good stories. He also wrote plenty of bad ones. Red Hook just sounds like my grandfather's delirious rant after accidentally walking into a Chinese grocery store.

[Imperialus]

Originally posted by Beas Meeply:

Red Hook just sounds like my grandfather's delirious rant after accidentally walking into a Chinese grocery store.

I loled. And very true.

[Buffy4Evr]

I already knew this game was inspired by lovecraft when I heard the narrator's voice in the trailer, I recognized it as sounding just like this guy I heard reading lovecraft stories a long time ago. That was the story that first came to mind when I saw the name of the studio as I opened up this abominable chasm of a game. I have since learned that Wayne June, the narrator of Darkest Dungeon and famous for reading Lovecraft audiobooks, are one and the same...

That was when I went mad.

You're right though, not his best story and an odd choice as a reference, however, if you aren't reminded of that story when you see the name of the studio then it' a great name especially accompanied with that tentacle logo. It works if it doesn't recall the story and I think for most people playing the game

[K. the Land-Surveyor]

It's probably worth mentioning that Red Hook is a real place and a generally innocuous name (color + noun = name), especially since nothing about the game or the studio references that story in particular.

[ACS36]

Originally posted by Black Hammer:

Isn't "notoriously racist" and "Lovecraft story" a bit redundant?

Not at all. People might know of lovecraft stories, but may not know of the reputation of a particular story because they didn't read it. If anything it's more clear what the topic creator is talking about.

However, you'd prefer things stay ambiguous other than people talking openly about racism.

[😒]

Don't worry! Eric Holder is on it!

[That Guy]

i thought it was stoic pretending to be another company because they knew that nobody would ever give them money again . look at the red hook logo and look at stoics logo

[screeg]

"People" aren't talking about racism. Somebody always likes to pop up and remind everyone that Lovecraft was an unrepentant racist and xenophobe. He was scared of a lot of things and it shows in his writing, it probably even informed his writing to some extent. But he's also been dead for almost a hundred years, so liking his stories doesn't connote racism or any kind of support for racism.