When the indie game market is currently overly saturated with samey pixel art Metroidvanias, it's nice to see a different form of nostalgia art tapped into once in awhile. So is the case with Crow Country, a survival horror game done lovingly in the style of the PS1 classics Resident Evil and Silent Hill. But this game offers its own charm to the mix, featuring an art style (and a soundtrack) that holds much more in common with Final Fantasy VII than it does those formally mentioned titles.
This means that when you embark on the adventure that awaits you in Crow Country, you feel a bit cozier and calmer than you would typically expect to feel in a horror title of this stripe. The music is soothing beautiful, the character models are done in a cute, chibi style, and the monster encounters are sparse enough that they don't feel overwhelming.
The game's graphics and sound provide an amazing atmosphere, but the puzzles are also a refreshing aspect that keep the experience of playing through Crow Country engaging. Similarly to the look and sound of the game, the puzzles also provide a "sweet spot" of just the right mixture of challenge and ingratiation. Yes, the puzzles aren't obvious at the outset, but none of their solutions ever came across as moon logic. Once you get the hang of how the solutions are found, all of the puzzles in the game end up feeling very intuitive and logically sound. At no point along my adventure did I ever feel like the game was trying to outright trick me or be unfair. The puzzles aren't immediately understandable, but pretty quick, with enough exploration of the game world, they become very simple and straightforward.
And then, there is the story. And I will not spoil it here. But what I will say is that it is exceptionally executed. Its simple brilliance honestly caught me off-guard. And it makes the whole experience much more meaningful than a simple nostalgic romp. The narrative helps give Crow County its own identity despite its obvious influences.
The game can also be played as a purely casual exploration game. Which is also a pleasant experience. But I recommend simply playing it in horror mode. Even with the scares, it isn't terribly oppressive.
A thrilling example of how higher effort nostalgia can really give birth to something special. I'm floored.
This means that when you embark on the adventure that awaits you in Crow Country, you feel a bit cozier and calmer than you would typically expect to feel in a horror title of this stripe. The music is soothing beautiful, the character models are done in a cute, chibi style, and the monster encounters are sparse enough that they don't feel overwhelming.
The game's graphics and sound provide an amazing atmosphere, but the puzzles are also a refreshing aspect that keep the experience of playing through Crow Country engaging. Similarly to the look and sound of the game, the puzzles also provide a "sweet spot" of just the right mixture of challenge and ingratiation. Yes, the puzzles aren't obvious at the outset, but none of their solutions ever came across as moon logic. Once you get the hang of how the solutions are found, all of the puzzles in the game end up feeling very intuitive and logically sound. At no point along my adventure did I ever feel like the game was trying to outright trick me or be unfair. The puzzles aren't immediately understandable, but pretty quick, with enough exploration of the game world, they become very simple and straightforward.
And then, there is the story. And I will not spoil it here. But what I will say is that it is exceptionally executed. Its simple brilliance honestly caught me off-guard. And it makes the whole experience much more meaningful than a simple nostalgic romp. The narrative helps give Crow County its own identity despite its obvious influences.
The game can also be played as a purely casual exploration game. Which is also a pleasant experience. But I recommend simply playing it in horror mode. Even with the scares, it isn't terribly oppressive.
A thrilling example of how higher effort nostalgia can really give birth to something special. I'm floored.