The mystery of Crow Country was far richer than I had anticipated: the story is very completely drawn, and isn’t without a little levity and playfulness in the face of the darkness. I found the final sequences really bold – committed to the strange and unsettling all the way through, it certainly sticks the landing. Crow Country is far more than a pastiche of the giants of the PS1 era – it is a real triumph in and of itself.
It’s a must-play for fans of survival horror, whether you’re put off by the ‘90s games or itching for that old-school experience all these years later.
One of the most unique games I have played in a while.
The graphics are unique and evoque a certain nostalgia situated somewhere between the snes and ps1.
Gameplay is intentionally close to the first resident evil games with lots of charming riddles. Enemies are easy to deal with, unless you go the masochistic route and choose to use tank controls.
The story unfolds bit by bit through dialogue, letters, notes and the **** plot kept me interested throughout with a satisfying ending (although bitter-sweet).
Incredible game, especially for a small development team!
Not only is it equal parts scary and visually engaging, but this game is seriously FUN. I found myself enjoying this game more than I did more recent resident evil's. The graphics are the closest I have seen a game come to accurately emulating PSX level visuals. The sound design and music are equally engaging and suspenseful, and the puzzles are the perfect level of intellectual without making you have to resort to a guide to figure out the next thing you have to do.
Do yourself a favor, pick this game up. 10/10
Crow Country threw me back to my childhood days of sitting in front of a CRT TV with a controller in hand, while streamlining the less desirable, archaic sensibilities. Familiar elements and tropes are well-executed, and the perfect runtime of four to five hours allows it to end on a high before it overstays its welcome due to its smaller scope. Perfect for a weekend! I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Crow Country and I am looking forward to what SFB cooks up next.
Crow Country gives the impression of a long lost PS1 survival horror game. The small indie team really captures the essence of those classics in every aspect, from the charming low-polygon visuals and environmental puzzles to the exaggerated story, all while adding some clever parody touches.
Crow Country pays homage to a golden era of survivor horror without relying on simple mimicry. It's simultaneously familiar and yet unfamiliar, touching on tropes and genre trappings while utilizing modern techniques to enhance the experience and make it more approachable for newcomers. It's not a particularly challenging game, and combat is dull and unwieldy, but this aspect of the game is easy enough to ignore, especially when there's an enticing theme park full of secrets and rewarding puzzles to delve into. The story is also surprisingly rich, telling a captivating tale with smart writing and a memorable ending. Crow Country is clearly lovingly crafted, resulting in a nostalgic throwback that manages to avoid feeling derivative. It does justice to the games that inspired it, but it's also a fantastic game in its own right.
Filled with great puzzles and an engaging world, Crow Country is a well made recreation of how you remember classic 90s horror games. It's familiar enough to feel authentic but different enough to keep things mysterious.
(MY SCORE : 8 /10) This game with the Survival-Horror genre with a retro concept can bring gamers nostalgic for the PS1 era! This game is quite exciting and quite challenging, especially with limited items and is rich in puzzles that have minimal clues and require us to explore to solve them! It's just that the PS1-style seems to be really applied, including in the combat mechanism, which feels stiff and a bit difficult to focus on the direction of the shot! Set in 1990, we become Agent Mara Forest, who investigates Crow Country, an amusement park that was abandoned and closed due to the mysterious disappearance of its owner, Edward Crow!
Good points :
- A fine artistic direction that really works very, very well, which offers a universe that is as colorful as it is disturbed. Creepy as hell, we take real pleasure in exploring each area of the game, and discovering enemy designs that I sincerely find good for the vast majority in their "monstrous" aspect.
- Easy to learn, gameplay that works well in its style.
- Varied puzzles.
- A storyline that follows well, with a good conclusion, a good narrative rhythm.
- The OSTs are amazing. I was transported throughout the game by the music which fits perfectly with the universe and sometimes plunges into this feeling of sincere unease, then poetry on the other. This is really a detail that is very important to me and here it is completely handled brilliantly.
Negative points :
- While my first run lasts 8 hours (which corresponds to the pace of old-style games like the first Resident Evil for example), I really feel like I've only experienced half of it. I had a feeling of "Damn, is it over yet?" arriving at the end (which, however, is perfectly coherent!).
- The game is TOO easy ! A “survival”...? I haven't died in even the slightest fight, the enemies are extremely slow which means that we can avoid them all very easily in addition to having resources very regularly... The "bosses" are so fragile that I didn't even understand that they were "boss"! What a pity...
- And so precisely: the horror style. So, yes, the universe is incredible and I love all the creepy work done. It's very successful, but I would say that the game is more "disturbing" than scary. I almost didn't feel any high stress, except for maybe 2 passages because the atmosphere was frankly heavy and successful. But without ever going beyond...
CONCLUSION :
Crow Country strangely reminds me of another game I finished recently, "My Friendly Neighborhood". We find two totally ‘crazy’ and ‘fun’ universes which will mix with horror, generating this feeling of uneasiness that really exists during our exploration and story discovery. However, although everything is properly made, I really lack a little something to be able to feel a certain palpitation, a great thrill.
Yes, I recommend Crow Country and sincerely I congratulate the small team behind it for being able to develop something so clean. On the other hand, the game could have lengthened even more, offered even more madness, especially with such a universe. I would have liked more really tense situations, and I would have really loved to visit even more wacky areas because the artistic direction is so successful.
Thank to the team for this great little experience.
SummaryThe year is 1990. Edward Crow has disappeared. The owner of 'Crow Country' (a small theme park in the rural outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia), he has not been seen since he unexpectedly shut down his park two years ago. The silence is broken when a mysterious young woman named Mara Forest ventures into the heart of the abandoned theme park ...