Crow Country
| Crow Country | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | SFB Games |
| Publisher(s) | SFB Games |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | 9 May 2024 |
| Genre(s) | Survival horror |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Crow Country is a 2024 survival horror game developed and published by SFB Games for PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S. Set in a visual style and design similar to PlayStation 1 horror titles including Resident Evil and Silent Hill, the player is an investigator exploring an abandoned theme park. Upon release, Crow Country received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise directed to the game's design evocation of earlier horror games, writing and narrative, and mixed views on the implementation of combat and puzzles.
Gameplay
Crow Country is a survival horror, similar to Resident Evil and Silent Hill,[1] in which players explore Crow Country to find objects, solve puzzles, and defeat monsters.[2] Gameplay features two modes: 'Survival', which features combat and enemies, and 'Exploration', which dispenses with enemies.[3] Combat requires the player to aim and shoot at monsters encountered throughout areas using various weapons, including a handguns, a shotgun, and flamethrower, some of which are unlocked by the completion of optional puzzles.[2] To shoot at enemies, players can run and shoot, or lock into position to focus their aim.[2] Players have limited health depleted by hits from enemies and environmental hazards, which can be replenished using bandages, medkits and antidotes.[4] Items and ammunition are collected by players through interacting with vending machines and containers.[1][4] Players explore the game's environment and slowly expand their access to new areas by locating keys or solving puzzles, such as by combining items found in different locations.[2][5]
Plot
Set in the year 1990, the player is Mara Forest, a special agent investigating Crow Country, an abandoned amusement park shut down two years prior in search of its missing founder, Edward Crow, and answers about the circumstances of the closure of the park.
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 84/100[6] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 9/10[1] |
| GamesRadar+ | 4/5[2] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 77%[7] |
| The Guardian | 5/5[3] |
| Game Rant | 4/5[8] |
| Press Start | 7.5/10[9] |
| Screen Rant | 9/10[10] |
| Slant Magazine | 3.5/5[11] |
Crow Country received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[6] Reviewers generally praised the game's visual presentation and design as evocative of PS1 horror games. Zoey Handley of Destructoid commended the "detailed" pre-rendered environments and "clever lighting" to replicate the "awkward 3D of the era".[1] However, Leon Hurley of GamesRadar critiqued the player character's "blocky toy shape" and "cartoonish" enemies.[2] Alice Bell of Rock Paper Shotgun highlighted the game's "fantastic" and "sinister" setting.[4] Wes Fenlon of PC Gamer highlighted the game's effective jump scares and variety of "demented monster designs".[7]
Critics praised the game's narrative and writing. Sarah Maria Griffin of The Guardian described the game's narrative as complete and richer than anticipated, highlighting the "levity and playfulness" of the game's tone and "bold" ending.[3] Similarly, Wes Fenlon of PC Gamer praised the "wry" writing for its "cheeky nods to game and horror tropes".[7] Leon Hurley of GamesRadar noted the "rewarding" and "refreshingly unfamiliar" story and commended its "feeling of surprise and uncertainty".[2] Zoey Handley of Destructoid praised the game's narrative twists and satisfying conclusion, although finding it lacked more distinctive psychological themes.[1]
Reviewers expressed mixed views on the implementation of puzzles and gameplay mechanics. Leon Hurley of GamesRadar considered the game's puzzles to be effective as they were self-contained and balanced in difficulty, although found themselves stuck with some puzzles.[2] Alice Bell of Rock Paper Shotgun praised the design of the puzzles in relying on player observation and intuition, but expressed that the game's combat and survival horror aspects lacked a sense of threat and were easy to manage.[4] Describing the game as "too easy", Wes Fenlon of PC Gamer felt the game's combat was simple and did not view the puzzles as memorable.[7] Willa Rowe of Kotaku considered that the enemies, resource management combat felt "lackluster" and "unimportant", and critiqued the "inconsistent" design of simple and in-depth puzzles.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e Handley, Zoey (8 May 2024). "Review: Crow Country". Destructoid. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hurley, Leon (8 May 2024). "Crow Country review: 'a lovingly built greatest hits mix of retro horror ideas'". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ a b c Griffin, Sarah Maria (8 May 2024). "Crow Country review – breathtaking survival horror game that harks back to Silent Hill". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d Bell, Alice (8 May 2024). "Crow Country review: my first Resident Evil (complimentary)". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ a b Rowe, Willa (8 May 2024). "Crow Country: The Kotaku Review". Kotaku. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Crow Country". Metacritic. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d Fenlon, Wes (8 May 2024). "Crow Country Review". PC Gamer. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ Cooper, Dalton (8 May 2024). "Crow Country Review". Game Rant. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ "Crow Country Review - Fright Night's at Eddies". Press Start. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ Brosofsky, Ben (8 May 2024). "Crow Country Review: 'An Atmospheric Throwback To Genre Classics'". Screen Rant. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ Scaife, Steven (8 May 2024). "Crow Country Review: A Retro Survival Horror Game That Pleasantly Coasts on Nostalgia". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 9 May 2024.