Last week was a blessed week for Indie Game developers as a slew of titles dropped right into the laps of anticipating gamers. Even the horrible layoffs at the Triple A level could not deter the momentum of games like Hades II, Animal Well, and our star today, Crow Country. A Survival Horror title with inspiration from the likes of Resident Evil 2, Silent Hill, and Final Fantasy VII. There are definitely other inspirations sprinkled in, but these are the big ones that were referenced by the duo at SFB Games. While I am not an expert on Final Fantasy, I can definitely see where the influence seeps in when it comes to Resident Evil and Silent Hill.
And the beauty of those inspirations shine so well in Crow Country. The world and puzzle design have that perfect blend of the horror giants. There are puzzles that are simple and easy to operate, while many of the other secrets require note-taking and extensive thought. With the answers being available through multiple avenues. And that is just one of the many reasons to fall in love with this game. It has so many points of interest that can appeal to you. It truly feels like the perfect package.
You can play the game in the traditional Survival Horror experience or choose the exploration mode that allows you to, "Experience the game freely." I really like those options because one of the barriers in the Horror genre has always been the difficulty and stress behind combat and enemy designs. This decision removes some of that hang-up as stress levels are limited to puzzles and story progression.
I hope that some developers take notice of these kinds of options because I really like playing spooky games. And the more people that can experience a game, the better. We don't need a Silent Hill situation, where a part of the fandom don't actually play the games. Regardless, I like the feature. And I appreciate the thoughtfulness from the team.
So, I have talked quite a bit on some of the games features, but not elaborated on the game. Now, I am going to talk a bit about some light spoilers. Feel free to skim through if you are trying to avoid them. With that out of the way, let's dig in.
Crow Country stars Mara Forest, an agent that is investigating the disappearance of Edward Crow. Edward Crow is our esteemed local entrepreneur and owner of the Crow Country Theme Park. Along the way to finding Edward Crow, Mara traverses through the abandoned park. Meeting some fun characters like Julie Baron and Tolman were definitely the highlights of the game. Even though the game has a pretty definitive end, I would play another game with these characters returning.
They are so charming and full of life. One of the reasons I like Julie so much is that she's so unfazed by the events. Her job entails trying to find Edward Crow as well. This is on behalf of Elaine Marshall's parents. The girl who was attacked by some unknown creature at the park in 1988. So, Elaine and Julie seem to be looking for those answers two years later. Over the course of the game, you build this relationship with Julie as an ally and seeker of truths.
As for Tolman, he's great because despite the awful situation he is in, he's no nonsense. That attitude holds true for the most part. So when he loosens up a bit, it hits. As one of the main people involved with the upkeep of the park, I don't think that he is free of scrutiny. Yet, I think that he understands the gravity of the situation, but lacks the power to stop it completely. And I think that is what makes his character so special. He is trying despite the circumstances.
Playing as Mara helps to enforce some of these ideas that I have put forth. She is an outsider to the happenings and learns about what happened to Crow Country through the various notes around the park as well through the environmental storytelling. Her comments and insight are so funny and natural that she might as well exist in the real world.
That kind of writing is easy to neglect, but I see it. I always appreciate good character writing in games. It is not necessarily rare, but there are many cases where the writing just doesn't match. But Crow Country has definitely found the sweet spot.
Another aspect that I would like to shout out, aside from the overall game, is the soundtrack. Ockeroid balled out here. The atmospheric music is so creepy and eerie when exploring the park. They really captured Silent Hill in that aspect. The tones fit the environment so well. Like, the Haunted Hilltop sounds haunted, Ocean Kingdom is marred by the feelings of a watery grave, Fairytale Town evokes that Brothers Grimm feel. I can't overstate enough how well the game world meshes with its music. Not to mention the save rooms are so calming and relaxing like in Resident Evil. Can't wait for that to be ruined in the upcoming Hard Mode update.
That's just the music. I haven't even mentioned the creature design all that much. It's top tier. The creatures that inhabit the park are melting in different ways. So much so that some of them are literal puddles. Why do they look like that? Well, the game has an answer to that. You just have to play it. But out all of the designs, I think that my favorite is the Grinner. A normal enemy that shows up early in the game, and is just a spiky guy. Certainly the most dangerous enemy. Mainly because they will just chase you down.
But what makes the design pop so much for me, is that damn smile. The namesake for the Grinner is easily the best part. It's like watching a cluster of berries with spikes smile back at you. I just love that little goober from afar. But if he tries to step, I have to kill him. It's my moral obligation.
Other aspects that I really enjoy are the level and puzzle design in conjunction with each other. There are missable items that you might walk past, yet the game will have them ready in multiple locations if you do so. I think that is some next level awareness. Because players are prone to miss things in plain sight, so making sure that I pick up the flashlight is really nice. I have seen 3 different locations for it in multiple playthroughs. Most games will just have you miss the item or force you to take it. So, it's really nice that you can have the freedom to miss something, yet still get it.
Other things that play into the great level and puzzle design are the ways that solutions can be reached. You are not forced into obtuse puzzles, and there are safety nets near the areas if need be. Not to mention hints are available to the player as well. There is even a really neat thing about the way notes and important dialogue is delivered here. It's concise.
There are so many instances where you get bombarded by long notes or speeches in games that lack spacing. So you get hit with large blocks of text that activate someone's flight response. There is always a rhyme or reason, yet I noticed that the spacing in Crow Country is exceptional to say the least. I'm the same way. I don't want to bombard someone with a full page paragraph. Break that shit up, so it feels like I didn't read your thesis. There is nothing more annoying than large globs of words on my screen.
Speaking of annoying things, there is only one gripe that I have with this game. Contact damage. The bane of my existence. I was fine with all the Looney Tunes traps that I kept triggering. Which were funny, I might add. I definitely got hit by most of the chandeliers and gas traps. in the game. I just couldn't help myself, I'm stupid. So, I can take my own stupidity, but not forced idiocy. The creature was turned around, and I have to heal. Garbage.
Alas, that is my one problem with the game. Crow Country is one of the best games to come out this year and is currently the frontrunner for my personal game of the year. I was so excited for this release after playing the demo. I couldn't be happier. And I am wholeheartedly looking towards the future of this game and the team at SFB Games. You guys nailed it and I hope that you get all of the monies from this success. May Mara and the crew be in future releases.
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