03
May

Crow Country channels PS1-era Resident Evil, albeit with a more relaxed approach to difficulty

Games with art styles that deliberately shoot for PS1 graphics are fairly commonplace, particularly with survival horror. Crow Country is the latest game to join those ranks, drawing influence from the likes of Resident Evil and Silent Hill. However, it’s much less fussed about progression being a tough task if that’s not what you’re into.

But before we get to that, let’s discuss the premise, which is equal parts familiar and fresh. You play as Mara Forest, who heads to the titular Crow Country theme park in search of its missing owner, Edward Crow. However, as you’d probably expect, old Eddie has been up to something untoward. So his business is now overrun by zombie-like creatures. Isn’t that always the way?

Mara herself is something of an enigma as well. Although we know she’s looking for Edward, we don’t know why. So, as you adventure through the park, you will unravel mysteries about what happened while learning more about Mara. 

Crowpoint takes a few pointers from survival horror royalty

Just from that, you’re already getting Resident Evil vibes I assume. And that’s before I tell you that Crow Country plays out from that familiar isometric/zoomed-out over-the-shoulder viewpoint. Oh, and by the looks of it, you can’t move while shooting, either. It’s got all the tropes of the genre, which isn’t intended as an insult. I’m sure most survival horror fans wouldn’t have it any other way. 

They will also likely be pleased to hear there are several puzzles and riddles to solve throughout your adventures in Crow Country. Expect to traipse around the theme park looking for cranks and colorful keys to solve delightfully convoluted puzzles.

The theme park is a fantastic setting for those kinds of puzzles. With all the various rides and attractions the developers can have a great time coming up with ludicrous brainteasers.  There’s also something inherently creepy about an abandoned theme park, a place of joy becoming the stuff of nightmares.

But although it takes a lot of cues from Resident Evil, Crow Country does differ in one key aspect – the difficulty. The survival horror genre is known for being stingy with ammo and even health. While there might be an element of that in Crow Country, there doesn’t have to be. 

Switch on Exploration Mode if you only want the story

From the get-go, it will feature an Exploration Mode that leaves you free to explore the theme park without the monsters attacking you. Effectively, that makes Crow Country a horror-themed puzzler, perfect for anyone who struggles with combat in these games.

I’m intrigued to see how much of an effect that will have on the atmosphere. For me, the threat of being attacked is a big part of what makes horror games scary. The monsters might lose their spookiness if they simply stare or only scream whenever you stroll past. 

Despite that tiny concern, I still think it’s great that more people can simply enjoy the story if that’s more their speed. If you’re up for some survival horror, Crow Country releases on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation on May 9th.

Thank you for reading this article. For more interesting coverage of all things indie games, be sure to check out the links below.

This Article was written by: Stephen Gregson-Wood