Review: Crow Country — 90s Horror Is Alive Once More
June 1, 2024
Some eras just weren't ever meant to be over. The enduring appeal of 90s survival horror classics is a testament to their strongly crafted atmosphere and brilliant game design. No matter how dated their graphics appear compared to the games of today, their horror remains just as effective. As a whole, something about them just feels different.
And now in 2024, we have Crow Country trying to keep the old subgenre alive. It is unabashedly inspired by the horror classics and actually even takes some inspiration from Final Fantasy 7, if you can believe it. The game is beyond committed to sticking to the old formula, ancient graphics and all. But let me be clear. Crow Country isn't some cheap imitation. It more than stands on its own two feet. It very much has its own strengths. Its own quirks. Its own faults. For a game so invested in capturing old magic, Crow Country is quite the refreshing release.
Enjoyability: 10/12
Theme parks are supposed to be fun and Crow Country is no different. There are a whole lot of attractions within the game to keep you busy and engaged; they're honestly a clever way of naturally incorporating Resident Evil-esque puzzles into the world. There are also plenty of rewards for thinking a little more outside the box. In total, there are 15 secrets in the game — none of which that I'll spoil — that require some extra diligence on the player's part. There is a lot to keep you busy even if it isn't all that clear at first. Exploration is as rewarding as it should be. In general, the theme park is pretty fascinating to walk through, though. The mood it conveys is just perfect.
Unfortunately, Crow Country tends to drag during sections that are heavy on combat. Killing isolated enemies feels pretty wasteful ordinarily, but it'll help you rest easy in plenty of places. Clearing monster-filled pathways to progress, on the other hand, feels wasteful and unsatisfying. The game's at its best when it forces you to defend yourself. When it throws a bunch of idle enemies at you in one condensed area, it feels like its just trying to meet an arbitrary quota. I understand that the continuous spawns are to keep the park dynamic and ever-changing, but it mostly just ends up being an annoying inconvenience whenever you want to backtrack. Gameplay quirks aside, I think Crow Country is a gratifying experience that is more than easy to stay invested in.
Gameplay: 9/12
Well, the puzzles are nice. They're integral to the game's design and they definitely feel well-thought-out. There's a good variety to them as well — all offering their own unique challenge. Finding new items feels inherently rewarding which is why the gameplay loop ends up being so effective. Progress always feels tangible and that's definitely important for a game like this. And for those that don't know where to immediately go next after finding a major item, Crow Country keeps track of locked doors and unsolved puzzles on the map. It's always a good idea to check those locations out first before wandering aimlessly throughout the park.
When it comes to the gunplay, Crow Country is a bit of a mess. You do have full control of your aiming which is nice compared to games like the original Silent Hill. However, the camera angle isn't great for pinpoint shooting, making it awkward to hit specific targets. It's not just the awkward aiming; plenty of enemies serve as bullet sponges. It's not uncommon to go through more than half of a box of ammo (in other words, 4+ rounds) in an attempt to take down just 1 monster. Now, I will acknowledge that the game is fairly generous with giving you ammo through vending machines. That said, it's not going to give you 30 rounds back if that's what it took to clear out a room. Overall, I feel like Crow Country sends mixed signals. It wants you to use your ammo like crazy, but the smart thing to do, really, is to save it. Ultimately, I feel like the game creates an environment where there's little satisfaction either way.
Atmosphere: 11/12
Don't be deceived by the dated graphics, Crow Country is an unquestionably unnerving adventure. One of the main reasons why is the game's superb use of its environments. Whether you're in a run-down restaurant or a haunted mansion, Crow Country makes the most of every location. The familiar, typically welcoming nature of the settings makes the environments particularly effective in disturbing the player. The game has a great understanding of what unsettles people to their very core, masterfully balancing anticipation with action.
Even completely ignoring all the horror elements, Crow Country's world is beautifully designed. The park in its entirety is super coherently constructed. It genuinely feels like a theme park that was once full of life. The ability to capture that kind of charm via natural worldbuilding is not something insignificant. On top of everything that I've mentioned is an immersive soundtrack that complements the world perfectly. All in all, Crow Country has nothing to worry about in terms of validating its own existence. The atmosphere it manages is up there with the best; its identity is super strong. Really, the only major hitch in the game's immersion comes through some wonky spawning.
Design: 11/12
A survival horror game can't succeed without some incredible foresight in the design process. Crow Country isn't perfect, but it's very clear that a lot of thought went into each and every part of the game. There is a natural flow that comes with collecting the important items that is wholly intentional. The puzzles are, for the most part, easy to follow — even the ones that require you to look through multiple rooms. That doesn't mean that they're all easy, though. Some have very clear objectives but still require you to think deeply about what you need to do. The careful balancing of the puzzles makes it pretty easy to stay engaged with the game throughout the whole journey.
Importantly, Crow Country isn't tiring at all. No grueling tasks. No repetitive objectives. Every new location genuinely provides something unique to keep the experience feeling fresh. This is the case throughout the whole game. That requires great planning and great execution. I'd say those words describe Crow Country very well.
Direction: 9/12
There are a few times in Crow Country where it is almost inevitable that you'll get lost. The map won't be of any real value to you. The documents you've previously read won't be of much guidance either (as a quick sidenote, those should have been available to be read within a menu option instead of at save points). Exploring the park will be your only option. Now, this isn't the end of the world for a lot of games, but it feels really out of place in Crow Country. Roaming around without some kind of objective feels like a waste of time more than anything. The problem isn't that the player is given freedom. The problem is that there's still so much left to do within areas that they've previously visited. Crow Country isn't the smoothest experience, but it's pretty hard to make a perfect game within the survival horror genre to be fair.
