Creatures of Ava is the latest from the Valencians at Inverge Studios and publisher Chibig, the latter best known for Cozy Summer in Mara, Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara, and the upcoming Mika and the Witch Mountain. Creatures of Ava follows the same vein, although it is also unusual in that it is a non-violent adventure that focuses instead on exploration.
The story takes place on the mysterious planet Ava, where young adventurer Victoria, better known as Vic, has crashed her ship. Astonished, Vic sets off on an adventure to explore the planet and soon discovers that the animals, plants and native Naam tribes are threatened by a dark infection the natives call “The Withering.” Vic, along with his research partner Tabitha, finds himself in danger of saving the planet’s fauna from the devastating infection by mapping the animal species found on the planet and teleporting them to a distant BioArk.
Ava is divided into four areas, each with its characteristic fauna and flora. Vic will explore these areas, discovering their unique plants and animals, documenting animal species and learning more about them through photography and interaction. Among the wild animals there will be healthy ones, but also those that are already infected and are becoming more hostile and aggressive. To cure the latter, he will have to use a magic wand that he acquires shortly after arriving in Ava.
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Vic also carries a magic flute, given to him by the first Naam tribe he encountered, and along the way he will learn several melodies for it. For example, she can use her flute to imitate the sounds of animals to make them feel safe and help her complete various tasks, such as removing obstacles, pushing large boxes or opening magical flowers. By playing a special melody, Vic can also make the animals follow her and take them to the teleportation points placed by Tabitha to transport them to the BioArk.
Finally, Vic has to complete various tasks and missions for the Naam, which unfortunately are not particularly interesting and are mainly limited to looking for something in the environment, getting something for the village chief or something similar. As you complete quests, additional side quests also appear and there is a lot to see in the game environment if you are that type of person.
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Creatures of Ava is in some ways a game «Feel good» in which you can explore the space around you at your own pace without stress or violence, befriending different animals and completing your Avapedia with photos and information about the animals and plants you find. There is also the narrative, like an underwater current, of humanity arriving on an alien planet and “saving the tribes and animals there” by removing them from their planet and taking them somewhere else. A narrative that becomes more and more obvious as the game progresses, but about which I will not reveal more here.
Creatures of Ava is a beautiful game, even if the graphics are rather simple. Ava is a beautiful place full of plants, big trees, playful streams and cozy villages where the Naam tribes live. It is full of colors and has a simple and rather cartoon style, but the result is beautiful and works wonderfully. The sounds and especially the soundtrack with some really beautiful melodies are really crucial given the flute, which turns out to be one of the most important mechanics in the game.
Unfortunately, the game’s seams are not well finished, and while it doesn’t affect the gameplay experience, there’s no denying that you’ll notice the frayed edges while playing. Sometimes the beautiful music suddenly disappears, the menus and map are much harder to navigate than they should be, the controls are too clunky and imprecise, and animals can get stuck when following Vic around the landscape. Using the map is particularly frustrating, and highlights that the game could have taken a little longer to release if it had been better.
All in all, Creatures of Ava is a somewhat mediocre experience. In addition to the frustration caused by the elements already mentioned, the game quickly becomes monotonous as you have to repeat more or less the same steps in every area. New enemies, obstacles, plants and animals appear, but the gameplay doesn’t change much.
If exploring every nook and cranny of every game world you traverse is your thing, and moving through a world with a few little things to discover, this could be a great game to kill time with. It’s also worth mentioning that Creatures of Ava has been available on Game Pass since day one, so if you’re looking for something to pass the time with, I recommend checking it out, as it does have some good (and cute) moments.
