Modern survival horror games that want to recapture the aesthetics and essence of classic titles from the 90s often make one fatal mistake. You see, when the fans who were nearby play Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare looking back at the PS1, they do it with a level of affection that honestly makes the games sound like the best thing since sliced bread.
It’s true, though, that the earliest survival horror titles, with their clunky controls and fixed camera angles, aren’t particularly old; heck, there’s a reason so many of them get modern remakes. Veterans will adore them forever (including this writer), but newcomers often leave wondering what the fuss was all about.
So when a game launches that’s basically a tribute to the survival horror boom of the late 90s, there’s a good chance it’ll flop without the benefit of personal nostalgia. Crow Country, fortunately, manages to avoid this problem entirely. Developed by SFB Games of Snipperclips fame, this is a genre-bending game that effortlessly captures that distinctive ‘retro’ feel while adding plenty of modern conveniences to make it feel completely fresh.
Set in a dilapidated amusement park, Crow Country stars Mara Forest, a special agent who investigates mysterious goings-on while searching for the park’s founder, Edward Crow. Upon her arrival, it’s not long before the true horrors of the park are revealed, with creepy creatures known as ‘Guests’ roaming through an environment full of baffling puzzles, locked doors and deliberately obscure notes and messages.
In short, it’s the quintessential survival horror experience, but it strips away all the outdated mechanics you might have come to expect. Starting with the obvious, full 360-degree movement is implemented here via tank controls, while the isometric camera can be rotated at will. This is especially important for Crow Country, as the game world is designed to be scrutinized, so you’ll be constantly panning the camera to see what item might be hidden in an alcove or what creature might be lurking in the shadows. .
Of course, you can take out the creeps with your weapon choice (although, as in all survival horrors, simply getting them out of the way is just as viable). Firing your weapon requires you to stand still and aim with the right analog stick, giving you complete control over where you want to sink the bullet.
There can be a bit of judder at times and, depending on the camera angle at the time of aiming, it can be a little awkward to get key headshots. Overall, though, it’s a system that works much better than the trial-and-error mechanics seen in classics like Resident Evil. If you miss, it’s entirely your own fault, and ammo certainly isn’t plentiful in this amusement park.
What’s nice is that while Crow Country is certainly not an easy experience (unless you choose the ‘Exploration’ difficulty setting), there are plenty of opportunities to increase your chances of survival over the six to seven hour experience. Medical kits and ammo boxes can be found in containers, while chests or display cases often hide similar useful items or weapon upgrades.
It feels like a bit of a gamble with the crates in particular, as you’ll need to spend precious ammo to see what’s inside, but the developers have struck a great balance of providing assistance while maintaining an appropriate level of difficulty throughout. If you happen to get a little lost, there’s a handy hint system that you can use up to 10 times during gameplay, pointing you in a vague but useful direction.
Something for us contemptiblehowever, there were environmental traps that begin to appear as you progress through the game. They appear out of nowhere and are often located in areas you’ve already explored, giving you a false sense of security. The problem, however, is that they’re not scary or clever, they’re just frustrating. We almost threw our Switch out the window after spending a good chunk of time making decent progress, only to die at the hands of a falling chandelier while limping to a nearby save room. Absolutely furious.
This is a clip in an otherwise extremely well thought out survival horror. It’s hard to say whether you’ll find it downright terrifying or not, but it’s certainly creepy enough, and the familiar but modernized mechanics will likely appeal whether you enjoy old-school classics or prefer something a little more modern.
The deliberately blocky visuals may take some getting used to — especially as they’re juxtaposed against eerie, ambient music (plus a beautiful, ethereal room-saving theme), groaning zombies, cawing crows, and ominous lighting effects — and we’d love it. though some of the room transitions were a bit faster to load, but if you’re looking for something to scratch that ‘retro survival horror’ vibe, Crow Country is leagues above most of the competition.
Conclusion
Crow Country is a great survival horror game with a retro flavor that manages to pay homage to the classics of the 90s while providing a bunch of modern conveniences that keep the game fresh and, more importantly, fun. Exploring the creepy yet charming theme park is a real pleasure thanks to its wealth of intriguing secrets and nasty creatures. There are a few annoyances that keep it from being a masterpiece, like slightly delayed screen transitions and infuriating traps, but like Signalis before it, Crow Country is worth checking out if you’re looking for a retro-style horror game that miraculously doesn’t feel dated. right behind the door.
