One of the many reasons why we liked this indie survival horror so much was because of its intriguing story. Although We already did a thematic analysis of this titlewe are left with many doubts about the plot and its characters. Taking advantage the imminent launch of Crow Country for Nintendo Switch and PS4we had the opportunity to speak with Adam Vian – creative director of the game – to answer our questions about the ‘lore’ hidden behind the story of Mara and the abandoned amusement park.
This interview was conducted in English and translated into Spanish. Contains ‘spoilers’ from Crow Countrybut we do not reveal what the big surprises of the game are.
PS5: Let’s start by talking about the protagonist. What inspired the character of Mara? What made you choose a teenage girl instead of a police officer or a concerned father as is tradition in video games?
Adam: Honestly, I didn’t initially think of a teenage girl. It’s something that happened as the story evolved. When I made a playable model for the prototype, she was a generic protagonist. I gave her a white dress so she would be more visible on screen and tall brown boots because it’s kind of a tradition — just ask Heather Mason, Fiona Belli, Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine or even Lara Croft. When I started modeling the other characters I realized that I was making them taller than Mara and I started to feel like she was younger than the others.
There are a lot of games where we play as a police officer or a concerned parent so I didn’t gravitate to those ideas. I also wanted the protagonist to have the freedom to have fun from time to time, crack jokes and act a little clumsy. If he had been a father worried about his lost son it would have been more difficult to do something like that.
Mara seems to be very popular with fanart artists. What do you think this is due to? What’s a fan’s favorite art you’ve seen?
She is very easy to draw! Short purple hair, white dress, red gloves, brown boots and you’re ready. It’s not just that, the simplistic style of its model allows artists to interpret it in their own style. I’ve noticed that many artists include blood stains on their dress—a very simple mechanic that ended up becoming an important part of their aesthetic. That’s a pretty good reason to consider giving white clothing to a protagonist in a horror game.
I can’t pick a favorite, but one that always comes to mind is this animated gif of violet.
I also want to mention all of Mara’s cosplayers. As a developer, it’s very exciting and rewarding to see people dressed up as your character, often while streaming the game. They are all amazing.
Let’s get into spoiler territory. The subplot about the gold mine in Brazil is so absurd that it seems like something that could happen in real life. Where did that idea come from?
That idea came to me naturally while I was working on the story. I wanted capitalist greed to be one of the themes of the game, but I specifically liked the idea of these men finding so much gold that it had become a problem to deal with. It was just a fun idea, that they were potentially the richest men on the planet but they were miserable and stressed about it.
Plus, the whole deception theme made the letters they wrote to each other easier to write and led to some unique visual elements, like the machine that made fake gold. Those things are discovered before we know what’s really going on so they give players a lot to think about.
Despite being a billionaire, Edward Crow seems to be a likable character even despite the horrible things he has done. Did he want the players to feel sympathy towards him?
That’s a good question. I think he wanted audiences not to know what to think of him. Players were actually surprised to discover that Crow is a calm, thoughtful and insightful man, but there is no denying the absolute horror of what he has done. I would say that he is even so intelligent that it makes his sins even more unforgivable.
In some ways, he is just a symptom of the system he was born into. He has no personal desire for gold, he simply continued doing something he had already started. I definitely wanted the boss fight to feel bitter, not to be a triumphant moment where they killed the monster they hated. It’s supposed to feel tragic and uncomfortable.
The most accepted theory about the Visitors is that they come from a future devastated by global warming. You don’t have to confirm or deny it if you don’t want to, but we would like to know if you intended to make an ecological or political comment through the game.
The fairy who cares for the pond asks Mara to “swear to protect the precious natural world” and she has to accept to continue. If you return to the haunted mansion, the globe is on fire. If she examines it she says “The balloon is on fire. I don’t understand. Did someone do this?
Are there any secrets, references or “Easter eggs” that fans haven’t found yet?
Very few have noticed the purple hair dye in Mara’s car. Very few people have noticed what happens when we first enter the save room.
There’s also something very small and specific that I don’t think anyone has noticed yet. It’s not an ‘Easter egg’ just a small detail. Pistol ammo boxes have eight bullets, but the box we took from Douglas Pike’s desk only has seven.
Would you like to explore more of the universe of Crow Country? If not in a game, maybe in a comic or a novel.
I don’t believe it. The game works well as is so I don’t feel a particular desire to add anything, particularly due to the nature of the story. I don’t think it would work to show Mara again or reveal what she does with her life in the future. It must be a question without an answer.
But I would love to make more ‘survival horror’ games! There are many stories I want to tell.
I want to thank Adam Vian for answering all my questions and I hope they have helped you resolve all your questions about the history and lore of Crow Country.
