Are you a fan of horror games? Well guess what there is a new horror game that is creating quite a lot of buzz. SFB Games developed a game called Crow Country and released it on 9th May 2024. Crow Country has overwhelmingly positive reviews on steam.
The game takes you back to nostalgic golden era of PlayStation 1 survival horror games. The game takes place in 1990 where you have to look into the mysterious disappearance of Edward Crow. The premise of Crow Country takes place in an abandoned theme park.
“If you want answers, you’ll have to venture deep into the darkness of Crow Country to find them”
A Theme Park Shrouded in Mystery
The Crow Country is a theme park that is situated in outskirts of Atlanta. The theme park was initially filled with people coming for a memorable moment. The theme has faded its charm and color after the disappearance of Edward Crow. Now the park has unsettling sounds, flickering lights and a blanket of melancholy.
You will play as Mara Forest who is a young woman invigilating the case of Edward Crow. You need to give attention to anything that feels unsettling and mysterious to you. The more you explore you will get more closer to the truth.
“As you unlock new areas, backtrack and discover more, you gradually piece together why Edward really shut down his park and where he mysteriously disappeared to.”
A Familiar Embrace of Frights
The visual of Crow Country is absolutely a burst of nostalgia it looks like a love letter to the PlayStation 1 era. The game is very attention to detailed you can see the heavily detailed pre-rendered background. Moreover, the Crow Country’s faded color makes the game looks eerie but yet aesthetic. The Park looks like an abandoned haunted theme park but yet it looks hauntingly beautiful. The fixed camera angle makes it look claustrophobic as you have limited visibility. So, you will be forced to carefully navigate through each area.
Survival Horror Staples with Modern Twists
The main gameplay mechanics revolves around puzzle-solving and resource management. You will need to navigate through the theme park collecting key items and solve mysterious puzzles. Moreover, it is up to you to understand cryptic messages and piece together the story. You have limited ammo so you need to strategically choose your battle and fight with the evil that lurks around the park.
The game also has “Exploration Mode” that allows players to roam around the park without getting attacked by enemies. You can indulge yourself in the eerie atmosphere and admire the art of the game.
“For visitors to the park who are more interested in spotting crows and taking in the sights, Exploration Mode allows you to journey on without the fear of being attacked by the mysterious monsters roaming Crow Country.”
More Than Just Monsters
The game is more than grotesque creatures that constantly stalks the park. The main horror lies within the narrative of the game. If you explore around and piece together the story you will definitely get some chills. There will be diary entries, cryptic messages and abandoned projects with Edward’s ambition. The story kind of revolves around how greed can succumb people.
“Just how far would someone go to follow their ambition? Are some sins too wicked for redemption?”
Puzzles that Challenge and Reward
The game has basic puzzle solving like you need to collect key items to open a certain door or mechanism. You will also encounter complex environmental puzzle that will need you to manipulate certain objects. Of course, some cryptic messages will definitely give you some hints about how to solve the puzzles.
Combat
The combat of Crow Country is quite simple actually you will only use firearms to take down creepy enemies. You will need to aim from fixed perspective which kind of goes back to the old mechanics. Crow Country will offer you a lot of weapons like shotguns and flamethrowers.
Conclusion
If you are into horror games and to experience a nostalgic ride then Crow Country is an amazing game to try. It is a short suspenseful artistic game that players who are into casual narrative with less combat will enjoy. This is also an appropriate game for newcomers who are seeking some thrill.
