An abandoned amusement park is the quintessential setting for horror, and Crow Country capably takes advantage of it. Right from the start, you’re left intrigued, with a security camera in the employee parking lot following your every move. Is this theme park empty or not?
It turns out it isn’t, at least not entirely. A few random characters are strewn about the park, each with their personal motivations for being there. It’s a small enough group to retain the sense of apprehension in isolation yet enough to add extra weight to your investigation.
You play as special agent Mara Forest, responding to a missing persons report. (Without spoilers, I promise she gets far more interesting the deeper you progress into the game). What isn’t missing is monsters of different shapes and sizes, all grotesque. Finding the missing park owner becomes just part of your overall focus to survive while also finding out how this abruptly closed park got into the state it is.
The park is the star of the game, and the entertaining puzzles within, wrapped around the mysterious plot, push you forward. While the park is a good size, it’s laid out in such a way as to make your explorations manageable. You’ll discover shortcuts that make travel even faster.
Themed areas include Fairytale Town, Haunted Hilltop (admittedly seems redundant in an already spooky park), and Ocean Kingdom. Seeing how these attractions supposedly work might remove some of the magic were you a little kid on vacation, but Mara’s more interested in how these grant access to other areas (maps will let you see locales not yet fully explored). An arcade, a gift shop, and a restaurant are just some expected spots, all packed with puzzles requiring good observation and visually fun.
Crow Country’s visuals are purposely dated by design, adopting an early 32-bit look rather than oft-seen pixel art. But, as the game takes place in 1990, the visuals eventually seem a few years ahead, if that makes sense. The look also aids the vibe; the game would look less scary without this aesthetic. I commend this choice and the grittiness it adds while still keeping clear what you are looking at, especially with a flexible camera. Smart lighting also works to the game’s benefit. Even though this is a darker title in several areas, grabbing an early light source proves effectively helpful, as you shine in every corner to ensure no detail gets missed.
The audio fits what this game is going for quite well. While sound effects are hit or miss, the music is appropriately creepy. It’s tough to pick a favorite as the entire soundtrack’s a winner. “Maybe everything will be okay…” gets my vote, a hauntingly serene tune that’s music to my ears, indicating a room with fire, aka a room where you can save. True, limited saves might not be ideal for handheld play, but the approach is apt for this type of game. While I played Crow Country alongside my wife on a TV, I look forward to replaying it with headphones for even more immersion.
I’ve mentioned the satisfying puzzles, but what of the combat? Combat is not the strength of Crow County. In truth, I’d argue it’s the prime, possibly the only, weakness the game has. Even with both classic and modern settings, aiming is fiddly. One of the earliest monster encounters occurs in a narrow hallway, making running past impractical. Here you’ll see not only monsters that are slightly quicker than expected but ones that will absorb nearly an entire ammo clip, even when you’re aiming for the head. While you can always backtrack to the trunk of your car for additional ammunition, the fights simply lack entertainment, paling compared to exploration and puzzle-solving.
The developers must have realized they missed the mark as an “Exploration Mode” is included (one of three modes). Enemies still appear but have already fallen, as if they died of natural causes. We didn’t miss the combat. What we did miss was the absence of any danger in this mode. Why do poisons (food and gas) no longer damage us? What happened to bear traps and other environmental obstacles? Puzzle hints are limited (and optional), so why make these so easy? We shouldn’t have to choose between subpar combat or subpar challenge. If not for these blunders, Crow Country would score even higher.
But even with a couple of missteps, I’m still scoring Crow Country highly. The story engrosses, and the puzzles challenge without being too ridiculous. The game is long enough to be rewarding but not so long as to make replay intimidating. And the retro horror may even make you jump a couple of times, in teen-rated fashion. The Snipperclips devs have done considerably good work here, and anyone who predicted otherwise can eat crow.
