Crow Country Review – Scream Park Fun

thesixthaxis.com:

Although there has been a relative deluge of high quality indie games released over the past few months, Crow Country has been at the top of my wishlist since I checked out the demo last year. Offering a combination of classic survival horror gameplay and PS1-influenced aesthetics, it nails both and offers a gaming experience that manages to feel innovative and nostalgic at the same time.

When you first start up Crow Country the retro aesthetic hits you with its fusion of pre-rendered backgrounds and polygonal characters. Such is the wave of nostalgia that it took me a while to realise that you can freely move the camera to examine the environments rather than being restricted to fixed angles. Once you do pick up on this full control however, you’ll quickly find that the various locations have items, secrets, and hidden details to find throughout. The visual design is excellent and interactive spots are easy to distinguish despite the initially busy artstyle.

You play as Special Agent Mara Forest, a mysterious investigator and firearms expert who may be more than they first seem. Mara is sent to investigate the derelict theme park, Crow Country, after a missing person’s report is filed for the park’s owner. Once Mara makes it to Crow Country, however, it soon becomes clear that there is something odd happening there. The narrative is revealed skilfully through a series of notes and newspaper articles scattered around the park, alongside conversations with the few survivors you meet along the way.

Beginning with a trusty pistol and a trunk full of bullets (handy for when you run out in the early game) Mara can find a range of traditional weapons to help her fight off the many strange creatures she faces. While many of these can be avoided in classic survival horror fashion, doing so can lead areas to become especially crowded and dangerous when tracking back – and tracking back is something you’ll be doing a lot of during Crow Country’s runtime. The map is relatively