Creatures of Ava

91%
Game Brain Score Based on 142 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Creatures of Ava Game Cover
Overall, Creatures of Ava will, without a doubt, go above and beyond to get you hooked on its story and visuals, but it’ll just keep adding on as you explore and see more of Ava.
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In "Creatures of Ava," become a nature explorer and save unique creatures on planet Ava, who are succumbing to an infection. Play as Vic, exploring 4 distinct ecosystems, taming over 20 creatures with a musical flute, and discovering the secrets of Ava and Vic's past. Your mission is to instill peace and save the planet's inhabitants from the withering.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Game Pass
  • x_box_cloud_gaming
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

91%
Audience ScoreBased on 142 reviews
story33 positive mentions
stability3 negative mentions
  • The game features a beautiful and colorful world filled with adorable creatures, making exploration enjoyable.
  • The story is engaging and emotional, with unexpected depth that resonates with players.
  • Gameplay mechanics, including creature taming and puzzle-solving, provide a fun and unique experience.
  • The game suffers from bugs and performance issues, which can disrupt the overall experience.
  • Players can lock themselves out of content by completing objectives too early, leading to frustration.
  • The combat mechanics can feel simplistic and repetitive, lacking depth and challenge.
  • story125 mentions

    The story of "Creatures of Ava" is praised for its emotional depth and immersive narrative, drawing comparisons to acclaimed titles like "The Last of Us." Players appreciate the game's beautiful visuals and character development, which enhance the overall experience, although some find the plot predictable and the side quests tedious. The narrative explores themes of empathy, conservation, and the consequences of human actions, culminating in a poignant ending that resonates with many players.

    • “A must play, the game is so beautiful and emotional, up there with The Last of Us in terms of story.”
    • “This is an experience that overflows with affection, carrying a touching story that shows players the importance of bonds between individuals, understanding different ideologies, and finally, the cycle of life and its self-regeneration.”
    • “The story was beautiful and made me cry at the end.”
    • “Unfortunately, as the story progresses, you slowly realize that it is not all that happy and you are assailed by a sense of sadness that culminates in a depressive ending that makes you wonder to yourself how lousy people we really are.”
    • “In addition, entire zones of the open world are locked out as the story progresses, meaning that if you don't get 100% completion of these zones before progressing the storyline, you miss out completely - including on permanent character upgrades.”
    • “Not gonna lie: I have a huge problem with the story and NPCs' reactivity, and I outright hated the ending.”
  • gameplay60 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a charming mix of exploration, creature control, and simple puzzle-solving mechanics, creating an engaging experience that feels cohesive with the story. While the movement and combat mechanics are enjoyable, some players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth, with minor bugs and pacing issues detracting from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the game's beautiful environments and cute creatures contribute to a cozy and immersive atmosphere, making it a satisfying adventure for those seeking a lighter gaming experience.

    • “The mix of puzzle-solving, creature-taming, and environmental challenges keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.”
    • “Gameplay is a sort of metroidvania with platforming, simple key-hunt puzzles, and abilities opening up new areas.”
    • “The gameplay is a marriage between Beyond Good and Evil, Pokémon Snap, and classic Legend of Zelda.”
    • “The first is that the main gameplay starts to overstay its welcome after a bit.”
    • “After nearly 15 hours of gameplay and a lot of side content, I found myself in the final area, only interested in completing the main mission, largely due to the frankly tedious side quests that require a lot of walking to complete.”
    • “Boring and simplistic gameplay, discordant narrative elements, and a lot of jank keeps 'Creatures of Ava' from living up to its cozy premise.”
  • music32 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many players noting its relaxing and soothing qualities reminiscent of soundtracks like Skyrim. While some found the music repetitive or experienced technical issues, the incorporation of musical mechanics for taming creatures was seen as both creative and enjoyable, though challenging for those less musically inclined. Overall, the soundtrack significantly contributes to the immersive experience, making it a highlight for many players.

    • “The music and scenery are beautiful; I can pet all the creatures (each species has a unique animation for this, too), and, as a very 'no, no I can fix this' type person, the story really got me.”
    • “A huge compliment on the music in this game; I've been humming the grassland main theme a lot and often stood still to listen.”
    • “The soundtrack to this game is relaxing and soothing.”
    • “However, I found myself skipping through the boring dialogues and the music was a little repetitive.”
    • “The one gaming mechanic that I'm seeing an increase in is using music to tame animals; it's a mechanic I hate, because as a person who doesn't know music notes by sound, it's hard to tame the animals when I don't know what note they are using or which one for myself to use to tame them.”
    • “We're not all music savants, lmao.”
  • graphics27 mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their beautiful art style, immersive environments, and charming creature designs, creating a captivating atmosphere. While the visuals are generally considered fantastic, some users noted limitations in graphical options on the Steam Deck version, contrasting with the extensive settings available on PC. Overall, the art direction and aesthetic appeal significantly enhance the gameplay experience, despite some technical shortcomings.

    • “From the art direction with those beautiful watercolor-inspired graphics, the relaxed gameplay that makes you interact and befriend little (and not so little) creatures, and a plot that hits harder than it looks at first glance, it makes you root for the characters you meet along the way.”
    • “I’ve really enjoyed this game so far; the creature designs, the graphics, the mechanics, the world, it’s all amazing and immersive!”
    • “The graphics are not overly technically impressive, but the art is gorgeous - I was particularly enamored by the designs of the eponymous creatures, the environments, and the overall aesthetic.”
    • “The largest issue comes with the reduced graphical option settings on the Steam Deck version of the game.”
    • “It automatically runs in Steam Deck mode, making it so you can't change any of the graphic settings.”
    • “There's so much potential here, but it feels like a PS2 game with the graphics of a PS4 game.”
  • emotional21 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Creatures of Ava" is highly praised, with players highlighting its beautiful storytelling and deep connections formed with the game's creatures. The narrative evolves from a simple mission to save a planet into a profound exploration of empathy, cultural understanding, and the cycle of life, often leading to heartfelt moments that resonate deeply, culminating in emotional endings that leave players in tears. Overall, the game is celebrated for its heartwarming interactions and the emotional journey it offers, making it a standout experience in the genre.

    • “The bond you create with the creatures is one of the game's highlights, especially through the ability to tame, pet, and help them recover from 'the withering.' Vic’s journey adds emotional depth to the exploration, with her past unraveling as you progress through the game.”
    • “I cared so much about the world and its characters and creatures that I cried at the ending.”
    • “This is an experience that overflows with affection, carrying a touching story that shows players the importance of bonds between individuals, understanding different ideologies, and finally, the cycle of life and its self-regeneration.”
  • optimization9 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players praise its impressive visuals and smooth performance, others report significant frame drops and bugs, particularly in later stages and specific areas. The game utilizes Unreal Engine 5's advanced features, which can impact performance, and it may require players with lower-end PCs to adjust settings for optimal play. Overall, ongoing patches from the developers may improve the situation, but current optimization issues remain a concern for many users.

    • “Very good optimization, probably the best I have seen in a game so far from what I've played in these years.”
    • “The performance on PC is great and the game also supports Unreal Engine 5's new Lumen technology, which adds realistic lighting and reflections.”
    • “The game has impressive visuals and runs smoothly.”
    • “Another downside was its performance, as in certain areas, there are noticeable frame drops, which is inconvenient.”
    • “It claims to be verified on Steam Deck, but the performance is very poor.”
    • “Only thing is it isn't really optimized neatly, and forces you to start out with ultra settings on, so if you have a lower-end PC and need it to run properly, look to adjust settings early if on PC.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in "Creatures of Ava" is highlighted by clever and witty writing that enhances the overall experience, making it more enjoyable than expected. Players appreciate the funny interactions with adorable creatures and the amusing elements woven into the gameplay, contributing to a delightful adventure filled with laughter.

    • “There are lots of funny stuff built in, and it makes the overall experience that much better.”
    • “Clever and funny writing which is way better than it needs, or has any right, to be.”
    • “Creatures of Ava is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure with fun platforming and puzzling, along with a dash of adorable creatures and humorous interactions.”
  • stability5 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is characterized by minor glitches and bugs that are generally not disruptive, with no instances of soft locking reported. While some users note a few pacing issues and rough edges, the game performs well on platforms like the Steam Deck, contributing to an enjoyable experience.

    • “This game is beautiful, runs great, and keeps me wanting to play more!”
    • “It runs great on the Steam Deck as well.”
    • “A little buggy, a little weirdly paced, a little rough around the edges.”
    • “There have been some minor glitches and bugs, but it's nothing out of the ordinary and never soft-locked.”
    • “Adorable creatures that you can pet, good humor, but buggy.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its charming art style, engaging music, and well-developed characters, creating a cozy and inviting environment. The use of vibrant colors and delightful dialogue enhances the overall experience, making it reminiscent of classic Nintendo titles while still establishing its unique identity. The pleasant soundtrack, particularly the flute music, further enriches the immersive atmosphere.

    • “I was swept away by the atmosphere, art style, music, story, and characters.”
    • “Each personality trait is conveyed through the dialogue, creating a fun and exciting atmosphere, set against a backdrop of cozy colors like green, purple, and pink.”
    • “Its inspiration from Nintendo titles is quite evident, but its dedication to memorable characters and a cozy atmosphere gives it all the tools to stand out from other titles in this genre.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The reviews indicate that the game's monetization strategy suffers from poor advertising, making it difficult for potential players to discover new content. Users feel that the current methods of promoting games are ineffective, highlighting a need for more efficient marketing approaches.

    • “No one really sees ads anymore, so how do you find out about new content?”
    • “The advertising of games and how to do it efficiently remains a struggle for companies.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the lengthy and repetitive side quests that detract from the main mission experience. Many express a desire to skip these tasks, indicating a lack of engaging content in the grinding process.

    • “After nearly 15 hours of gameplay and a lot of side content, I found myself in the final area, only interested in completing the main mission, largely due to the frankly tedious side quests that require a lot of walking to complete.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Players highlight the game's engaging story and note that it offers significant replayability, encouraging multiple playthroughs.

    • “Such an amazing story and lots of replayability.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers highlight that "Creatures of Ava" features genuine character development alongside its charming gameplay and thoughtful narrative themes, despite some occasional bugs and infrequent voice acting.

    • “But even with the occasional bug, 'Creatures of Ava' is still a charming little creature collector with thoughtful narrative themes, decent albeit infrequent voice acting, and genuine character development.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

77% average critic score

Buy Creatures of Ava

Play time

19hMedian play time
16hAverage play time
15-23hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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