Crow Country

With neat retro visuals, smart puzzles, and an interesting theme park location, Crow Country is an appealing survival horror game that suffers a little from clumsy action and minimal challenge.

98%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

grinding, character development

98% User Score Based on 3,665 reviews

Critic Score 71%Based on 24 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Crow Country" is a survival horror game set in an abandoned theme park, where players must solve puzzles and uncover the dark secrets of the park's past. As they progress, they'll encounter mysterious monsters and uncover disturbing rumors about the park's former owner, Edward. Exploration Mode allows players to enjoy the park's sights and sounds without the fear of attack. The game delves into themes of ambition, greed, and redemption as players uncover the truth about the park and themselves.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,665 reviews

story585 positive mentions

grinding11 negative mentions

Charming art style reminiscent of PS1-era graphics, creating a nostalgic atmosphere.
Engaging puzzles that are satisfying to solve, with a good balance of challenge.
Interesting story with unexpected twists that keeps players invested throughout.

Combat mechanics can feel clunky and frustrating, especially with aiming.
The game is relatively short, which may leave some players wanting more content.
Some puzzles may be overly simplistic or lack depth, leading to a less satisfying experience.

story
1,136 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
47%
1%
The story of "Crow Country" is generally well-received, characterized as simple yet engaging, with a nostalgic charm reminiscent of classic survival horror games. Players appreciate its intriguing plot twists and the gradual unfolding of the narrative through environmental storytelling and character interactions, although some find it predictable at times. Overall, the game successfully combines a compelling storyline with enjoyable gameplay, making it a notable entry in the indie horror genre.
- “Not only does this game do well in matching the nostalgic vibe it revolves around, but it brings unique aspects to add to the already incredible experience that is its gameplay and story.”
- “The story keeps you hooked until the end, and makes you want to explore and seek out secrets and hidden lore.”
- “The story is simple but incredibly effective with a charming cast and a depressing theme that adds a lot of depth to the mood of the game.”
- “The story is admittedly a bit on the thin side; it's still decent but don't come in expecting some super deep mythos like Silent Hill.”
- “The story kept me engaged and eager to find out more, but it felt somewhat predictable and lacked depth.”
- “The story was well put together; however, I don't think it left as lasting of an impact as its peers, like Signalis for example.”
graphics
732 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
59%
1%
The graphics of "Crow Country" are widely praised for their charming retro aesthetic, reminiscent of classic PlayStation 1 titles like "Final Fantasy VII" and "Resident Evil." Reviewers appreciate the game's unique blend of low-poly visuals and atmospheric design, which effectively enhances the horror experience while evoking nostalgia for the 90s gaming era. The art style, characterized by its quirky and toy-like quality, successfully complements the game's eerie themes, making it a standout feature for fans of retro survival horror.
- “Beautifully made game in the graphical style of Final Fantasy 7 but in a creepy dilapidated amusement park.”
- “The visuals are gorgeous, perfectly executed, slowly walking around a room just looking at every little detail is a treat, and the sound design is on point.”
- “Crow country is a traditional survival horror game with beautiful PS1-inspired, yet modernized aesthetics.”
- “Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but with the low resolution graphics and camera angles, sometimes these things hit you when it's not your fault.”
- “The low poly graphics make this game feel less horror and more creepy or unsettling.”
- “The graphics are kind of grainy and hurt the eyes.”
gameplay
511 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
62%
2%
The gameplay of *Crow Country* is a nostalgic homage to classic survival horror titles like *Resident Evil* and *Silent Hill*, featuring intuitive controls, engaging puzzles, and a mix of modern and retro mechanics. While some players found the combat and aiming mechanics a bit clunky, the overall experience is praised for its smoothness, charm, and the ability to evoke the essence of 90s horror games without feeling outdated. The game successfully balances exploration, resource management, and puzzle-solving, making it accessible for newcomers while still appealing to veteran fans of the genre.
- “Not only does this game do well in matching the nostalgic vibe it revolves around, but it brings unique aspects to add to the already incredible experience that is its gameplay and story.”
- “The gameplay is very well designed and superbly executed.”
- “The gameplay loop is both simple and engaging.”
- “The combat is boring... the aiming mechanics are attractive but there are just so few encounters that are challenging at all, you spend some rounds, take a medkit (they are way too plentiful) rinse and repeat... then move back to thinking about the puzzle you were trying to solve.”
- “My only complaint with the game is that it is way too easy, it seems the gameplay (without the story) should be about choosing which enemies to kill and managing resources as in old resident evil games, but you are never in a position where any enemy really blocks your path.”
- “I do think this game suffers a little bit in terms of gameplay balance, I thought it was a bit easy to run past everything and I very rarely had to actually fight.”
atmosphere
460 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
39%
1%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its effective blend of nostalgia and creepiness, reminiscent of classic 90s survival horror titles. Players appreciate the haunting soundscapes, detailed environments, and the unique setting of an abandoned theme park, which together create a rich, immersive experience that balances tension with moments of levity. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered its strongest aspect, drawing players into a captivating and eerie world filled with intriguing puzzles and engaging storytelling.
- “Ockeroid really nails that mix of melancholy and unsettling atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere, story, visual style, sound, vibe... just perfect!”
- “The atmosphere was perfect, the sound was perfect and the game was honestly creepy and made me jump from time to time.”
- “The atmosphere of the park isn't even that moody or spooky despite attempts to adjust the lighting throughout the game.”
- “It could do everything possible to create a creepy atmosphere, but at the end of the day, if you can comfortably move and shoot enemies, the tension that's so essential to the genre is not exactly there.”
- “The atmosphere is a mix of campy and creepy and gives the game an identity all its own.”
music
311 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
39%
1%
The music in "Crow Country" has received widespread acclaim for its hauntingly beautiful and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the game's eerie ambiance and nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic survival horror titles like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Composed by Ockeroid, the soundtrack features a mix of melodic and unsettling tracks that contribute significantly to the overall experience, with many players expressing a desire to purchase the soundtrack separately. Overall, the music is considered a standout element, elevating the game's charm and emotional depth while perfectly complementing its visual style and gameplay.
- “The music by Ockeroid is unbeatable, atmospheric, and old-sounding but with modern production quality.”
- “The soundtrack is fantastic and moody and helps solidify the overall tone of the game: that maybe everything will be okay... and maybe it won't.”
- “The music is phenomenal, holding the atmosphere strong throughout the full length of the game.”
- “The gameplay and sound effects were highlights, but I found the story, art, and music to be decisively mid.”
- “The soundtrack is serviceable with a couple standout tracks.”
- “The music is quite atmospheric as well as charming, due to the game allowing itself to be silly at times, not always relying on pressuring the player and letting them just have fun.”
replayability
128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
63%
5%
The game offers a solid level of replayability, featuring multiple unlockable items, a ranking system based on performance, and various difficulty modes that encourage players to revisit it for better scores and hidden secrets. While some players noted a lack of additional game modes or significant incentives for multiple playthroughs, many appreciated the nostalgic elements and the short campaign length, which makes replaying enjoyable. Overall, it strikes a balance between being concise and providing enough content to warrant several runs.
- “There are plenty of secrets to find in the game and unlockable items for future playthroughs to help with replayability.”
- “The game also offers replayability through unlockable items for follow-up playthroughs, survival horror rankings at the end of the game, and multiple difficulties.”
- “A fantastic retro style horror with a cool aesthetic, great monster design, great sound design, good puzzles, some replayability, and a solid story.”
- “• [u]minimal replay value[/u]: once completed, the game offers limited incentives for replay, as the linear progression and lack of additional modes may not encourage multiple playthroughs.”
- “Sadly it isn't super replayable, there aren't too many challenges or side modes that I think would add to the game, so you can experience most everything on your first playthrough depending on your end rank.”
- “The first playthrough is enjoyable, and can be pretty easily beaten blind in a single sitting, but there's not too much for replay value when compared to a classic Silent Hill game.”
humor
113 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
3%
The humor in the game is consistently praised for its cleverness and charm, effectively balancing lighthearted moments with the darker themes of survival horror. Players appreciate the witty dialogue and character interactions, particularly from the main character, Mara, whose sarcastic remarks add depth without overwhelming the game's atmosphere. Overall, the humor enhances the experience, making it enjoyable and engaging while maintaining a spooky undertone.
- “The game gets steadily creepier and more interesting, more scary, and surprisingly more funny the more you play.”
- “The main character is fun, with many hilarious lines of dialogue and flavor text that are callbacks to your favorite horror games of a bygone era.”
- “The humor is great and the atmosphere is spot on.”
- “Not funny, don't do that. It gives me Kyrandia potion recipe vibes, and we are past that.”
- “The humor feels forced and outdated, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
- “I expected clever jokes, but instead, I got cringeworthy puns that fell flat.”
emotional
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players expressing feelings of nostalgia, fear, and deep connection to the characters and story. Many reviewers noted that the game effectively evokes a range of emotions, from joy and nostalgia to sadness and contemplation, often leaving them reflective after the experience. The combination of strong storytelling, impactful character interactions, and atmospheric sound design contributes to a memorable emotional journey that resonates with players.
- “The story... I cried at the end.”
- “The story is rather simple, but has some effective twists and all the emotional beats hit really well for me; there were some cool ludonarrative moments that got a smile out of me.”
- “I don't review a lot of games, but this made me feel something I haven't felt in a long time.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
14%
79%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While some elements, like resource scarcity and certain mechanics, can lead to tedious and monotonous gameplay, the game also incorporates design choices that alleviate some of the more frustrating aspects of traditional survival horror, making backtracking and progression feel less burdensome. The balance between challenge and enjoyment varies, with some players appreciating the retro feel without the typical annoyances of older games.
- “The puzzles were good, and I felt like the progression from one area to the next was not tedious.”
- “Of course, combat, although its rough controls become customary after a while, always manages to feel tedious or abrupt no matter how many hours you take.”
- “The resources in this game are so scarce that most of the time spent in this game feels like you're searching every corner of every room for heals, antidotes, and ammo, which is just so tedious.”
- “Trap disarming / avoiding baddies can get monotonous and tedious instead of fun at times.”
character development
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
57%
21%
Character development in the game is marked by a unique blend of nostalgic 90s aesthetics and whimsical charm, drawing inspiration from classic titles like Final Fantasy VII while incorporating a surreal, almost toy-like quality. While the character designs evoke a sense of comfort and nostalgia, they also shift into unsettling territory as the story progresses, enhancing the horror elements. Overall, the dialogue is engaging and witty, though some critiques highlight inconsistencies in character design quality, impacting the overall experience.
- “The theme park setting, strange filter, and almost toylike character designs give the game a surreal, almost whimsical vibe, and Mara's attitude to most things definitely helps with that.”
- “The color palettes and character design are so nostalgic and comforting, until the horror settles in more and things that are fun, whimsical, and charming become scary and hard to look at, especially as the story progresses.”
- “The dialogue is fun and witty, and the character design is enjoyable.”
- “Either way, the bad character design takes this game from a 9 to a 4.”
- “The character designs have an obvious look to them, but only twice in the game do they have the chance to get in front of the camera.”
- “Character design is very uncanny and doll-like.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The game's stability is mixed, with reports of significant freezing issues during gameplay, particularly when shooting, which can lead to frustrating deaths. While some users experience minor graphical glitches, the game generally runs well on the Steam Deck, though there are occasional bugs related to achievements. Overall, while it performs adequately on certain platforms, stability issues can detract from the experience.
- “Runs great on the Steam Deck.”
- “Plays great and runs smoothly on the Steam Deck.”
- “Looks and runs fantastic on the Steam Deck.”
- “First, it freezes the character for 2–3 minutes every time you shoot, allowing monsters to crawl over and kill you.”
- “A few funny graphical glitches (like when Mara opened a door with her left hand by wrapping it around her right hip, girl is flexible!), and while trying to play this fullscreen, the game's audio doesn't seem to be friendly when the window is not in focus.”
- “Also, the S rank achievement is a bit buggy about unlocking.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, with no performance issues reported during gameplay, and it features a seamless experience without intrusive cut scenes or the need for a day-one patch. Players appreciate the replayability aspects, including performance evaluations and additional content for subsequent playthroughs, enhancing the overall experience.
- “Can't sing enough praises of this game, fun gameplay, great mix of puzzles and a fire aesthetic that will make any Silent Hill/horror fan happy - highly recommend this one, never ran into any issues as the game is well optimized!”
- “The game took me just under 6 hours to complete, and it seems to have a few replay-oriented features similar to other classic survival horror games, namely new game plus equipment based on your final playthrough performance rank, and some sort of hidden object hunt added to subsequent playthroughs.”
- “No intruding cut scenes, no day one performance patch.”