Kill The Crows
- August 20, 2023
- 5minlab Corp.
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Kill The Crows" is a fast-paced top-down shooter set in a twisted western world, where one-shot, one-kill gunfights with classic revolvers and special abilities are the norm. Players must carefully manage their shots and environmenents to survive against 12 uniquely designed cultist enemies, including a boss. Each successful "Showdown" not only takes down foes but also refills the player's bullets, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the flow of battle.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Addictive gameplay with a fast-paced and satisfying shooting mechanic.
- Great pixel art and sound design that enhances the overall experience.
- Fun and challenging, with a rewarding progression system that keeps players engaged.
- Limited content with only one map and a small variety of enemies, leading to repetitive gameplay.
- Frustrating difficulty spikes, especially with boss encounters that can feel unfair.
- Unlocking new gear and abilities can be tedious, requiring players to repeat earlier sections multiple times.
- gameplay254 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its fast-paced, addictive mechanics that emphasize speed and accuracy, making it a satisfying experience for players who enjoy quick, reflex-testing sessions. While the core mechanics, including a unique bullet time feature and tight controls, are well-received, some players note issues with repetition and a lack of content variety, such as limited enemy types and a single map. Overall, the game offers a solid arcade-like experience that is both engaging and budget-friendly, though some players wish for more depth and variety in gameplay elements.
“Brutally difficult, but the snappy, sharp combat mechanics make you want to give it another run as soon as you get killed.”
“The gameplay loop is pretty fun, and it makes for a pretty good game to play during downtime since the runs are so short.”
“The gameplay is tight and fast and very enjoyable when you manage to pull off some daredevil thing and take out a crowd at once.”
“But all that fun goes away once you learn two things: the gameplay cycle and the cheese from the boss.”
“Something that was a huge letdown was the 'dead-eye' ability; I wanted that to be so fun, but I get killed half the time I use it and the other half I miss because of how the aim mechanic is implemented.”
“A single map the size of a school lunchroom, only about a dozen upgrades that you'll unlock within an hour of play, a paltry half-dozen enemy types and only one boss with a single mechanic do not add up to a substantial amount of content; even though your shots have a solid impact and the arcade-style combat is good fun, without a vibrant game world to thrive in, the experience of playing this was a short high followed by profound disappointment.”
- graphics77 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their polished and aesthetically pleasing design, featuring a charming mix of pixel art and a unique dark art style. Players appreciate the cohesive visual experience, which enhances the gameplay and overall atmosphere, with many highlighting the game's western and gothic themes. Overall, the visuals are described as gorgeous, stylish, and integral to the game's appeal, making it a standout indie title.
“The graphics are gorgeous and the sounds are wonderful.”
“The pixel graphics are charming and easy to read, the map is well laid out, the gear you get all feels balanced and worthwhile.”
“But it's always good to see how something so small and simple can be made engrossing with a combination of nice graphics and animations, good sound and music, and a sleek and refined gameplay.”
“It's like Red Dead Redemption with low graphics.”
“The graphics are simplistic and lack detail, making the game feel outdated.”
“The visuals are underwhelming and do not match the expectations set by the game's premise.”
- story77 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as minimal yet intriguing, conveyed through item descriptions and sparse dialogue, which some players appreciate while others find it lacking depth. Many reviews note that while the gameplay is engaging and fun, the narrative feels thin and could benefit from more development or a dedicated story mode. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the action, with potential for expansion in future iterations.
“The story is as long as it needs to be and told well through item descriptions and the few dialogues and cutscenes there are.”
“Great game with an interesting story.”
“Interesting little story you can gather from the small bits of dialogue/text in the game too.”
“I don't know why, but I thought there'd be some form of storyline or further gameplay, but it's pretty barebones.”
“Very fun and pretty game, but there isn't really enough for it to be finished. There is one map, and the game runs infinitely without actually wrapping up the story or having any satisfaction to hitting high waves.”
“You get a taste of the story, but no real answers or conclusion.”
- music45 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as cool and fitting for the gameplay, though some players wish for more variety and action-packed tracks to match the frenetic pace. Many reviewers appreciate the combination of music with sound effects, noting that it enhances the overall experience, while others suggest pairing the game with external soundtracks for an optimal experience. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, despite some critiques regarding repetitiveness.
“The music is fantastic for what's going down on screen.”
“Insanely fun game, will recommend you play with the Hotline Miami soundtrack if you want the optimal experience!”
“Its gunplay is satisfying, music and pixel art are top tier, and it's responsive with fun challenges to accomplish.”
“It's like Akane but with more shooting and lame music.”
“As said before, the game is short, very short. There aren't many enemies (not a problem at all), only one boss (the boss isn't much fun but not hard either). While the music suits the game in the way the developer tries to portray it, the gameplay is heavily frenetic and the music is not action-packed enough.”
“Only critiques I have is that the music gets a bit repetitive as well as the scenery of staying on the same map/arena.”
- grinding26 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 12 % neutral mentions
- 85 % negative mentions
The grinding in the game is described as tedious and frustrating, requiring players to repeatedly tackle early stages to progress, which can feel like an endurance test. While some players enjoy the challenge, the punishing nature of dying easily adds to the grind's annoyance, making it a mixed experience that may deter those not fond of repetitive gameplay. Overall, it appeals to a niche audience but can become tiresome for others.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“However, the path to completing the game can be very tedious and frustrating; consider this review a warning of what to expect.”
“That means players will need to keep grinding the first 300 kills with old unlocks, just to get a shot to practice the higher tier stages.”
“I want to hit 1,200 and slogging through the first 0-500 is annoying and more of an endurance test, which can get tedious.”
- replayability22 mentions
- 77 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability and addictive mechanics, with many players enjoying the experience despite some limitations in diversity and content. While some reviews highlight the potential for infinite replayability, others note that runs can feel similar, which may limit long-term engagement. Players generally find the game worth its price, but many suggest that additional content could enhance replay value.
“This game is awesome, quite literally infinite replayability.”
“Very fun, very replayable, and incredibly good for its price!”
“The perfect flash game, highly addictive and very replayable.”
“I like the game a lot, don't get me wrong, and for the price I can't complain, but there isn't a lot of replayability.”
“Currently, a lot of runs end up being quite similar to each other, making the game less replayable than it has the potential to be.”
“Really good game if you like a good challenge, although it lacks some content for further replayability.”
- atmosphere13 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, characterized by its intense sound design and a tense, calculated gameplay experience that enhances the feeling of precision required in combat. Reviewers highlight the game's unique ambiance, particularly in its wild west theme, making it an engaging and immersive arcade experience. Overall, the atmosphere is described as fun, hard-hitting, and integral to the game's appeal.
“The atmosphere is amazing and really cool, along with the descriptions on the gear and showdown abilities.”
“Kill the Crows is a fun yet unforgiving top-down wild west themed arena shooter just dripping with atmosphere.”
“A game with an experience all its own; the single hit death for your character as well as enemies creates this tense atmosphere in a shooting gallery where every moment needs to feel precise and calculated.”
“Kill the Crows is a fun yet unforgiving top-down wild west themed arena shooter, just dripping with atmosphere.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is generally praised for its humor, with players finding it to be very funny, particularly in its quirky mechanics like the "funny revolver" that kills crows. However, some reviews note that the ending feels lazy compared to the otherwise comedic experience.
“A very funny little game!”
“Its an extremely lazy end to an otherwise funny shooter.”
“Funny revolver kills the crows.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the game's optimization, noting that it leads to a stuttering learning experience that hampers progress. Many hope that these issues are merely a result of poor optimization rather than fundamental design flaws.
“I hope it's just badly optimized.”
“It means that learning is frustrating and happens at a stuttering pace.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game experiences some stability issues, including bugs, audio glitches, and occasional frame drops. However, these problems are infrequent and generally do not significantly impact the overall gaming experience.
“The game is buggy.”
“There are also audio clicks/glitches and frame drops, but these aren't too common and so don't detract too much from the experience.”
