Relive the horror genre’s greatest hits of the PlayStation 1 with Crow Country.
Lately, there has been a resurgence of retro-inspired games such as the “boomer shooter” genre or PS1-era classics. They serve as a nostalgia-filled experience for those yearning for the days of their past, or simply a glimpse into how video games used to work in what seemed a slower time made more accessible with modern tools. Crow Country is one of these new propositions.
Made by a two-person team named SFB Games, Crow Country doesn’t shy away from its influences and wears them on its sleeve. Alone in the Dark, Silent Hill, & Resident Evil are all here in one way or another. As soon as you click on a mode, the screen flashes a white screen for a moment and the game starts, just like those classic games you used to play.
The distinctive eerie vibe straight up extracted from the inspiration it took from, Crow Country feels fresh at the same time. Case in point, the difficulty settings. From the start, you can easily choose between a Survival Horror or Exploration mode. Exactly as it sounds, survival mode lets the monsters roam free along the map in your playthrough, with its many sinister enemies, or in exploration free from the stress of being chased by them.
As the story goes, Crow Country, an amusement park for kids, was founded by Edward Crow, an absurdly rich magnate who, by reading the lore found across the map, will do anything for money. After a tragic accident, it was forced to close its doors, and its owner disappeared. As Mara Forest, an intrepid young woman, you are focused on finding the long-lost owner of said theme park and facing any dangers lurking in its now empty spaces.
Every character you interact with has a shady agenda, and as the story progresses you can piece together the puzzles of each of their intentions, and even of your main character, Mara. There is something ominous going down at the Crow Country amusement park, it is clear to see, but what exactly it is not known.
This is where the environmental storytelling and brief dialogues take center stage. Instead of going for exposition-laden cutscenes, Crow Country opts for short and direct exchanges between the characters or the lost letter lying in the ground for you to read but it is completely not necessary.
Gameplay-wise, its very approachable design gives you various options to progress in its hauntingly charming adventure. You can choose classic controls, whereas you can shoot with the Circle on a PlayStation controller that, while admittedly an archaic design, definitely scratches that itch of playing a horror game from your early childhood that you should not have been playing at that age.
There are also, thankfully, modern controls that let your more current sensibilities be at peace, with the shooting at the right trigger in the R2 button just like we are all used to in most of today’s games. This is to say that while Crow Country clearly knows what it is aiming for, it does not mean to encumber you in old design choices. The music in the fire next to the save menu gives that warm feeling of safety and yet an eerie sensation that the darkness is right behind you is unmistakable.
From searching for a certain code to inputting it and opening a safe for a key item to progress in the story, there will be plenty of times that you will feel like you have played Crow Country before, but at the same time in a new way. Every single pixel and sound is designed to evoke an old-school sensation. The references are clear. You have been here before, and yet, there are a few tweaks to the formula that warrant a playthrough of this survival horror experience.
That unequivocal feeling when a puzzle just clicks, be it by its straightforward numbers-based riddle, or just because you had to make a concerted effort to complete it, can be found in spades in Crow Country. Each puzzle presented strikes just the right amount of brain-teasing to feel rewarding. There is an enjoyment to be had when the right clue clicks of some little detail that you had seen earlier starts to make sense with a particular challenge. If it was only a puzzle game, it would be able to stand on its own.
The sound of a VHS tape being inserted, or static from an old TV, Crow Country preys on your nostalgia but does it in a gentle way that feels accommodating. The grainy, pixelated look they were aiming for is fantastic and feels right at home. A delicate balance is struck between not being too overbearing with its references but also showing deep appreciation for what came before it.
The game is quite generous with its ammo supplies. While it is likely that with this point-of-view you will miss a few shots, there are plenty of handgun ammo boxes scattered throughout Crow Country to aid you in your quest. The impact of the bullets on the enemies feels rewarding and is much faster than the inspiration it takes, giving it a fast-paced intention. Reloading your weapon, firing, and moving back all play exactly as it should, a survival horror game from the PlayStation 1 era, but with even more flow.
Crow Country has a few surprises up its sleeve when you least expect it. Not entirely considered jumpscares, but some situations put you on your toes and ask you to react quickly when you least expect it. There is something inherently creative in its horror design. Its deceptively simple map hides many secrets that only a keen eye can perceive. New items, weapons, or documents can be found where you least expect them.
Some of the enemy sound effects do sound macabre, especially when you consider how these people turned monsters were experimented on against their will. Mara’s only choice is to put them out of their misery the only way she knows how, but the atmospheric music and suffering yells can still manage to freak out an unsuspecting player regardless of how old-school Crow Country looks.
If you feel lost, which at some point, or even when revisiting the game, could happen, there is a fortune teller machine with 10 credits. These guide you and give you brief hints as to where you could go next or give a little tip as to one item that will show up in your future works. If none of it helps, eventually the game can tell you literally where to go, so anybody can enjoy the haunting tale of Crow Country regardless of their intuitiveness.
For maximum nostalgia, it is possible to use the D-Pad to move around the map, as the main character’s movements also feel especially designed to use it. Not a punishing game, Crow Country also gives you the chance to choose in the beginning if you would like to have only one life or encounter 1-UPs across your experience to not be cut short midway through the case. This leads to a more laidback playthrough to focus on the puzzles at hand, which rewards you if you are paying attention throughout the narrative.
As you inch closer to the conclusion of the story, an increasing amount of traps, enemies, and fake items will start to litter the map. The pressure felt as you get closer to the ending, Mara’s adventure is one that slowly peels away at its core mystery, but not without its thrilling moments of volatility. Through short calls in phone booths with an anonymous person, a picture is painted more clearly as to what truly happened in Crow Country, the culprits, why they did it, and the fallout of their ambition.
By the end, Crow Country’s horrific context when all is revealed is extremely engaging. Taking into account it was all made by two people, the storyline makes for an interesting read, and perhaps ideas for a deeper exploration of its universe. I walked away from its 2+ hour run satisfied, with a well-told tale and fun gameplay that leaves a good impression thanks to the sum of its parts.
The goal of Crow Country is to enjoy the story it has to tell, shoot some zombies, and come out of the experience like you just came out fresh of your time machine. If this fits the bill for you, then by all means go back to the 90s and relive those exciting moments where the only worries you had were how much more time you had to play before bedtime. Perhaps that joyful feeling video games used to give you could come back once more.
