The captivating world of the survival horror, like so many other horror game fans, was my intro to playing scary games. It was an exhilarating way to dive into the genre, balancing limited ammo and healing items with engaging puzzles. Survival horror games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill were my first, some of the most iconic in the genre, which inspired so many games to this day, including Crow Country.
Crow Country is about a girl named Mara’s investigation into the nefarious underbelly of a theme park called Crow Country. She finds the park is abandoned, overridden by horrific, zombie-like creatures, among other curious terrors. As she unlocks hidden paths, reads about the park’s rise to fame, and discovers which non-monstrous people are on the grounds, she gets closer to learning more about the incident that brought it all down.
The game shows a beautiful understanding of what makes survival horror games fun, but with a modern sensibility that makes it accessible to those who just want to chill through a great horror story. It includes memorable characters with subplots that keep you wanting more, and puzzles with creative solutions that feel rewarding when you solve them.
The combat is so fluid and simple to learn, making it feel approachable to those who may not want a combat-heavy game, but with plenty of opportunity to make it more challenging. It even includes plenty of methods to conserve that precious, precious ammo, which, in any survival horror game, always seems to be scarce when you need it most.
What I like most is how this game shows that, while inspired by the classics in both aesthetic and gameplay, its unique POV makes it stand alone in all the places that count. Survival horror usually has a diverse set of characters with conflicts that give fascinating perspectives to the greater plot at hand, but we haven’t seen characters like the ones you see in Crow Country. Much like others in the genre, it has a plot that unveils itself with a trail of story beats that keeps you wanting more, Crow Country is doing it in its own way. It has moments that pay homage to the classics that came before it, but in fun ways that don’t take itself too seriously. It even has some goofy, candid moments that bring levity into the stories of normal people sucked into an abnormal, horrifying situation.
The levity Crow Country brings to the survival horror genre is a huge part of what I feel makes it so appealing to several different audiences. I know plenty of people who won’t touch horror games because they just can’t handle it, but I know for a fact that they still love a satisfying gaming experience. While Crow Country is undeniably horror, it has an art style and tone that allows for tension that doesn’t always feel terrifying. Aside from a few goofy jump scares that made me laugh more than anything, the PS1-inspiored graphics (inspired by Resident Evil and Final Fantasy VII, according to the devs) soften the experience without taking away from the horrifying aspects of the game.
Were Crow Country around when I started playing horror games, it would have been a nice h’orderve to get the appetite going for more terrifying experiences like it. I didn’t start playing horror games until 2011, and even then, I had to play them with friends or else I was Anxiety Central. Looking back on my horror tolerance levels, Crow Country would have been the way to go to ease me into horror, especially survival horror. The classics like Resident Evil and Silent Hill did warm me up to the horror genre, but being scared and trying to save ammo does not go hand-in-hand, with me. I never said I was good at these games, but I learned to be marginally better.
If you’re looking for an incredible horror story with the charm and sense of humor of a Saturday morning cartoon (for grown ups, the game is still fairly mature), you should play Crow Country as soon as possible. The game has so many moments that avid survival horror fans would appreciate, with a unique story that anyone can enjoy. Full disclosure, I was provided a copy of the game, but it’s easily worth the $20 it costs. With lots of secrets to find, you’ll get a lot of well-spent time, with this one.
As a little bonus, here’s a non-spoilery moment I had while playing the game on my Twitch channel. Enjoy!
Jeff Brutlag 
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