Crow Nation is coated in a murky inexperienced veneer that gives the look you are enjoying it on a grainy CRT TV in one in all your pal’s bedrooms again in 1996. The polygonal determine of its protagonist, Particular Agent Mara Forest, together with her seen joints and single block of purple hair, harks again to any variety of PlayStation-era character designs. Equally, Crow Nation’s environments look splendidly pre-rendered, lavished in further element that sits in stark distinction to its easy, blocky characters. These aren’t the static backgrounds of yesteryear, nonetheless, however absolutely interactive playgrounds that add a contemporary tinge to Crow Nation’s distinctly retro sensibilities.
This affectionate nostalgia is in service of a sport that pays loving homage to landmark titles of the survival horror style whereas additionally boldly standing by itself two toes. Resident Evil is Crow Nation’s most evident affect, however traces of Silent Hill and Alone within the Darkish additionally stalk the darkest corners of its ’90s-inspired horror. It may be a tad too genuine at occasions, that includes unwieldy fight that is tempting to disregard utterly, however that is nonetheless a real advert for the thrill of retro-modern survival horror when executed effectively.
Set in 1990, your first style of the titular Crow Nation happens when Mara pulls into its parking zone in a white facsimile of a Volkswagen Polo. Crow Nation is a decrepit, deserted theme park that is each dense and labyrinthine regardless of its small scale–as if designed by the identical architect who labored on The Spencer Mansion and Racoon Metropolis Police Station. Mara is right here following up on a lacking particular person’s report for the park’s proprietor, Edward Crow, nevertheless it would not take lengthy earlier than she’s unraveling the park’s deepest secrets and techniques and most intriguing mysteries.
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The story unravels out of chronological order as you uncover notes left behind by workers, learn previous newspaper clippings, and work together with a small forged of relatable NPCs. It is expertly paced, with sharp writing that is self-aware and contains loads of nods to each gaming and horror tropes with out feeling corny. Discovering what occurred within the two years because the park closed down propels the story ahead, and it sticks the touchdown with a memorable ending. Crucially, Crow Nation additionally would not observe a well-known sample regardless of being a pastiche of style classics in virtually each different aspect of its design. There is not any zombie outbreak or lacking spouse, and the theme park setting is a refreshingly unfamiliar location, capturing the identical type of uncertainty that the primary Resident Evil achieved in 1996.
There are monsters within the type of aberrant Cronenberg-esque designs that vary from bipedal shamblers to amorphous blobs. Their origins are tragic, tracing again to human hubris and greed, however you too can play the complete sport with out them. Crow Nation gives two modes of play: Survival and exploration. The latter removes any hint of the park’s enemies so you’ll be able to deal with exploration and puzzle fixing, which supplies you a good suggestion of the place the sport’s priorities lie.
Throughout survival mode, the park regularly fills with grotesque creatures as you delve additional into the sport’s story. In true survival horror vogue, you’ll be able to keep away from most enemy encounters by merely operating previous them, conserving your restricted provide of ammo within the course of. This has the knock-on impact of populating the park with further creatures, however the presence of extra enemies by no means feels problematic, and I solely bothered partaking in fight in the event that they had been straight impeding a puzzle.
That is partly as a result of the survival facet of Crow Nation is comparatively simple. Until you are combating completely each enemy or aren’t completely exploring, ammo is plentiful sufficient, and the identical is true of med kits and antidotes. There additionally aren’t a variety of real threats to your life. The small, skittish Pinochio-esque creatures are stunning at first as a result of they’re quick, and the rattle of bones that accompanies the unusually elongated skeletons would possibly tempt you to nope the hell out, however each are uncommon and easy sufficient to breeze previous that they by no means pose a lot hazard. You will not discover a pack of zombie canine bursting by way of a window or encounter lethal frog-like creatures in tight corridors, so the sense of problem is severely missing. Stock management–normally a staple of the genre–is additionally notable for its absence. As an alternative of getting to fastidiously choose which gadgets and weapons to take with you, you’ll be able to go into the ultimate boss battle with all 4 firearms absolutely stocked, additional diminishing any sense of reward in relation to the sport’s fight.
One more reason you would possibly keep away from fight completely is that it’s not significantly partaking. Crow Nation is performed from an intimate isometric viewpoint with free digicam motion, instantly making it extra palatable than the video games it is impressed by. That stated, aiming and taking pictures with an isometric digicam feels intentionally awkward and clunky, particularly since you’re aiming each horizontally and vertically. You are locked in place when doing so, which at the very least makes you weak and provides a component of pressure as you fiddle along with your laser pointer, however taking down enemies remains to be simple even when the controls are combating in opposition to you. There is a pure development of weapon unlocks as you begin with Mara’s service pistol earlier than buying a shotgun, magnum, and flamethrower. Other than some weapons dealing extra harm than others, nonetheless, there is not a palpable distinction in really feel between each, so their influence is essentially dulled.
Regardless of these shortcomings, Crow Nation nonetheless manages to ascertain a creepy ambiance as you navigate the park’s varied nooks and crannies. It may be an ominous low hum or the comforting–yet one way or the other nonetheless offputting–music enjoying in each save room, however the sport’s rating does a wonderful job of constructing pressure with music paying homage to the period. The dilapidated theme park setting can also be a big a part of the sport’s general attraction, whether or not you are exploring the aquatic zone with its imported sand and faux starfish, speeding previous the fairy forest’s abundance of big mushrooms, or skulking by way of the haunted city to achieve a spooky mansion and underground crypt. The janky animatronics and pervasive crow-theming can be eerie even earlier than introducing monsters, damaged glass, and ominous blood spatter to the equation.
Every zone is distinct and memorable sufficient that navigating the park is a breeze. It additionally helps that the complete map’s format is extremely intuitive. After strolling up a miniature model of Disneyland’s Major Road, you come to an open sq. that acts because the park’s centerpiece, with doorways splitting off into all three zones. The map is open-ended, encouraging you to slowly broaden your entry to completely different areas by venturing forwards and backwards to seek out all kinds of clues and gadgets. Interconnected shortcuts by way of workers rooms and again workplaces take away the tedium of backtracking, and the park regularly begins to fold again in on itself, revealing a hidden depth that belies its comparatively small scale. It is inherently satisfying to unearth a brand new doorway resulting in a earlier space the place you now have the gadgets wanted to resolve a puzzle and make much more progress, and Crow Nation is teeming with rewarding moments like this.
The puzzles themselves are enjoyable to resolve, too, expertly toeing the road between befuddling and condescendingly simple. Worker notes and firm memos generally present hints, however most options derive from logic and customary sense–even if the previous is a definite taste of survival horror logic. The map’s smaller scale works in its favor right here as effectively, with most of the puzzles being fairly self-contained. The gadgets it’s essential clear up a specific conundrum are sometimes close by, and even when it’s important to enterprise additional afield, it by no means takes too lengthy to get again. The puzzle designs are additionally delightfully diverse, tasking you with enjoying particular notes on a piano to open hidden compartments, uncover a key by melting an animatronic’s head with acid, and clear up a riddle utilizing the names on varied gravestones whereas a skeletal arm waves a shotgun in your face.
Crow Nation pays homage to a golden period of survivor horror with out counting on easy mimicry. It is concurrently acquainted and but unfamiliar, bearing on tropes and style trappings whereas using fashionable strategies to reinforce the expertise and make it extra approachable for newcomers. It is not a very difficult sport, and fight is boring and unwieldy, however this facet of the sport is simple sufficient to disregard, particularly when there’s an attractive theme park filled with secrets and techniques and rewarding puzzles to delve into. The story can also be surprisingly wealthy, telling a charming story with sensible writing and a memorable ending. Crow Nation is clearly lovingly crafted, leading to a nostalgic throwback that manages to keep away from feeling by-product. It does justice to the video games that impressed it, nevertheless it’s additionally a incredible sport in its personal proper.