Crow Country: The Kotaku Review

Playing retro-inspired games is like returning to a beloved theme park as an adult. Instinctively knowing where to go first, remembering what it was like to be there as a child —it plays to a very specific kind of nostalgia. Retro-inspired games often include familiar mechanics, recognizable art styles, and tropes of a beloved genre or specific title, offering an almost identical experience to the nostalgia of a Disneyland visit. That’s the idea behind Crow Country, the PS1-inspired survival horror title from SFB Games that is aptly set inside of a theme park.

Crow Country wears its influences on its sleeve, lovingly embracing features and elements you’d expect to find in an entry in this genre, from tank controls to item-based puzzles. Unfortunately, its reverence for the games that inspired it (Resident Evil 1 &2, Silent Hill)) inspirations can hold it back, as Crow Country never quite captures the same magic as the giants of the genre. But even with some of the proverbial rides at this theme park feeling like they could use some work, the game is still a comforting addition to the retro-horror trend.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery

Image: SFB Games