Crow Country, an upcoming survival horror indie game inspired by PS1 greats like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, with just a touch of classic Final Fantasy in its aesthetic, launches May 9 for PS5 and PC.
I'm excited about this for two reasons. One, I played the Steam demo and absolutely loved it. When I play most retro-inspired horror games, there's an ever-present sense that I'm very much playing something very clearly inspired by something else, and not something wholly original. But with Crow Country, it doesn't so much wear its inspirations on its sleeve as it does build upon their foundations for something vaguely familiar, but also innovative and unique, both mechanically and atmospherically.
The second reason I'm pumped for Crow Country is that, bizarrely, it's developed by the same folks who made the quirky paper-cutting co-op game Snipperclips, my favorite Nintendo Switch launch title beyond Breath of the Wild and still one of the best local multiplayer Switch games out there.
It's been a wild journey watching SFB Games go from Snipperclips to the well-received mobile puzzle game Marching Order, to the beloved murder mystery point-and-click title Tangle Tower, and now to this, a true-blue survival horror game inspired by Silent Hill and Resident Evil. However, creative director Adam Vian told us in January that he doesn't think Crow Country is "as much of a departure," from Tangle Tower at least, as you'd think.
"Crow Country is a narrative-focused atmospheric game about exploring a single location, solving puzzles, and unlocking secret rooms," he said. "So is Tangle Tower."
The game takes place in an eerie abandoned theme park in 1990, two years on from the suspicious disappearance of Edward Crow and the abrupt closure of the titular theme park he owns. As you ask around, you'll uncover some pretty disturbing clues as to Crow's whereabouts and attract plenty of unwanted, and often hostile, attention from the park's humanoid denizens. But fear not, the game includes an "exploration" mode that ensures you won't be attacked and thus can focus on exploring and solving puzzles.
From the time I spent with the demo, I found the mystery at the narrative's center as much captivating as foreboding, and I can't wait to trepidatiously unravel it further once I get my hands on the full game.
In the meantime, here are the best horror games to play with the lights turned out.
