Crow Country: Retro Horror Meets Final Fantasy VII
Dylan Atkinson, Contributor
Impressions are based on the currently available demo, everything is subject to change.
When it comes to retro-inspired games, the quality of survival horror games specifically seems almost unmatched. Between games like Alisa (Casper Croes, 2021) and Signalis (Rose-Engine, 2022), it feels like each year is due for at least one stellar survival horror title, and Crow Country (SFB Games, 2024) is shaping up to be yet another fantastic retro-inspired title. In 1990, special investigator Mara Forest arrives at the abandoned theme park Crow Country to uncover the truth behind its mysterious closure and the disappearance of its owner, Edward Crow. Although the demo is very light on story, the mystery surrounding the theme park, its owner’s disappearance, and the intention of Mara’s investigation makes me want to see how the story unfolds.
Crow Country; screenshot by the author.
Crow Country features all the classic trappings of survival horror, such as limited resources, restrictive movement, puzzle solving, special keys to unlock new areas, and investigating various documents to piece together the narrative. The survival horror formula is well established at this point, and Crow Country doesn’t appear to be reinventing the wheel, instead looking at what’s been successful and carefully replicating those concepts. Crow Country’s presentation makes it stand out among other survival horror titles. Instead of taking visual inspiration from Silent Hill (Konami, 1999) or Resident Evil (Capcom, 1996), Crow Country’s aesthetic is derived from the overworld of Final Fantasy VII (Square, 1997).
Enjoying a “cozy” fire; screenshot by the author.
Between the blocky characters and intensely detailed backgrounds, this inspiration is hard to miss. Although, unlike the pre-rendered backgrounds of Final Fantasy VII, Crow Country’s environments are much more interactive. There are tons of objects to inspect, and some of the puzzle solutions involve shooting targets. This gives much more purpose to firearms than exclusively shooting enemies. The game’s appearance might make you think it utilises fixed camera angles like many survival horror games, but Crow Country’s camera is fully controllable. This makes the game world look almost like an interactive diorama that allows you to appreciate it from all angles. Although the demo doesn’t feature many areas, the few accessible excellently realise the abandoned theme park, with the rundown attractions, poorly hidden maintenance hallways and unfinished attractions. Crow Country’s demo creates an incredibly strong first impression and I thoroughly anticipate its release later this year.
