Crow Country is both creepy and cozy.

When I was talking about my experience with Crow Country, another gamer and review writer described the game as “cozy.” Using that word to describe a game in the survival-horror genre sounded odd but reflecting on it further I realized that it was accurate. I was on the edge of my seat or anxiously looking around the corners for monstrosities as I moved Mara around a set piece that was terrifying. But those actions felt comfortable. Crow Country had a few issues but that didn’t stop the game from being interesting, spooky and, of course, cozy.

Crow Country puts you in control of Mara Forest, a special agent driving to an abandoned amusement park sharing the name of the game’s title in Atlanta, GA. Mara doesn’t divulge much when it comes to the “why” behind her heading to the park other than wanting to find its owner. He’s been rumored to be still holed up in the property. After she parks, it’s clear Mara has her work cut out for her. Monsters and mutations shamble everywhere. The park is filled with traps and hazards. And, the people she encounters have their own connections to the park.

Personally, I had a ton of questions as soon as I started. What happened to the theme park? What are these monsters? Why is Mara so fixated on finding the owner? The list went on. Fortunately, all got revealed at a smooth pace. Crow Country did what a lot of other games in the genre do: allowed the player to find notes, memos, and documents scattered around the game for pick up. As Mara collected more and more of these, the big picture started to reveal itself. Ultimately, all the questions behind the terrors were answered when Mara got to the end. The payoff was worth it. The story had me curious from the start and that curiosity carried until the end.

Crow Country had other facets that define the genre. Along with the quiet but eerie atmosphere, Crow Country’s secrets were protected by puzzles, riddles, and obstacles. Depending on the difficulty players selected at the start of the game, the secrets were also protected by monsters. You can opt out of combat entirely by selecting the easiest difficulty, which is great for those that want a stress free (and cozy) experience. For my time with the game, I selected the standard difficulty. In doing so, I had to be careful about running through the theme park because most enemies were both sturdy and relentless. Healing supplies, ammo, and various firearms were usually available, but I couldn’t haphazardly go from point A to point B. If you have any familiarity with the genre, then you know what to expect. Controlling Mara was simple. The game had an old-school look (more on that in a second) but the controls were modern. Mara’s aiming would get tricky at times because to deal the most damage, she had to be up close to the enemies. Trying to do that was a challenge.

Another reason why “cozy” was used to describe Crow Country was because of its look. The game used retro, low count polygons with deformed characters. It looked like a PlayStation game released in the late 90s. (Amusingly, the game takes place in 1990). Mara and the NPCs she encountered look nostalgic. The monsters appeared grotesque in their antiquity. The theme park itself never stopped appearing scary no matter the location. Gamers of a certain age like me recall when graphics like this were a big deal; the next best thing in gaming. We were likely playing a game with a similar look in our bedrooms, late at night by ourselves or at a sleep over until the late hours. That era was special and, yes, very cozy. I’m hoping that we see more games like this. Retro-inspired 2D pixelated games have saturated the gaming market, but Crow Country’s style is something we don’t see a lot of. Adding to the style was a lack of voice acting (thankfully), gross sound effects, and an ambient soundtrack. Sometimes, there’s no background music at all which works just as well.

I finished Crow Country in little time despite frequently getting turned around. My playtime was just under four hours, but I’m sure efficient players and/or those that play on the lowest difficulty can conquer it in less time. It was equal parts cozy and creepy, but I don’t see myself ever playing it again. It was enjoyable while it lasted and, most importantly for me, it showed me what a throwback retro-inspired game could look like in 3D. Like I said, I’m hoping we see more of these. I’ll admit that I don’t keep up with modern gaming trends so for all I know, more games like Crow Country (some of which got released before it) could be out there. Stay tuned for reviews on those as I discover them. As for Crow Country, it’s an easy recommendation. Even if it wasn’t so cozy, it’d still be a worthy horror title that shows how far the genre has come despite its intentional appearance.

Overall, 7.5/10: Crow Country combines the graphics of the first PlayStation with controls of a modern console. Together, it forms a solid, spooky, and surprisingly snuggly horror game.