Though it was necessitated by technical and budgetary limitations, the fixed-camera style of survival horror classics played a vital role in creating fear. In Resident Evil and Silent Hill, you could often hear, but not see, what was lying in wait. It was the perfect mix of aesthetics and mechanics – the distinctive look created mechanical constraints which in turn helped build the atmosphere. Inspired by that bygone era, a new independent horror game has amazing reviews on Steam, but somehow fewer than 1,000 players. If you haven’t played it yet, this one deserves more eyes.
Crow Country is like the nightmare opening of Silent Hill 3 extended across an entire game. You play Mara, who is searching the eponymous amusement park for its mysterious benefactor, who disappeared years ago. While played from a persistent, isometric viewpoint, it embodies the ominous, off-camera fear building of old horror games like Resident Evil, Parasite Eve, and more. Fleshy monsters and uncanny, seemingly sentient theme park mascots haunt you at every turn. There are puzzles, terrifying combat encounters, and an eclectic cast of uncannily oblivious eccentrics, the likes of whom wouldn’t feel out of place in the town of Silent Hill itself.
Created by a single developer, Adam Vian, since its release on Thursday May 7, Crow Country has accumulated an extremely favorable response on Steam. Of more than 1,100 user reviews so far, a massive 99% are positive. You can even try it before you commit thanks to a free demo. Nevertheless, Crow Country’s concurrent player count peaked at 836 – as of this writing, only 96 people are playing the game at the same time.
Your backlog might be long. There are a lot of great games coming in 2024, and plenty we still haven’t gotten to from last year. But Crow Country is something special, a real hidden gem that pays loving tribute to the glimmering age of survival horror while also introducing its own ideas and conceits. Crow Country is available for $19.99/£16.75 and is more than worth your time. If you want to give it a swing, you can get it right here.
Otherwise, the best old games can give you a nice healthy blast of nostalgia, or you can up the intensity with the best survival games available on PC.
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