The Crow’s Eye is a first-person adventure that mixes puzzles, platforms and some psychological terror that also has obvious referents from the start.
Developed by the Spanish 3D2 Entertainment and at a price of 14.99 euros on Steam, this curious proposal that puts us squarely in the University of
Crowswood forces the player to advance in the middle of an interesting story and an atmosphere that leaves no one indifferent .
The title offers some traces that remind, at a visual level, Bioshock, something that is accentuated by mechanics such as the use of recorders to listen to testimonies and syringes to heal or get adrenaline, in addition to the machines ‘La Fortuna’ for the storage points .
But at the level of references, are other games that evokes what terror in the first person is concerned: Amnesia and even Outlast for that dark setting and a story related to psychiatric experiments, doctors who use the phrase “the end justifies means
“and other disturbing enigmas. In addition, Portal can also be closely related to The Crow’s Eye, due to some of the puzzles that are presented, with the use of cubes and an electromagnetic pistol reminiscent of the Valve saga (even the one used in Half Life).
The game is based on a sequence of puzzles to solve that increase in difficulty as the plot progresses, making the player have a sense of progress and
constant learning. They do not become extremely complicated, although depending on our ingenuity and love for puzzle systems we could get stuck in an area more minutes than someone experienced in this field.
As we move forward, they will provide useful and necessary skills or tools to solve the new challenges that come our way, such as the Adrenaline system
(Used with the C button, with limited durability and rechargeable), which makes time go in slow motion and it gives us more jumping power to advance through the platforms. Another already mentioned is the
electromagnetic gun, which in addition to light (to replace the lighter that we have at the beginning of the game), will give us the ability to repel or
move certain objects like cubes or ourselves, thus helping us to pass through the levels and move for the platforms.
We will also have a crafting system to develop useful objects such as bandages (to cure health that we can lose by falling into the void while we are building, for example), maps of each area or lockpicks, necessary to go through some closed doors through a mini-game.
Therefore, the gameplay is really interesting despite a mobility system that may be uncomfortable on certain occasions.
In terms of history, The Crow’s Eye places us at the University of Crowswood science and medicine, narrating the argument through recordings
and written documents that we can find by the various scenarios. In addition, a mad scientist with a really important weight in the plot will accompany us through our adventure with his deranged laughter and his challenges.
Without going into destripes, we say that at the end of the game we will resolve some of the doubts that arise, if not all, just as the scientist named promised as a reward for completing all levels.
Despite having tints of psychological terror, can not be considered a game of terror to use, since we will not have enemies that persecute us or real death danger. Even so, there may be a pair or three of jumpscares, in our opinion, totally unnecessary and not
connected to the plot and the spirit of the game (it is a small monster with a worm shape with teeth that we will have to scare by moving the mouse quickly from side to side). At no time there is a greater enemy or have weapons to fight against them, so it
does not make much sense to keep that little detail that takes you out of the plot and instead of frightening makes you laugh. In truth, it scares more
the fact of being able to die by repeatedly falling into the void if we fail an area of platforms, since our life will decrease and if it reaches 0 we will have to load a previous game.
