As The Crow Flies

A haunting melody, filled with enigmatic lyrics, is sung as a crow soars over a mysterious figure hanging from a makeshift crucifix. The song hints at prophecy and dire circumstances, speaking of a Keeper watching the world grow dark, the price of man’s sins, and the betrayal of oaths. As the crow passes, the masked and robed figure falls from the crucifix, then slowly rises. As the player takes control, a prompt encourages the drawing of a scythe from a dead body. The unnamed protagonist caresses the weapon fondly, as if reconnecting with an old love. And with that, the player begins to explore.

Crowsworn’s opening is alluring and eerie, purposefully dropping players into an unknown world that seems layered with meaning and devastated by apocalyptic events we know little about. At the same time, there’s a familiarity and approachability to Crowsworn from those earliest moments, recalling genre favorites through its art style, combo-driven and fast-moving combat, and a focus on exploration and the discovery of upgrades. But the more I see of the game, the more I spot fascinating twists on expectation and clever reimaginings of those genre staples, suggesting that Crowsworn is far more than a retread of the Metroids, Castlevanias, or Hollow Knights that have come before.