The Crow's Eye (PC) Review

Exploration through a creepy medical university and its grounds, solving puzzles, finding keys and trying to escape, is the order of the day. Throughout, you'll be tormented by the head of the university, William Holtzwick, as he contacts you through the PA system, cackling insanely as the voice actor does their best impression of Mark Hamill's Joker. It's an over-the-top performance to be sure, but not an entirely inappropriate one, just not the most unique.

Meanwhile, audio tapes performed splendidly by the rest of the voice cast help bring the story to life, and well-written letters paint the rest of the narrative and do a grand job in crafting a compelling mystery of human experiments and missing people. It's a good tale that grips with its intrigue swiftly and wraps up succinctly, not overstaying its welcome, and, whilst getting quite complex near the end, also ties off all its loose threads in the final moments to a satisfying conclusion.

It's a fairly short adventure when all is said and done, offering four to five hours if you don't get too stumped on the puzzles, which very well may happen, with a couple of them stretching logic a bit far. However, mostly the puzzles are intuitive and well thought out, breaking up the exploration and item fetching elements just as they begin to grind. By the midway point, the puzzles begin to take on a Portal feel, with block moving, platforming and, in essence, teleportation playing a big part in their solutions. It feels a little odd with the 1960s setting, but low-tech enough to just about avoid breaking immersion.

Indeed, the exploration of the university, discovering more about the missing people and the experiments that occurred, is an entertaining journey on its own. Meanwhile, the puzzle elements do a great job in adding variety to the gameplay. However, it's the psychological aspects that really impress. For the first half of the game, every noise and chord from the particularly creepy soundtrack puts you on edge. The dark rooms and corridors of the university are scary to explore, with only the flicker of light from your lighter helping illuminate the way. Doors opening and creaking, and the thunder roaring outside, force you to stop and listen for threats or spin round frantically trying to glimpse what might be lurking in the dark.

The old, dilapidated university and its scattering of audio tapes and letters hint at horrors that occurred within its labs, and every new piece of information adds more fuel to your nightmares. Furthermore, a crafting system that initially teaches how to create health items puts thoughts of danger in your head. There's an expectation of foul creatures and grim deaths in your future, and, without spoiling it, what you end up facing plays on these expectations brilliantly on your first run through.

However, the adventure doesn't end up lasting long, and once completed and the surprises revealed, there's no incentive to return. It has one trick up its sleeve and it's crucial to the experience; once revealed, there's nothing left. Fortunately, the clever design of the experience is a delight to uncover and the compelling story spins an enjoyable tale while it lasts.