Initial release date: June 10, 2024
Platforms: Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft Windows
Developers: Inverge Studios, Chibig
Genres: Adventure game, Platform game, Puzzle, Indie game, Adventure
Publisher:Â 11 Bit Studios
Engine:Â Unreal Engine 4
We’ve played a good number of action adventure games, but none of them have ever been fully set on an extraterrestrial planet. Instead, most of the games are set in the galaxy, while some are situated on Earth. Because of this, we were eager to try Creatures of Ava, a game that looks to be a unique spin on the classic genre due to its location and creature-saving concept.
A marvelous universe
You are dispatched to the planet Ava as nature explorer Vic in order to research the fauna and assist in rescuing it from an illness called “the withering.” Your task is to investigate the planet, take pictures with your camera, heal sick creatures, and gather healthy animals to be transferred back to the mothership. In order to avoid contracting the sickness, you will also need to convince the Naam, the native tribes, to depart the planet.
You’ll get to explore the long-abandoned bases and learn more about the reasons why the people are more than a little wary of human visitors as you play the game. Humans have visited the planet before. Vic honestly thinks she is working for the greater good and has good intentions, but is that really the case? The plot is constructed in such a way as to progressively expose the precise amount of information on the historical and contemporary reasons why humans are on Ava, giving the player a particular sense of unease. We believe that there was more to the story, though. It never quite delves as deeply as we would like into the history of the planet’s civilizations and the protective role of neem trees.
Vic discovers the Nafitar at the beginning of the game, a mystical staff that enables her to cut down the enormous plants that spread the withering and open doors to previously unreachable regions. It is also crucial to her efforts to heal Ava’s animals from the illness. When an animal is infected, it can try to hurt you by charging at you or spitting, but the Nafitar can heal it by attaching itself to the animal and slowly sucking the disease out of it. Additionally, you are able to join multiple animals and heal them all at once. During the healing process, you will have to hop, dodge, and roll to avoid being attacked by animals. It can be challenging to control the camera so that you can concentrate on the locations of the animals.
tether those creatures
Even while it’s less intense and has lower stakes than other games of its kind, combat nevertheless makes up a sizable portion of the action. The Nafitar gains new spells as you progress through Creatures of Ava, increasing its potency and utility. For instance, you’ll be able to heal more animals and open up previously unblockable routes.
Anyone who has ever played an adventure game will be familiar with the general idea: there are an endless number of quests. While some side missions are entertaining little diversionaries, others are part of the main plot and will advance the game. To complete the duties required to open new sections of the planet, you will need to communicate with both the Naam and your colleague, researcher Tabitha. The majority of the dialogue in the game is conveyed through written subtitles, which we naturally found ourselves skimming over despite the voice acting.
A map that shows your location and the direction you need to travel to get anywhere in Ava is always displayed in the bottom right corner of the screen to aid with navigation. A larger version of the map is also available, which is useful for indicating your precise destination and the locations of other landmarks. A few human-made portals will also become accessible to you; they serve as a means of rapid transit and are increasingly useful as the map gets larger.
As the plot develops, the planet’s four unique biomes—each governed by a different Naam faction—become accessible. They feel incredibly different from one another and have distinct vegetation and fauna. For instance, the rainforest is gloomy and foreboding, whereas the plains are wide and light. With their vivid color schemes and assortment of strange creatures, each biome has an alien appearance that sets them apart from other games that are based on Earth.
and establish some friends.
The goal of gathering a specific quantity of each species of animal in each biome will be crucial. Vic is handed a flute to play in order to tame the animals, despite the tribe members’ mistrust of humans, so she may guide them to the transportation bots that can beam up the animals. To accomplish this, you listen to the animals sing a little song on the flute that you then reproduce using a few notes. Once domesticated, animals can be petted for adorable interactions or, more practically, trained to overcome obstacles or unearth hidden treasures. This was a fun feature that helped with some light puzzle solving but wasn’t entirely unique.
In the sense that each biome has a limited size, and finishing the major missions will provide you access to every part of the map, Creatures of Ava is an open-world game. However, you are never truly required to venture out and explore the wilds. We choose to venture off course early in the game and investigate, only to discover numerous obstacles in the way of the roads (which eventually open up) and numerous towering boulders that Vic is unable to climb. Vic is also not very good at falling; even a small fall can frequently take a significant toll on her health or result in her death, but we were never able to determine the precise limit of her fall safety.
After playing the last adventure game, Tchia, where we could climb, fly, and swim to our hearts’ content, these restrictions on exploration felt constrictive. In reality, Creatures of Ava felt more cramped and confined than an open world, even though there was an entire planet to explore. It was like being in an interior movie set.
Aside from collapsing, being attacked by diseased animals drains Vic’s health bar. You will respawn in a previous location in the game once it has been emptied, however it is impossible to predict where and when this will be in the absence of clear save points. Thankfully, you can restore your health by consuming healing potions that you can make from foraged herbs or find laying around.
Many talents
Vic has many talents, and you can see them all by going to the skill tree. Crafting is simply one of them. You can advance Natifer’s abilities by earning skill points from completed quests. These points can be used to increase the strength of her beam, the size of her health bar, or the number of places in her inventory.
There is a lot for players to do and discover in Creatures of Ava, as it is a massive game with a major storyline that takes about 10-15 hours to finish, but is it worth your time? We wholeheartedly endorse Creatures of Ava to players searching for an easy-to-pick-up game with straightforward combat. But, you might want to look for another planet to play on if you like your action adventure games to have more action and a bigger exploration area.
Review Overview
Gameplay – 85%
Story – 90%
Aesthetics – 92%
Content – 88%
Accessibility – 82%
Value – 87%
Overall Rating – 87%
Very Good
Summary: Creatures of Ava is a standout title that successfully blends exploration, strategy, and narrative depth. With its engaging gameplay, compelling story, and stunning aesthetics, it draws players into a richly detailed world. The game offers a variety of content, ensuring a rewarding experience for both casual players and completionists. Accessibility features are thoughtfully implemented, and the overall value is impressive, making Creatures of Ava a must-play for fans of the genre.