Most people will assume that Creatures of Ava is your typical creature-collecting action-adventure game, similar to Pokémon. However, it is far removed from it. Creatures of Ava has its own unique twist to an ever-evolving genre, but is it in a good or a bad way?
Immersing in the Land of Ava
After the emotional rollercoaster of an intro, you’ll find yourself immersed in the land of Ava, where the people of Naam live. They have their own culture tied to a spiritual connection to the planet of Ava. They don’t have our typical concept of love or even gender. However, they make their connections through their native music, specifically a flute.
The Naam, as well as the creatures, respond and bond through the music. Music allows Vic, the main protagonist, to develop friendships and allows her to tame the creatures of Ava by replicating the creature’s preferred melody. This is one of the features that differentiates Creatures of Ava from Pokémon because you don’t actually collect these creatures.
You only tame the creatures, make them help you solve puzzles, cure them of their infections, and rescue them in the end. You don’t ask them to battle other creatures, and your main goal is to save every creature and preserve the planet of Ava.
Your adventure will eventually lead you to an ancient relic called the Nafitar. This is your tool to explore the world of Ava and rid the world of the Withering corruption that is infecting the planet.
Buckle Up; It is About to Get Cozy
Creatures of Ava distinguishes itself as a non-violent game. You don’t even battle the creatures, but instead, you cure them of their infection and then you can pet them afterward. The story-rich game borrows a lot of themes prevalent in many Disney films, such as hope, bravery, diversity, imagination, and, most specifically, preserving nature.
Focusing on the combination of these themes and its nonviolent approach restricted its possibility of adding more layers and features to its game design. Most action-adventure or open-world RPGs add variety to combat elements, but since there’s no combat, Creatures of Ava focuses more on puzzle-solving, making the game’s skill tree almost redundant.
The variety of creatures adds a bit more color to the game. These creatures are well-designed, and as you go through different biomes in the world of Ava, you’ll meet creatures themed to the biome. Grassy landscapes feature gazelle-like creatures, and lush jungles and swamps feature amphibians like the Batar.
Each creature has its own separate research tasks, which, once completed, will provide more information about the creatures. You can learn about their nature, diet, traits, and co-op abilities, which are useful for solving puzzles in the open world.
Plain Sailing Puzzles Galore
Right at the start of the game, you’ll be greeted by a unique puzzle where you have to find ways out of the temple. You’ll uncover mysterious debris, solve Sagestone puzzles, manipulate objects using your Nafitar to unlock different paths, and much more. You can expect the same concept of puzzles throughout the game, but they sprinkle a bit more as you get further into the story.
If you decide to branch out of the main story and explore the world of Ava even more, you’ll always see simple puzzles where you need to tame, interact, and connect with creatures to solve them. Each creature will have its unique co-op ability that helps you bring down bridges, clear poisonous paths, destroy brittle walls, push heavy rocks, and more.
They’ll add these creature puzzle mechanics to the main quests, and players who favor exploration will receive hints based on their experience connecting with other creatures to solve puzzles.
These puzzles become a bit tedious when you get used to them since they follow a simple concept. Can you go to the “X” path on foot? Are there any Withering corruptions you can cleanse? Do you need a creature to progress further? Most of the puzzles revolve around these questions and mechanics, so when you get a hang of them, things get simpler even when they add more mechanics.
Review Verdict
The game has unique strengths, which stem mainly from its cozy nature. It is simple enough to pick up, and you have other activities, such as gathering and growing plants. The joy of discovering the living and vibrant world of Ava easily captivates players to explore, interact, and discover things on their own.
You learn more about the intricacies of the Naam culture and their spiritual connection to the world of Ava. Why do other Naams grow spiteful of humans while the others learn to love and accept them? You feel excited as you see more unique creatures show up and learn what’s unique about them and how they behave.
The game’s lore is easily accessible through the Avapedia, and you might even uncover a thing or two just from reading new information, e.g., taking a picture of a character and reading about their updated descriptions in the Avapedia.
All these features and stories make up for a great, cozy game, but it is far from what players expect from an action-adventure creature-collecting game.
- A relaxing open-world game where nothing feels forced
- The setting is aesthetically beautiful and the cutscenes reel you in for some more
- Creatures are cute and well-designed
- Story is a bit dry and repetitive
- Gameplay lacks variety
Published: Aug 5, 2024 10:40 am