Creatures of Ava is an ambitious semi-open world exploration game where the main protagonist, Vic, has been sent to the planet of Ava by her corporation to save the creatures and inhabitants of this dying planet as it is being attacked by the withering, an unstoppable infection that will consume all living things.
During the game’s opening section, you are introduced to the Natifa, a magical staff that will be your main item throughout your adventure. It is not a weapon; there is no combat in the game, but it is a means to navigate the world and cure infected animals. You can power up the staff during your adventure in each of the four biomes of the planet, each giving the staff new abilities that will help you remove obstacles that may be blocking your path. This staff can also help cure creatures that have become infected with the withering. When you meet an infected creature, they will try to fend off Vic’s help by attacking her. Each creature has different attacks, so you need to be wary of what might come next. When it’s time to herd the creatures to transport them to the Bioark, a futuristic version of the ark, another important piece of native equipment is needed.
That piece of equipment is a flute, which is used to control the creatures through music. Not all the creatures you meet are infected, and once you have tamed them by matching a unique tune that they chirp, you can use your pied piper skills to herd them to a local transport bot, which will send them to the Bioark. You can also use the flute to possess the creatures, which, when taken control of, will give you some intriguing options. These range from creature to creature, but they’re to help you, yet again, remove obstacles and gain access to unreachable or new areas. The flute and Nafita mechanics have been well implemented into the gameplay, though it takes some time to properly master them and their control schemes. Both the staff and the flute play pivotal roles in the narrative, which at first seems like a straight environmental mission, but it grows into something much more.
On the outside, Creatures of Ava seems like a cosy and wholesome experience, which it is, but as you explore structures left by the previous humans, you start to find clues to something more sinister that tests Vic’s beliefs about her employer. Is conservation and preservation actually the goal here, or are there alternate motives for sending a team here? The story also explores the Na’am (the native residents of Ava) and their viewpoint of wanting to stay as they believe the planet is actually not in peril. This all led to some moments in the game to be quite powerful, and I was not expecting the topics that the plot approached, but they were handled diligently and were very welcome additions. The relationships you make along the way are also more than I was expecting. Through the strong writing, there are connections and bonds that are made that bloom as you play, which happen in a very natural way, which was a delight to experience.
Exploring the world of Ava is a highlight, and with a wild imagination, the developers have really put in some solid work. Each of the four biomes that you’ll come across has been designed to the fullest, always dressed from top to toe in detail. There’s always something to marvel at, nailing the alien world vibe that the developers were surely aiming for. In some instances, you’ll come across areas that look across the landscape and those moments are worth stopping for, just for a moment to soak it all in. The graphics themselves can be very Fortnite-ish, but they carry themselves enough in other details that the only comparison that can really be made is through the character models.
After a certain point, you’ll eventually start receiving quests that not only advance the main story but will send you all over the place. There are no other modes of transport apart from Vic’s legs and the fast travel portals, so this meant that there were times that I wished for something slightly faster to transverse with. Vic does have unlimited running capabilities, which did help slightly, but in some sections it still felt like it took some time to get to where I wanted to be, but this shouldn’t worry you too much as the biomes are not overwhelming or as expansive as they are, as in, say, Tears of the Kingdom or Skyrim. Backtracking did get slightly annoying, though, with some of the quests sending you to an area, then back to the original spot, and then back to that same area again. This did happen a few times, and it did make me feel like not as much effort went into the quests as it did in other areas of the game. A lot of the time, it also seemed you were completing fetch quests, as the Na’am seemed quite lazy a lot of the time! You’ll find plenty of side quests on your journey too, and obviously, these are all optional, but when completed, they help to fill up a bar that gifts you a skill point every time it reaches a hundred points. Most things you do give you points to fill up that bar, from discovering new creatures, taking pictures, finding new plants, sending creatures to the ark, or discovering new places. Once you have a skill point, you can use it on the skill tree to upgrade a plentiful amount, including the staff’s beam to giving Vic a double roll. It’s another nice mechanic that works well and gives you the momentum to find, herd, and discover everything you can. Light crafting is involved too, using the plants you find to create health and stamina packs, with this crafting available at randomly placed fires.
Thankfully, during all this exploration, you’ll have a decent map to reference too, with everything you need to help navigate the world. Showing the world in great detail, it automatically pins important parts, including villages and fast travel portals. The map is beautifully detailed and colourful, even showing where the land elevates and where the rivers flow. I really appreciated the work that went into this map, and it was a joy to use. I wish all games could get their maps as right as it is here.
The fantastical creatures of Ava are one of the stars of the game, as each has been created gorgeously with individuality beaming from every one. Though inspired by our own animals you’d find on earth, the evolution to Ava brought some wild designs that, in moments, I stopped playing to appreciate. The variation of the creatures is also quite wide, from birds to dinosaur-like creatures, and with certain creatures native to certain areas, it gave you another incentive to explore to see what other wild creatures you could find. And yes, not only can you pet every creature, but some you can also hug! When you do find a new creature, you can take pictures with your camera. You can zoom in and out so you can get some detailed photos, and as you go, you’ll fill up a detailed library of all the creatures you’ve found. The game doesn’t need this feature; it would be quite capable of telling the story without it, but I am so glad they did. It felt nice to be able to take these pictures and have a log of them all. Walking around them trying to get a good angle was fun, especially when some were charging right at you. It helped that the system was implemented really well, with easy navigation of the features and a smooth zoom.
I did experience a couple of niggles with the game. In some instances, I fell through scenery that I shouldn’t have been able too, which led to my death on a couple of occasions. The game is mostly text when characters are speaking, but in the major cut scenes, there is voice acting. Sometimes this voice-acting just cuts off before the sentence is finished. And there were plenty of pop up during my playthrough with scenery, animals, and characters that suffered in this area. I was warned of some of this beforehand, with a sizeable update incoming before launch, so I am hopeful these get ironed out before you get your hands on the game.
All in all, Creatures of Ava is a delightful game filled with a multitude of engaging and enjoyable features. It was incredible to explore this fascinating, colourful world and its ecosystems, interact with the wildly designed creatures, and journey through the different stories and thoughtful messages. I really appreciated the non-combat approach to the creature collection, and the empathy shown shines a positive light throughout. It’s never going to be a difficult game, and it’s not supposed to be, but it serves as a welcome break from other challenging games, one where you can just live in and explore without the worry of complex systems or detailed skill trees, and that is sometimes very welcome indeed.
Release Date: August 1st, 2024
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S & Microsoft Game Pass
Price: £20.99
Version Tested: PC (Via Steam Deck)
Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy
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