Support NeoGAF

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

---

Game Information

Game Title: Creatures of Ava

Platforms:

• Xbox Series X/S (Aug 7, 2024)
• PC (Aug 7, 2024)

Trailer:

• Creatures of Ava - Official Launch Trailer

Developer: Inverge Studios

Publisher: 11 Bit Studios

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 79 average - 57% recommended

Critic Reviews


AltChar - Asmir Kovacevic - 70 / 100

High-quality graphics, charming art style, and emotionally touching moments in the story can be a good reason to give Creatures of Ava a chance; at least, who knows, you might even like it. Especially because the game will be available on Game Pass from the launch day, so if you own this subscription, by all means, try it.

CGMagazine - Jordan Biordi - 7 / 10

Creatures of Ava is cozy enough to be enjoyed without sacrificing style and challenge.

GamingTrend - David Flynn - 70 / 100

Creatures of Ava is what you get when you simply dump a bunch of ideas into a bucket. The mechanics feel disconnected, the story is rote and uninteresting, and the world, while very pretty, looks generic for sci-fi. It's all been done before and better elsewhere, and sadly the game doesn't take the chance to connect anything together or really explore anything in depth.

God is a Geek - Mick Fraser - 8.5 / 10

Creatures of Ava comes highly recommended for anyone who wants a low-stress game filled with hope and colour and loads of belly rubs.

TechRaptor - Andrew Stretch - 8.5 / 10

Creatures of Ava is a wonderful adventure that wraps together an interesting story about humankind's view of nature, exploration of a beautiful alien world, and interesting creature taming mechanics. While I'd wish to continue exploring this game a major detriment is how you get locked out of half the game as you play through it.

XboxEra - Jesse Norris - 8.6 / 10

Creatures of Ava is an excellent title, and it’s on Game Pass at launch. If you want a game that lets you explore a gorgeous alien planet, get your inner photographer on, and know when to mix in its version of combat then I think it is well worth a download.

Zoomg - Afshin Piroozi - Persian - 8.5 / 10

Creatures of Ava is a game that feels like it's created for younger gamers but in fact it can be even more appealing to adults! The game might have simple gameplay with simple puzzles and action scenarios, but it offers an absolutely beautiful world with amazing variety and beauty which feels great to explore. Animals are truly adorable and overall, it really feels good to play Creatures of Ava and enjoy its world and story.

 

[BigBeauford]

Looks cOzY.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Quick deets:

Unreal Engine 5, Singleplayer, 10 - 20 hours, 60 FPS on Xbox Series X.

Available Day One with Game Pass Ultimate / Console / PC on August 7.

 

[Punished Miku]

I'm going in mostly blind, but I think it looks interesting. As you can tell from my avatars, I'm into most games with animals.

Didn't know it's Unreal 5. A few of the reviews make a point to say it's a nice looking game. Sounds well worth a try.

August is heating up for me:
CYGNI
Creatures of Ava
Steamworld Heist 2
Shadow of the Ninja (demo out today)

While I'd wish to continue exploring this game a major detriment is how you get locked out of half the game as you play through it.

FYI, I guess finish your stuff before moving on in this game.

 

[Punished Miku]

 

[Magic Carpet]

I've played for a couple of hours and while I like the look of the game, I've gotten the girl stuck on world geometry several times and had to reload the game to get unstuck.

Gamepass is channeling its inner Vagina in 2024.
I think Harold Halibut the sorry sad sod has been the ONLY character with a penis I've controlled this year on Gamepass.

I usually don't make these kinds of comments and stay out of those kinds of threads but come on.

 

[Punished Miku]

1st gameplay session was underwhelming. It reminds me a bit of Starfox Adventures, and feels like it's in that late Gamecube era, which is kind of nice honestly. Some light platforming, collecting, exploration. Combat isn't great. Feels like Ghostbusters or something, where you hit the animals with an energy beam and have to wait while it works. Some light platforming puzzles in there too where you can levitate platforms. I'll stick with it a bit longer to see how it goes.

 

[winjer]

Player count is terrible, even for an indie game.

 

[kruis]

Was Sweet Baby, Inc. involved here?

 

[Punished Miku]

Session #2 has been a lot more enjoyable. The tablet UI is pretty good. Reminds me of Breath of the Wild. You can take pictures for all NPCs of significance, all creatures and plants.

Got to the next big gameplay development. I didnt realize you play music to tame creatures, then possess and play as them to use their unique ability. Not bad. Still a bit odd but getting more fun.

The whole thing is a bit like a low budget Avatar x Bugsnax x Starfox Adventures. There's a tribal race a bit like the Naavi.

Was Sweet Baby, Inc. involved here?

Its definitely a woke game. You encounter an alien race that is all "they / them."

 

[Punished Miku]

At about 13 hours. Its growing on me. Fun to max out all the collection elements. Story is slightly interesting. Level design getting better. Getting somewhat close to the halfway point I think.

 

[ManaByte]

Its definitely a woke game. You encounter an alien race that is all "they / them."

 

[Punished Miku]

Got to the 4th and final biome. The game has really grown on me a lot.

My favorite part is that they manage to start telling a simple, but compelling story about conservation. Was hoping that you could get that sense of roleplaying saving animals, and you definitely do. You get a very basic sense of some of the vibes of mapping out the ecology of the various biomes, the plants, animals, and various locations and it does help you get a bit attached to the areas. The story and sidequests never rise to greatness, but they're good enough that they helped reinforce that attachment to the areas. You have to manually take pictures of all the animals, all the NPCs, and various landmarks to map out the areas so that also helps. Story isn't really more complex than a Disney movie, but I appreciate some of the themes they're working in here in regards to animal conservation / cruelty / personal ethics. It's clearly the main goal of the game (the deluxe edition includes DLC that donates proceeds to an animal charity).

The density of the jungle area was cool. Took me a while to really feel like I knew my way around with some winding paths. The swamp area was a little bit of a slog at first, but the powerup you get helped make it more manageable, and the story kicks in more there. The Dunes so far seem expansive, and the sandstorms really obscure your view and change the look of things. Gameplay never rises above the basic stuff you see in the beginning, but it remains addictive to explore and catalog everything.

 

[Punished Miku]

Finished, 7.5/10. Really enjoyed it. Didn't expect that sudden shift in the ending though.

Spoiler: Ending

So I guess Ava is the main villain in the game? Convinces every sentient being on the entire planet into a suicide pact and they all embrace death and extinction. How that somehow ties into rebirth, I dont know but I guess thats the good part. Really muddles the entire message of the game and your efforts to save the planet. Oh well, enjoyable game.