Parents' Guide to The Crow's Eye

This low-budget horror adventure doesn't raise the bar in terms of originality. The setting and plot are predictable, characters are thin, and events unfold in totally expected ways. Still, it manages to deliver an interesting puzzle mechanic or two and some well-guided exploration. If you're looking for jump scares, you're in for a disappointment. This isn't that kind of game. Surprises are on the mild side here, with tension slowly building as you find clues to what looks like a 20-year-old atrocity. Aside from the occasional document, item, or tape recording, locations are relatively barren and offer little interactivity. That makes locations feel like window dressing, but on the up side, it streamlines exploration. It's generally obvious where to go and what to do next, thanks to strategic placement of unlocked doors and save points. Puzzle types are interesting (if limited in variety) and offer a nice break from trudging through dimly lit halls. Delicate musical themes enhance the mood. Despite these things, THE CROW'S EYE is derailed by one grating, over-the-top voice performance, a mountain of cheesy, poorly written dialogue, a pair of pointless health and crafting systems, and, the worst of them all, a collection of frustrating first-person jumping puzzles that would try anyone's patience. The result is a mismatched, Frankenstein-like jumble of good parts and bad that plays like a mad scientist's imperfect trial run.