I went into Creatures of Ava only knowing one thing about it: that it was a creature-collecting game. In my mind, that could only mean one thing: Pokémon. Obviously there are other creature-collecting games out there, but I figured going into this game that Pokémon would be the starting point for any comparisons.
Turns out that’s really not the case. In fact, the more relevant Pokémon comparison for Creatures of Ava isn’t mainline Pokémon at all, but rather Pokémon Snap. Creatures of Ava is more about creature-collecting in the sense that you’re literally collecting all the fauna on a dying planet, trying to save them from an infection that causes them to be aggressive. As part of your save-the-planet adventures, you need to take pictures of every new species you encounter. Unlike Pokémon Snap, it’s hard to mess up the photos, since you just need to snap one photo here to find out everything you need to know about each species.
If Creatures of Ava is influenced by anything, it’s more likely to be Avatar. After all, you’re playing as Vic, a young nature adventurer trying to help save the titular planet of Ava from the aforementioned infection. You achieve this by forming a connection with the animals via flute, and occasionally using them to carry out tasks that you can’t do on your own.
The flute-taming mechanic is what gives Creatures of Ava its own distinctive identity – and, thankfully, it’s done pretty well. None of the melodies are impossible, the animals are adorable as they stare at you quizzically and wait for their specific tunes, and the mechanic fits in well with the game’s overall vibe of wholesome planet-saving and general do-gooding.
That may sound snarky, but it’s not meant to be. Creatures of Ava wears its heart on its sleeve, and it works because it commits to its earnestness. The story may not be anything unique, as Vic and her colleagues inevitably come into conflict with the planet’s indigenous peoples, but any generic-ness of the plot is easy to ignore once you get into the groove of playing your flute and saving (and, just as importantly, petting) the animals.
Which means that Creatures of Ava is one of the rare wholesome games that adds enjoyable gameplay to its cozy atmosphere. It brings together ideas you’ve seen elsewhere, but does so in a way that makes them more or less its own.
11bit Studios provided us with a Creatures of Ava PC code for review purposes.
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