Review: Creatures of Ava Is a Tedious Rescue Mission

At first glance, Creatures of Ava may seem like a simple exploration adventure involving taming wild creatures, but the overarching story delves into many philosophical themes and explores how to respond to extinction and whether interfering is right. Although it features an exciting landscape to travel through and an intriguing premise, the game fails to realize its full potential, as it’s hard to feel connected to the story and characters due to pacing, which dull gameplay mechanics further bring down. I should have really enjoyed it, but it ultimately felt like a mediocre experience.

Your journey will take you across the planet Ava, where you will tame creatures and relocate various species to preserve the living there wildlife. Think of an intergalactic Noah’s Ark, only you are sent on the ultimate rescue mission. The story follows Vic, a passionate researcher, and her mission to rescue the wildlife from the destructive withering infection. This deadly disease transforms gentle creatures into ferocious beasts, threatening the planet’s entire ecosystem.

Initially, the connection between Vic and this cause lacks an explicit explanation beyond her concern for the creatures’ well-being. It’s hard to understand and get behind her actions! As the story unfolds, it becomes evident that Vic’s dedication to this conservation effort is deeply rooted in personal motivation, but because it failed to hook me in the first few hours, I never felt too attached to the story or the characters. It’s a shame, as I appreciate the topics and themes explored. 

The option for a pacifist run is a relatively common phenomenon, where no harm is inflicted throughout the playthrough to earn a particular achievement or unlock a special ending. From the very start in Creatures of Ava, Vic only uses non-lethal force, refraining from using any weapons to attack. She can only defend themselves by dodging attacks and running around the environment. Using the mystical staff she finds on the planet, she can also heal creatures affected by the withering infection. The combat system (if you can call it that) centers around avoiding incoming aggression from creatures while using the staff to heal their disease. As you can probably tell by this point, if you’re looking for a monster-capturing experience similar to Palworld, you will not find this here.

To save the creatures inhabiting the planet, you must first clear the disease they are infected with and then tame them using a flute. Essentially, you are the space exploration version of the Pipe Piper. You come to the planet, promise salvation, and gain the trust of the local creatures by using your flute. Not ominous at all. To play the flute itself is not too elaborate. When you go to play a song, a music wheel will appear with symbols of keynotes. Each one represents a note you would find on a real flute. The creature you want to tame will visually show the notes it responds to above its head. It’s easy to play the musical instrument, but some faster tempos and longer songs will take a few tries. I guess I won’t be the next Beethoven anytime soon.

The importance of taming creatures is that they will follow you after you have gained their trust, so you can take them to rescue bot facilities scattered across the map. But you can also connect with the creature, allowing you to momentarily take control of the animal and use its distinct abilities to open up new routes, like breaking ropes on a bridge or charging into a fungi barrier. Again, this could have been an interesting concept, but the execution here is somewhat boring. When you’re in control of the creature, all you do is walk up to a blocked pathway, use the ability, and that’s it. There is no other reason to use the creatures that occupy the land, and I wanted them to play a more significant role in the gameplay.

To advance in the storyline, you will need to complete quests for characters you meet on the planet. These quests require you to travel back and forth to gather various items or talk to certain characters to get information. The whole game comes across like one big fetch quest, and I didn’t feel much of an accomplishment when I finished one. A greater variety of tasks, which were more distinctively different to one another, would have massively benefited the overall narrative.

There are four ecosystems to pass through, each with unique environmental features. One of the ecosystems is a beautiful prairie grassland, whereas another is an overgrown vine jungle with dark and grim-looking marshlands. You cannot enter a new area ecosystem until you reach a specific part of the storyline. Some of the creature’s designs are fantastic and reflect the environment you find them in, making exploring new areas one of the more enduring aspects of Creatures of Ava.

The landscape you traverse is akin to the Metroidvania genre. You will need to explore the wilderness and navigate platforms at different levels to reach certain areas. The path may often be blocked, and you must use your staff to clear the environment. This might include using a spell that will lift a rock from the ground so you can use it as a makeshift platform or a spell to clear a witherbloom, a giant overgrown flower. The terrain is relatively easy to figure out, and I always enjoyed travelling to the next destination on the map.

It may seem like I’ve been unduly harsh to Creatures of Ava, but that is because there are some excellent ideas here, but the execution has missed the mark. Nothing is wrong with a creature-taming title stepping back from a traditional combat system and embracing a pacifist approach. If anything, exploring this avenue can provide an opportunity to craft a distinctive identity in the genre, but you need to make sure other aspects of the gameplay are compelling. I often found myself going through the motions rather than wanting to see what was next. Strangely, I think the game tried to be too smart for its own good and backfired. It packed too many ideas, and there was little thought on how these mechanics would benefit one another. If you like some of the concepts that Creatures of Ava dabbles in, you will find some redeeming characteristics which might be worth your time. However, I don’t think I’ll return to Creatures of Ava anytime soon.

Creatures of Ava is available for the Xbox Series X and PC.

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