Introduction

Picture this: you wake up in a coffin, wearing a beak mask, with no idea who you are - and a crow that seems more emotionally stable than you. Welcome to Fearanndal, the gloriously grim playground of Crowsworn. Developed and published by Canadian indie outfit Mongoose Rodeo, Crowsworn promises to be a Metroidvania that drinks its coffee black and reads gothic poetry for fun. Kickstarter backers clearly liked the vibe - the project raised over CAD $1 million against a CAD $125,000 goal - and the team has been slowly turning that cash into a world that, based on trailers and demos, is both moody and seriously playable. If you're the kind of person who likes Hollow Knight's map-hungry exploration but also misses the tense, bone-crunching combat of Bloodborne, Crowsworn is trying to stand in that awkward, wonderful overlap. Director Aleksandar Kuzmanovic and marketing mastermind Matthew Griffin (yes, the Hollow Knight connection) have leaned into dark fantasy, amnesia tropes, and stylish combat to create something with swagger and murder. It's been delayed as development expanded - apparently good crowdfunding money makes things grow like eldritch mold - but the promise is big: scythes, guns, Corvian magic, and more bosses than you can shake a feather at.

Gameplay

Crowsworn plays like a love letter to Metroidvania fans who have a taste for bruises and dramatic boss monologues. You control a plague-doctor-ish protagonist who fights in melee with a scythe (very on-theme) and keeps two guns handy for ranged peppering of enemies. Combat borrows a lot from soulslike sensibilities - think measured aggression, punishment for lazy button-mashing, and a palpable sense of risk - but it wraps all that in platforming and exploration so the pacing rarely feels like a slog. One of the game's smarter systems is Corvian powers - magical abilities fueled by a resource called Malice. You don't get Malice by sitting in a pew and meditating; you refill it the old-fashioned way: by hacking away with your scythe. This creates a neat gameplay loop where melee and magic feed each other. Want to spam flashy spells? Better be good at scythe combo maintenance. Prefer to shotgun things from a distance? You'll need to manage resources carefully or risk running out of oomph when a boss decides to get personal. Exploration is the usual Metroidvania buffet. Expect platforming, side quests, environmental secrets and shortcuts, plus a sprawling map of Fearanndal that slowly reveals itself as you acquire new tools and powers. The game reportedly includes over 120 enemy types and more than 30 bosses, which is a big flex for an indie studio and signals a strong focus on combat variety and memorable encounters. For the masochists among us, there's a boss rush mode, and DLC is already planned, so don't get too cozy with any single boss - another one will probably steal your lunch money next season. There's an emphasis on fair but challenging difficulty in early impressions: combat feels fluid and engaging, not cheap. That said, some previews noted occasional lack of clarity in attack telegraphs, so learning enemy tells might be necessary. Side quests and optional content promise replay value and world-building, while the Kickstarter backer demo gave fans a taste of polished animation, tight sound design, and a combat system that can be as graceful as it is brutal. On Xbox Series X/S, you should expect buttery framerates when the devs optimize for Microsoft's iron, and the added boon is that Crowsworn is set to be on Xbox Game Pass at launch - a huge plus if you're a subscriber and like your indie Metroidvanias served with a side of subscription savings.

Graphics

Crowsworn's visual pitch is proudly gothic with a dash of 'cute-but-intimidating' character design. Influences are obvious: Hollow Knight's map melancholia, Bloodborne's twisted Victorian dread, and Devil May Cry's flair for dramatic motion. Early coverage and the Kickstarter demo praised the art direction and music - composed by J.J. Ipsen - for their polish. Expect lush, hand-crafted backgrounds (or at least lovingly detailed 2D/2.5D environments), moody lighting, and character silhouettes that read beautifully in the chaos of combat. The audio design deserves a shoutout too. Trailers and previews highlight a soundtrack and soundscape that lean hard into atmosphere: creaks, distant caws, and percussion that makes boss fights feel like a duel between your limbs and a very upset nightmare. Unity is the engine under the hood, and the team has used it to good effect so far; the demo looked and felt cohesive. The only frequent niggle reported was occasional ambiguity in visual clarity for some enemy attacks, but that's the kind of thing patches are made for - and indie developers are often refreshingly quick to iterate after launch.

Conclusion

Crowsworn smells like rain on stone and the faintest hint of brimstone - in the best possible way. Mongoose Rodeo has taken inspirations (Hollow Knight, Bloodborne, Devil May Cry) and tried to remix them into a Metroidvania that's equal parts exploration, platforming, and tightly-tuned combat. The Kickstarter success gave the team room to grow the game beyond their initial scope, which delayed release but also appears to have enriched the package: more enemies, more bosses, and a bigger world to get lost in. If you like your games with a stiff upper lip and a scythe to match, Crowsworn is worth watching. The Game Pass announcement for Xbox Series X/S sweetens the deal - no need to mortgage your indie-game budget to try it out. My score lands at 8/10: generous for promise and polish shown in pre-release material, but cautious because the final product still needs to prove consistency across its larger scope and post-delay expectations. There's also a curious little spin-off called Crowkart in the works - because apparently even plague doctors like to unwind with go-kart racing - and that cheeky detail tells you everything about the studio's personality. Bottom line: Crowsworn is shaping up to be one of those indie titles that sneaks up on you, punches you with style, and then refuses to leave your cramped, crow-haunted skull. Keep an eye on release windows, especially if you want it on Xbox Series X/S - and if it lands on Game Pass, treat it like a free trial for a gothic identity crisis. You'll either fall in love with the moody world and scythe choreography, or you'll rage-quit like a modern-day plague doctor who can't find the right feather duster. Either way, bring a friend, a health potion, and maybe a second controller for Crowkart down the line.

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