Crow Country: Nice to see a “retro” game that isn't a tired boomer shooter, and what's more is it's done really well. You'll feel like you're playing a PS1 game with 2024 QoL features.

The plot is pretty run-of-the-mill but I think at the very end things get interesting. I don't think I've seen a final confrontation go down like it does here. Don't know if you can find an easier final boss battle either, though.
But the fact is you're not here for the plot, you're here for “mood” and this game has it. Characters look like they were pulled out of Final Fantasy VII and then touched up a bit while enemies look like they could be considered unsettling in 1997, maybe. It plays with tank controls and stationary aiming/firing, and while that's obviously not very “modern” it has a smooth flow to it that simply didn't exist in that generation of gaming (thank you, higher frame rates). There are save rooms with gentle, looping songs to ensure you you've briefly stepped out of the nightmare.

The Crow Country theme park is a pretty good one, it reminded me a lot of Silent Hill 3 at times. The map is small but will shift in complexity as the game goes on by tossing more enemies and traps in your way over time. There are secrets to find and none of them will require anything too insane, they're tough enough to have you feeling smart but not so absurd that you'll consider ordering an Official Game Guide (Dark times. Praise be the internet.).
It's a pretty brief ride and I'm glad it didn't overstay its welcome. Crow Country will only take you a few hours to beat.
There are a good amount of meta jokes, like you can spin in a desk chair for as long as you want and your character will comment on that choice. There's a chest that doesn't open and she'll say “I feel a tangible sense of betrayal.” There's also an MGS3 reference. What a thrill...

When you beat it, your rank decides what kind of goodies you'll get for your next playthroughs. Beating it will throw crystal crows around the map for you to shoot, which may or may not do anything; I wasn't a big enough fan to give it a second go despite liking the game. Still, I appreciate seeing more content.

Again, I like the retro commitment and effort being spent on something other than boomer shooters, we have plenty of those; I want more of this, or better yet even more different stuff.
I recommend Crow Country.

SWAT 4: One of your objectives is always “Bring order to chaos.” That kicks ass. 429 Adam, this is Central B.C.C.

I am biased towards SWAT 4 because I've played this game off-and-on for over a decade, now. I have many memories that'll always have me cherishing this game. GET DOWN ON THE GROUND, NOW! However, there's simply no denying this game is not without issues. In fact, they kinda run rampant.

You will die without any semblance of a fair fight, one shot to the head as soon as you peer around a corner by the world's best gunslingers. Your team's flashbang may do nothing to someone in the room (if they even listen and stack up on the door the first time you tell them to), so when they breach, they all run in and are gunned down by the same perp in a heartbeat. Reload checkpoint? Hilarious! SWAT 4 doesn't have any. If your team goes down and you want the backup/those points? You're starting the level over.
The game will simply throw away several levels' worth of progress on you and give you a fat middle finger about it. If you REALLY want to be sure it saves, you have to beat a level, close the game entirely, then reboot it up. Quitting to the main menu didn't save me. Unauthorized use of force: -5 points. Since the game did hard crash on me in only a few hours of playtime AND I got a bug where I got stuck during a level's intro and had to restart the whole application, this is wildly frustrating to see. Multiple levels gone, multiple times.
If you get shot in the leg, enjoy limping slow as shit for the rest of the level. Hope you're nearly done or are extremely patient, otherwise that's a restart.

But this game has fantastic highlights, too. Despite what a briefing may tell you (and this game gives you a comical amount of info before a level, like 9-1-1 calls you won't care about), you truly do not know what'll happen once you enter that first door. If you've played SWAT 4, all I need to say is “The Fairfax Residence” (and that's the second level!). Basically, expect curveballs galore. There's a fantastic use of sound in this game, the music choices are impeccable as you explore suburban nightmares. ZIP 'EM UP! Successfully clearing a room, you and your squad shouting at civvies and perps to get those hands up, dropping those who refuse and calling it all in, room-by-room? It can feel nice.

There's a mod called “SWAT 4 Elite Force” that adds many features to the game that should have been there. I believe it also fixed some issues. I haven't tried it but I think I'd like to some day.

I recommend SWAT 4. I think Ready or Not is basically the same game, though, if you're looking for something newer. That's on my list.
Don't tell your momma...
...she ain't got to know.

Still Wakes the Deep: Similar to SOMA, this game is almost entirely “Hold 'W' to win.” The visuals are pretty impressive, the audio design is good (and Scottish accents, what a rarity), but I do not think this is a very good gaming experience.

I don't think I care for walking simulators very much and I've only lost more patience with them over time. SOMA, Firewatch, and Gone Home? I've played worse, but I don't get the urge to “play” what's basically a movie and I don't think this style should be encouraged.
You “do” very little. There are only three or four brief areas where you can really lose (not including quick-time event sections) and they're pretty easy stealth sections. You won't even solve any puzzles.

So why are you here? The story. A great story can elevate a game that plays well for sure, but can it carry it? Well, we won't know here, because Still Wakes the Deep doesn't have a great story.
You are Caz, an electrician on an offshore oil rig who is here to hide from the cops back home. Your wife hates you and so does your boss, so now that you've just been fired, you can run home and get divorced and arrested. Fortunately for you, your coworkers drill into a sea monster on your way out! As revenge, it wants the entire rig for itself. You and your friends gotta die and maybe go a lil insane along the way.

This game is pretty short and I didn't find myself getting attached to anybody in its running time. A few people are likable enough: Caz, Finlay, Roy, and Brodie would make good mates. Are they good characters in a game? Not really. None of them even stand out from one another, they're just “the good guys” on the rig, and again: you'll barely get to know them.
There's only one bad guy (aside from whatever the hell you drilled) and that's your shitty boss, Rennick. From the way he calls you up to him and then fires you, you already know Rennick needs to be thrown into an industrial-sized blender immediately. Rennick is pretty comical in how corporate stooge-evil he is, as when your coworkers are being killed and the rig is exploding, he reminds people over the loudspeaker that he's on it and “You'll all be back at work in 15 minutes.” He sort of rules, you almost want to root for the asshole, and he definitely reminds me of people I currently work for.

I just don't see it. The stealth sections were super easy and I don't like QTEs. The monster teases a bit of insanity stuff on Caz, but you really only see it in others, and you won't be seeing much of it anyways. This is the first time I've played a horror game (yeah, right) where I think I actually wanted more jumpscares because I spent most of this game bored. There is zero replay value.
I will say the game does look good. Nice textures abound and the water looks crisp. When your crew gets transformed, those look pretty unique and the “tether” effect is something I haven't seen before and they made it look nice. I also liked one infected crew member, while hunting then losing sight of me, calling me a “Fucking coward.”

I do not recommend Still Wakes the Deep; not even as a Game Pass download, really, but ESPECIALLY not for $35. That's fucking insane.