Today I had the opportunity to check out Creatures of Ava thanks to 11bit Studios and Evolve PR for providing early access to test the game on the Steam Deck. I'm pleased to report that the game is more than playable and is an excellent fit for the Steam Deck.
Not only does it look beautiful, but the controls are also set up wonderfully. While the game runs at around 45 frames per second and occasionally falters on the LCD, the visuals are stunning.
To optimize the gameplay experience, I made some adjustments in the settings. I capped the game at 45 frames per second, set the resolution to 1280x800, turned off vsync, enabled FSR 3 with quality mode, turned off motion blur and Lumen, set foliage to low and shadows to high, textures to medium, and view distance to near with visual effects on low. These settings helped maintain a solid frame rate of above 45 all the time. Locking it at 45 frames per second freed up some battery power and allowed for around 3 to 3 and a half hours of gameplay, compared to 2 and a half hours without the cap.
The game offers various aspects, including creature-taming, creature photography, playing as the Pied Piper to save creatures, and solving puzzles. I found it to be a perfect game for a chill experience with a hint of challenge in combat and collecting. Even when navigating through the built-up town, the view and graphics were enjoyable while maintaining a solid 45 frames per second.
Overall, Creatures of Ava is a perfect fit for the Steam Deck, providing a relaxed yet engaging experience.