![]() It overreaches in almost every department, when a little focus would go a long way. I don’t dislike Ravenbound but it did frustrate me a lot. It’s a world rich with lore and history, but you’ll need to dig through menus to find a lot of it. Also, despite some cool races like antlered deer people, Ravenbound is a very Soulsy Roguelike and so takes a weird kind of joy in telling us next to nothing. They have unpronounceable names and randomly generated faces that make them hard to get attached to. Oh, and if you try to open those special chests before cleansing them, you’ll get a Hatred debuff that can make the rest of the current run harder.Įach time you die you can choose from three new vessels, with different starting stats and weapons. While it offers a decent selection with a lot of potential for diversity, it throws a lot at you even in the tutorial. They cost Mana to equip, so you’ll need to choose what to use at any given time. Cards come in a variety of types, which grant anything from new armour and weapons to new abilities and stat buffs. The idea is to slay elite enemies to earn three Shards with which to unlock cards. The progression system itself is needlessly complex too. So what was the point? It put me off even restarting again for a while. Sadly, though, the chest was guarded by a huge ogre who I could barely damage, let alone kill, who promptly destroyed me. I then emerged from the cave looking for the glowing nearby chest that I was assured was now cleansed. Unfortunately, I was unable to do so until I rolled a third character and returned to the Tear to find that the game had exchanged the three enemies that were there for one tough one which I managed to kill. All you have to do is kill the enemies around it. I flew there in Raven form (which took ages, I might add) and after three attempts managed to cleanse it. As an example, the first main quest asks you to cleanse a Tear of Hatred. When facing one opponent, it fares better, but that’s quite a rarity. If the combat was stronger, it might be enough to redeem Ravenbound’s few other faults, but it makes up so much of the game that I struggled to engage for long periods. It’s an incredibly frustrating system, and one not helped by the floaty movement and sluggish animations. Only some enemies are unaffected by it, some enemies will tank right through your attacks as if you’re hitting them with a pillowcase, and most times they’ll come at you in groups, rendering your parry almost useless. The trick is to parry an enemy, which knocks them down if timed right. It has standard masocore-style controls, with heavy and light attacks on the right triggers, an evade move, and a parry (with or without shield). Which is an issue in Ravenbound, because the combat is just not precise enough to be skill-based, and you can’t rely on gear and skills, at least early on, to keep you alive. If you do, though, you’ll be grossly underpowered. There are five bosses to slay, and each one is a monumental task, although you only need to kill one to face the final boss. The idea is to find and cleanse Tears of Hatred, which will steadily reduce the corruption in the area, weakening the boss and allowing you access to better loot and items. You take control of Vessels, warriors with great potential and the ability to transform into a Raven for speedy travel around the vast open world. Plagued by the powers of Hatred, Ávalt is a realm in need of a hero. Based on Scandinavian folklore – not Norse mythology, as the developers are quick to reinforce – Ravenbound takes place in the land of Ávalt. It follows the roguelike template of games like Zombi and Rogue Legacy, where each time you die you’ll respawn as a completely new character, but retain some of the skills and gear you unlocked in your last incarnation. Sometimes, the cracks begin to show in its shiny façade. While that sounds damming, I only said “struggles” for the most part it manages to bear that weight. Ravenbound, from Systemic Reaction, is a game that struggles with the weight of its own ambition.
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