Passtech Games and Nacon bring us a new entry in the ever-competitive top-down roguelike genre, but with a captivating twist that sets it apart. As an aside, the last game I played from Passtech Games was Curse of the Dead Gods, which I thoroughly enjoyed, so I was eager to see what they had in store this time.
In Ravenswatch, you assume the roles of heroes from various fairy tales and folklore, battling against a corrupting nightmare in a world reminiscent of the classic Diablo series. This premise, combined with the developer’s track record, piqued my interest, and so I dived into the world of Reverie.Â
The narrative in a roguelike often takes a backseat to the gameplay, but Ravenswatch weaves a compelling story that complements its addictive action. The Nightmare, a malevolent entity, has invaded Reverie, the world of dreams, wreaking havoc and corrupting its inhabitants. To combat this encroaching darkness, a group of unlikely heroes known as the Ravenswatch is assembled, drawing champions from various folklore and legends. These heroes, each with their own unique abilities and backstories, must overcome their own inner demons and unite to defeat the Nightmare. Can this diverse team of corrupted heroes prevail against the overwhelming odds, or will the Nightmare consume Reverie entirely? Well, that depends on your skill and determination as you guide them through the perilous challenges ahead.
The game’s presentation is a visual treat. The heroes are beautifully drawn in an art style that captures their iconic characteristics while adding a touch of grim determination befitting their corrupted states. The world of Reverie is equally as interesting, with a dynamic day-night cycle that not only affects the visuals but also influences gameplay, introducing new challenges and enemy types as darkness descends. The enemy designs are varied and creative, ranging from grotesque, mutated creatures with an overabundance of teeth to the imposing Nightmare itself, the final boss of each chapter.
In terms of the heroes’ attacks, and these are visually impressive, unleashing a dazzling array of effects that are accompanied by satisfying sound effects. The dialogue in multiplayer mode is well-written, adding personality to each hero and further enriching the cooperative experience. Overall, the presentation is top-notch, creating a visually and aurally immersive world that draws you into its dark fairy tale setting.
The roster of heroes offers up a unique blend of familiar fairy tale characters with unexpected twists. We have Little Red Riding Hood, a seemingly innocent girl who transforms into a ferocious werewolf under the cover of night. The Snow Queen, wielding her icy magic with chilling precision, freezes enemies in their tracks. The Pied Piper, a master manipulator, uses his enchanted flute to unleash devastating musical attacks and summon swarms of rats to overwhelm his foes. And there’s Beowulf, a legendary warrior accompanied by his loyal dragon companion, who rounds out the initial roster. As you progress through the game, you can unlock additional heroes, each with their own unique abilities and compelling backstories, adding further depth and variety to the gameplay.
The core gameplay is where Ravenswatch truly shines. As someone who has expressed skepticism about roguelikes in the past, due to their often unforgiving nature and lack of persistent progression, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this game. Each run begins with a level 1 character, and as you battle your way through the procedurally generated levels, your character gains experience and unlocks talents. These talents enhance your abilities, allowing you to customise your playstyle and adapt to the challenges ahead. You can further upgrade these talents using shards collected during your runs, adding another layer of depth to the character progression system.
And at the start of each chapter, you can interact with a mysterious character who offers to upgrade your talents to legendary status, significantly increasing their potency. As you progress through the chapters, these upgrades become crucial for survival, as the enemies become progressively stronger and more numerous.
Exploration is a key component of Ravenswatch. The procedurally generated maps ensure that each run offers a unique experience, with new environments, enemy placements, and hidden secrets to discover. However, time is of the essence. The Nightmare awakens after three in-game days, forcing you to confront it regardless of your progress or level. Defeating the Nightmare unlocks the next chapter, while failure sends you back to the beginning, forcing you to start anew. This creates a bit of a loop of risk and reward, encouraging you to balance exploration with efficient progression.
Multiplayer mode adds another layer of enjoyment to the game. Cross-play is enabled by default, allowing for seamless online cooperation with players on other platforms. This functionality worked flawlessly in my experience, with no noticeable lag or connectivity issues. However, I did encounter a minor bug where the online functionality wouldn’t launch when resuming the game from Quick Resume. A full restart was required to resolve this, but it’s hopefully something that can be addressed in a future update. Playing with three other players online is a blast, with the chaotic battles and cooperative strategising adding a new dimension to the gameplay.
Ravenswatch may well convert you into a roguelike enthusiast. The combination of engaging combat, diverse characters with unique abilities, and rewarding progression systems creates a gameplay loop full of interest. Witnessing Red Riding Hood transform into a werewolf and tear through enemies, or Beowulf’s dragon companion incinerating foes with fiery breath, is immensely satisfying, as is ranking up characters and unlocking their backstories.
Ravenswatch Takes Flight on Consoles, Bringing Roguelike Action and Fairytale Fury – https://www.thexboxhub.com/ravenswatch-takes-flight-on-consoles-bringing-roguelike-action-and-fairytale-fury/
Buy Ravenswatch on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/ravenswatch/9P4NX9RD7FRG/0010
There’s a Legendary Edition too – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/ravenswatch-legendary-edition/9NF5X6DGHP0V/0010
