The premise of Ravelok will be familiar to most. A young girl is transported into a fairytale world where she is destined to save those within it. This fairytale world is filled with magnificent creatures in peril due to a corrupted Queen. Ravenlok is the final entry in Cococucumber’s Voxel Trilogy which includes Riverbond and one of my favorite titles Echo Generation.
Ravenlok Story
Ravenlok is the story of a young girl that unknowingly answers a distress call from the kingdom of Dunia when falling through a mirror. Upon arrival, she is told that her appearance fulfilled a prophecy of a hero coming to the world and saving it from a rotten Queen. The creatures initially believe she is the hero because of her raven-colored hair. Throughout the game, as the Ravenlok you will embark upon an adventure where you encounter creatures who need your help for one reason or another. From helping to craft a potion or defeating a creature poisoning the lands, the Ravenlok must help those who can not help themselves. Supporting them will guide you along your path and give you the tools you need to face the queen.
Gameplay
When starting the game Ravenlok is moving into a new home with your mom and dad. This is where you are seemingly told about the type of game you are playing. You are immediately sent on a few fetch quests by the parents. For example, your mom wants you to see the table but first, you need flowers, so you will need to leave the house to go outside to grab 5 flowers to be able to bring in to complete the task. This is the fundamental basis of the non-combat part of this game. You will be persistently sent on fetch quests, and while on that quest you will likely find another item that is needed to finish a different quest which gives you the item you need to complete your original quest. This game loop can be frustrating at times due to there not being any sort of markers or guidance. You need to remember who, what, and where and figure it out. This is not necessarily a bad thing but you will find yourself going through your quest list to see what quest you need to complete which could give you the item you need to complete a different quest.
The combat of Ravenlok is fairly simple. You are early on sent on a quest to find a sword and shield. With these, you are able to perform a slash and block. You are also early on given one of your four abilities. You will unlock the others as you advance to key parts of the game. Also, as you advance through the game you will eventually run into a merchant who can sell you healing potions and bombs in exchange for the coins you collect that you can use in combat. Additionally, there is a merchant who will give your sword and shield a shine which is how the items are enhanced. You will need to defeat the attacking creatures of the land to get the items you need to shine your weapon more. Defeating the game’s bosses will grant you the most to really max out your stats.
While we are speaking of the bosses I must say that they are unique in look. The bosses in Ravenlok are beautifully crafted and attacked in different ways. However, they can be easily defeated. In most cases, you can circle your way around the boss, attack, dash out for a moment to avoid its attack, and proceed to either get behind or underneath it. With how magnificent these boss creatures were I would have loved to crank up the difficulty for more of a challenge. Overall the simplicity of this game combat works for what it is.
Visuals
Visually this title is B…E….A…Utiful! As mentioned before, Ravenlok is the third in the line of Voxel games from this studio, and personally, in a world of AAA or super realistic games, this is one of the best types of games visually to remind you that video games are a true art form. From the Ravenlok herself, to the creatures you are helping and including the aforementioned bosses, each character is crafted amazingly by this development team. This includes the world around you. Although the world in part is static each area looks vastly different allowing you to feel some depth in the world. Additionally, some levels and characters really pop out with their color scheme which adds to the beauty of the world.
Overall Ravenlok will provide you with about 5 to 6 hours of gameplay. With every quest being important to the advancement of the story there are not any side quests to extend this gameplay time. For Alice In Wonderland fans, you will enjoy the reimagining as you will run into familiar names such as Tweedledum and Tweedledee who even I recognized. This is an easy game to pick up and give a go for gamers of all ages.
Announced at the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase, Ravenlok comes to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass, Windows PC and Epic Game Store on May 4, 2023. Additionally, those who as subscribed to Xbox Game Pass will be able to play Ravenlok on day one.
*Review key proved by the developer/publisher for the purpose of the review.
Ravenlok
$24.99
