I want to talk to you about Ravenlock.
Action adventure created by Cococucumber and currently available for Xbox x/s, Xbox one, PC and on the Game pass.
The first thing that jumps out at you right from the trailers is definitely its graphic style, a mixture of normal 3D and Voxel that, as you get deeper into the game world, will create more and more evocative, colourful and magical landscapes capable of making you stay a few moments to admire them in their beauty and always accompanied by an excellent soundtrack suited to what you are admiring.
The plot is very simple: the protagonist, to whom we will be able to give a name, finds a mirror in her great-aunt's house. Touching it, she will be transported to a magical world inhabited by talking animals who await the arrival of the hero Ravenlock so that they can be freed from the tyranny of the queen. Accepting their plea for help, the girl decides to become their champion.
At the beginning of the game you might find yourself a bit lost, as talking to the characters around you will overwhelm you with objectives, but once you take the first road that will take you to the first explorable map, you will realise that the quests will slowly be solved, linking together.
Mention should also be made of some small environmental puzzles that are never too complex, but nevertheless satisfying.
The gameplay is as simple as the plot.
Ravenlock attacks with the sword very quickly, so much so that for the monsters around the maps, many times, it will be enough to spam X to defeat them without a scratch, as there is no minimum pause between blows and there is no consumption of stamina, which is instead used to parry with the shield, but if not for some specific fights, it will be much more comfortable and simple to use the dodge as it is also unlimited.
The magic abilities are also good, 4 in total, but all equally useful, especially when surrounded by many enemies.
The bosses are not many and can be considered 'old-fashioned', with few regular patterns where you will have to wait for the right moment to hit them and do as much damage as possible, on the other hand their design is really appreciable.
As you may have guessed, Ravenlock is not that mega-masterpiece indie game that will turn the market upside down, and it certainly doesn't want to be. On the contrary, it has the merit of being a simple but never boring game, with no situations or missions added for the sole purpose of "extending the broth", so much so that the game can be completed in 3 hours and it is very easy to make it 100% from the first run.
In light of all this, if you are looking for a game with a nice setting, suitable for a few hours of relaxation or if you are simply a novice and want a game that introduces you to the world of action adventure, Ravenlock is the right title for you.
