When I first saw the screenshots and trailer for Passtech Games' Ravenswatch, I was immediately captivated by the dark fantasy atmosphere and eye-catching graphics. However, since I don't usually play roguelike games, I expected the game to feature some sort of linear plot with a clear beginning, middle, and end. However, this was not the case as the game focuses on fighting with various heroes on randomly generated maps. So what's it like to play a game without a clear story? Is Ravenswatch's focus on combat enough to keep you playing?
In Ravenswatch, you enter the fight right from the start and only explore the story of the game characters as you progress. There's no tutorial to get you started, and you're more or less forced to figure out what the goal of the game is and how to survive on your own. It took me about two or three tries to get an idea of what I was doing. In this case, the lack of a story combined with the game's immediate difficulty makes it quite difficult to get started.
However, once you get comfortable with the game, the core gameplay loop is pretty simple. You start by choosing a hero such as Beowulf or Scarlett (Little Red Riding Hood) and are placed on a randomly generated map. From there, you have about 20 minutes to explore, defeat enemies, and collect coins to purchase upgrades from The Sandman, a shopkeeper where you appear. In those 20 minutes, three days and three nights pass, with different bonuses and challenges depending on the time of day. The time limit adds a layer of strategy, as you can't linger for too long without risking being under-prepared for the eventual boss fight.
Each chapter culminates in a confrontation with a nightmare. The first of the three chapters involves a huge tentacle monster with smaller tentacles that you must first destroy before attacking the core. During my first attempt at defeating him, I wondered if it was possible to play the game alone. I had almost no chance of winning and thought that perhaps Ravenswatch was intended for multiplayer since it supports up to four players online.
After initially trying out the four characters available, I started to improve. I really like the character design of Pied Piper, a hero who shoots musical notes at enemies and has a pack of rats around him to perform special attacks. There's also the Snow Queen, who acts like a support hero with frost and ice attacks, while Scarlett has the ability to transform into a werewolf at night. My favorite hero and the one with whom I managed to progress in the game is Beowulf, a sturdy Viking and very Hack 'n' slash with a huge sword. He also has a small harpy on his shoulder that can burn enemies. Gepetto Beowulf, a hero who can summon wooden robots to fight for him, is my second favorite since he can use his minions to absorb damage.
The enemies you encounter are a mix of creatures. There are some weaker golem-like creatures that throw rocks at you, large woody monsters that explode upon death, a type of wizard that fires magical attacks, phoenixes that emerge from large eggs, and tree-like creatures that try to kill you to confuse their creatures with ranged attacks. They offer a good mix of enemies and force you to adapt to more long-range or close-range combat. Additionally, you can obtain loot by fighting large groups of enemies at the same time.
Combat in Ravenswatch is tough but rewarding. Even if you face the first few enemies, it's not an easy fight, but if you manage to defeat another group of enemies, it feels like a well-deserved victory. Little by little I got a better understanding of how to time my attacks and how to create the best attack combinations. It is also possible to improve your attacks by picking them up or by collecting coins to purchase an upgrade. These upgrades are different for each game and make each game a little more unique. For example, I usually expect an upgrade to make Beowulf's standard attacks slower but more damaging. Additionally, there is an upgrade to give the standard attack a burning effect.
As you play more with a hero, additional upgrades will be unlocked. I hope to see the ones that best suit my play style appear in each game so I'm better prepared for the boss fights. For those who like a challenge, boss fights are among the most rewarding parts of the game. On the other hand, some heroes are clearly intended to be support characters and are too weak in solo play to survive strong attacks in boss fights, making them practically useless.
Unfortunately, aside from combat, there isn't much to explore in Ravenswatch. As we discussed in a preview of the game in 2023, each randomly generated map is full of deadly enemies and there isn't much to do on them other than looking for loot. There are some side quests, such as a friendly character who asks you to collect wood for him so he can defend himself against waves of enemies. However, the difficulty of the battles makes it almost impossible to collect the necessary resources around the map in a timely manner, so I mostly skip these missions and look for easier loot.
Additionally, you can unlock up to three chapters, which are basically three themes for the randomly generated maps. However, you must always start with Chapter 1 in every game. After a while it gets tiring to start the first chapter again after dying again. Maybe this is less of an issue when playing with others, but when I played alone I felt like I lacked purpose. As you level up a character, some of the hero's story is revealed, but this too is very minimal and offers nothing in the way of a progressive story.
The lack of purpose or plot is a shame as the graphics and music are excellent and manage to pull me into the game every time. I like the dark cartoon style and the maps have nice details like breakable barrels and carts scattered everywhere. The music consists of a sort of medieval tune that becomes more and more exciting as the end of the three days approaches, and at the final stages of each race there is even a siren that sounds through the music, getting your adrenaline pumping in anticipation of the next one Boss fight.
In summary, Ravenswatch offers compelling heroes to play and has a strong focus on combat, a hallmark of rogue games. Heroes like the hardened, sword-wielding Beowulf or the hench-summoning robot Gepetto have very different playstyles, which, along with random cards and loot, make each game very different. The music and graphics match the exciting and difficult gameplay well, but unfortunately the lack of a narrative detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game after a while. With no plot, constant deaths, and repetitive gameplay loops, the game ultimately suffers from a lack of meaning, especially when played alone.
