Ravenbound

Ravenbound is Systemic Reaction's latest venture - a gorgeous open world roguelite drawing on Norse mythology to weave a compelling and challenging questline. Set in Ávalt, players command a vessel who will seek to gather enough power from the entombed god-like race known as the Ellri in order to challenge the Betrayer - an Ellri who turned against their kind and spread hatred throughout the world.

For me, this story is where Ravenbound flies highest, with in-game monuments the player can read to learn more about the game's story as they progress, and dialogue, which quickly makes it apparent that this vessel is not the first to attempt to bring down the Betrayer - and will likely not be the last.

The lands of Ávalt are gorgeous to look at, if not slightly repetitive, as you soar around in raven form to traverse the map. Controlling this flying mode takes some getting used to, but is an effective means of travel. The issue comes in the form of Raven Towers - needed to take to the skies - which are simply not frequent enough on the map. You'll also acquire a Raven's Talon to help you move around; a handy whip-like tool that allows your vessel to swing around like a Viking Spider-Man.

Ravenbound's combat is fast-paced and frantic, with a good mix of enemies for players to challenge themselves with. Some groups of corrupted humans allow the player to act as a sort of juggernaut, slugging it out with the would-be raiders to the death. Larger, more significant enemies challenge players with hit and run tactics that will see their carefully crafted vessel meet a swift and permanent end.

Speaking of the game's Roguelite elements, these come into play in the form of cards, which influence character creation, a vessel's stats and combat effectiveness, and some passive bonuses. Progression between runs can feel small, but it is definitely there, especially as you figure out the challenges and rewards of Ávalt in a more streamlined way. This makes every attempt, or even successful playthroughs of Ravenbound different to the last, and it's genuinely fun. Especially pre-Betrayer takedown, honing in on 'the best' build for your playstyle and excruciatingly searching for it again after your best vessel has fallen is a task as fun as it is frustrating.

One thing that does stick out is mana, the currency with which you play cards. With certain unlucky builds, mana feels severely scarce, leaving players with an interesting build planned out but no way to achieve it. Some pre-game character options end up feeling massively better than others, and it also pushes players to complete ill-advised combat encounters for hatred-filled chests (building up their own hatred bar) in order to progress, and this is a double-edged sword.

Despite feeling richly thematically appropriate, I have to say: I loathe the hatred mechanic. Built up by opening chests filled with hate - which should be rewards for successfully completing encounters - hatred stays until cleansed, such as by completing a tomb, and is frankly ridiculously hard to get rid of. Hatred stifles a vessel's card rolls and strengthens enemies - it is the bane of creativity in Ravenbound. Whilst there is an argument for planning carefully and cautiously crafting a build to avoid hatred, this can only be done so much in a game based on random loot rolls - there has to be some element of searching for better cards, and it feels strange to be punished for that.

This brings to mind a larger issue: Ravenbound's world is almost too open and too free. Besides the main storyline, tackling quests and enemies to power up is entirely up to the player's discretion. Whilst this is an appealing gimmick at first, Ávalt can quickly feel messy and overwhelming, as you scramble for better gear whilst your vessel's hatred spirals out of control.

All in all, Ravenbound is a fun game, and a refreshing, if not extreme, take on the hack and slash action genre. Its open world is gorgeous and lore-rich, its combat is lightning fast, and its roguelite elements, whilst not perfect, have some serious potential.