Hot-on-the-heels of the Fall of Avalon update that just landed for Ravenswatch, the Early Access action-RPG by Passtech Games that is currently out on Steam PC, it is finally time to throw my opinion in the proverbial ring.
I played a little before the update, to find my feet and to learn the ropes, however, my initial read of the game was that it was plenty stylish but also rather difficult and in need of a bit more content.
The Fall of Avalon update fixes both of those things with a new playable region and accompanying bosses, and a custom mode that lets you tweak the difficulty settings. It also puts Passtech on the path to 1.0 and the completion of the game’s main development arc.
What is Ravenswatch?
Inspired by Hades and delivered with a similar amount of developmental swagger, Ravenswatch is the next game from creators of Curse of the Dead Gods and Space Run. Passtech has pedigree in the indie space, and all of that experience and expertise is being brought to bear in the studio’s newest adventure; an action-RPG with a roguish streak and room for friends via online co-op.
Ravenswatch is made up of three chapters; each one of them is a gauntlet to run but with a great degree of freedom. You must clear the level of enemies, grab new items from chests, increase your health and upgrade your abilities – all stuff you might expect to do in a fairly standard roguish experience, when you put it like that.
In keeping with the roguelike theme, levels are arranged with a degree of procedural generation, making them feel fresh for each new run. You must pick a character and together attempt each of the three chapters in order, beating down mini-bosses and more along the way. Fall during combat and you can be revived by a friend or use a feather to return to the fray. Use up all your feathers and it’s game over.
Heroes of myth and legend
Passtech’s distinctive comic art style works wonders for the identity of the characters. Each one is picked from somewhere in world mythology, and their distinctive personalities are really pushed to the fore. It’s really clever character design and encourages repeat attempts with newly unlocked heroes – they’re all so varied and different to play.
Red Riding Hood becomes a deadly wolf by night, the Pied Piper has a small entourage of rats, Aladdin gets three wishes, and Beowulf has a fiery little wyvern who blitzes your enemies from above. The fun in Ravenswatch comes from learning each new hero and working out what their abilities can do, and how to best utilise their attacks.
Each of the distinctive character abilities requires a tactical rethink, and the relatively reserved pacing of the combat reinforces this need for purposeful action. Button mashing will get you so far, but if you want to dig deeper into what Ravenswatch wants to offer you, you’re going to need to learn each skill set, and how to use them.
The evil side of Ravenswatch
There are some seriously nasty enemies to overcome in this twisted world. The art and character design is great, and there’s so much atmosphere built into every facet of the experience. The enemies themselves can be pretty nasty, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Like the different playable characters you must explore, they’re a puzzle to learn and overcome.
Luckily, incoming attacks are clearly telegraphed so you’ve got plenty of opportunities to navigate the battlefield. Timing is everything in this game, and if you can move and strike when the time is right, you’ll start to make short work of your enemies.
The other way to sharpen your blade, metaphorically or otherwise, is to improve your abilities via spells and the vendors dotted about each map. By adding damage or actions to your selected attacks, you evolve and enhance your repertoire of tricks and thus your ability to smash through the low-level grunts that are dotted about the place.
Come the end of each mission, either when you activate the battle or if you run out of time and the encounter is forced, you come up against a Lovecraft-inspired terror with giant tentacles and supporting minions. These battles require you to dodge area-of-effect attacks and stay alive through a number of cycles, before dealing enough damage to win the encounter.
What has been added in Fall of Avalon?
The headline addition is the new third chapter, which is filled with stone gargoyles and snappy wolves. The map is set in a more built up area than the previous two, and there’s a new themed quest to discover wherein you must help Morgan battle the Dullahan (Headless Horseman). I’m not bitter or anything but it was this encounter that just ended my latest run… hmph.
The new re-roll systems is another key feature that has arrived with this update, but the more immediate threat is the new claw-filled chapter boss that you’ll have to contend with. Apparently there are more than ten new enemies included in the update.
The Fall of Avalon also brings new standard talents for each of the playable characters, as well as upgrades within each of their skill trees. I can’t claim that I’ve seen everything new that the game has to offer, but it’s clear that there is plenty of fresh new content for people to enjoy.
I think my favourite new features are the new custom options that have been added. You’ve now got complete control of how you set up each run, giving you the ability to craft the exact experience desired. This new, thoughtfully implemented feature makes Ravenswatch an extremely accessible roguelike that can be adjusted to suit your preferences – or those of your group, if you’ve got friends.
These new additions leave Ravenswatch in a good place ahead of the final straight. Next up comes the final layer of polish and the addition of the game’s big bad, and probably one or two surprises that we don’t know about. If you’re waiting for 1.0 before you take the plunge then there’s not too long to wait. If you can tolerate a rough edge or two, Ravenswatch: Fall of Avalon is already very playable and a great option for both solo players and adventurous parties.
Ravenswatch is currently out on Steam PC, with plans to follow on consoles. Thanks to Passtech Games for providing me with access!
