REVIEW – Ravenlok is a nice and simple action-adventure game that takes us into a Wonderland-inspired world, but does it go deep enough in terms of story and gameplay?

Ravenlok is an indie title available through Xbox Game Pass, created by Cococucumber, a studio that has previously published games such as Riverbond and Planet of the Eyes. Ravenlok is an Alice in Wonderland-inspired action-adventure game about a young girl who is transported to a dark and enchanted world through a magic mirror. Here, she must battle the evil Caterpillar Queen and her loyal army of cards, while meeting the strange and friendly creatures who help her get home. The graphics are beautiful and detailed, and the atmosphere is fabulous and magical. But is it enough to keep us glued to the screen?

The world behind the mirror

Ravenlok’s greatest strength is undoubtedly its visual presentation. The game’s voxel-based graphics are very well suited to the atmosphere of Wonderland, and there are lots of little details. The lights and shadows are also very well rendered, and the colours are vibrant and varied. You can explore different locations in the game, such as a farm, a forest, a castle or a giant clock. Each location has its own character and atmosphere, and many hidden secrets can be found in them. The characters and the enemies are also very cute and creative, and show a wide variety of movement and attack patterns. The game’s music is also very much in keeping with the style of the game, with a wide variety of tunes. The sound effects are also good, although they can be a bit repetitive at times.

The magic hidden deep in the forest

Ravenlok’s gameplay is largely made up of two things: combat and puzzles. The fights are simple and easy to master: you only need to press a button to defeat your opponents. You can use several weapons in the game, such as a stick, a hammer or a sword. Each weapon has its own advantages and disadvantages: for example, the staff is faster but does less damage, while the hammer is slower but more powerful. Weapons can also be upgraded by using certain items found on the maps or given to you by your opponents. During combat, we also need to pay attention to our health and the charge of our special abilities. You can increase your health by consuming certain items, such as honey or whipped cream. Our special ability is also a time slowing effect, which helps us dodge our opponents’ attacks or reach certain places. The fights are not too difficult, but can sometimes be challenging with larger opponents or boss enemies. There’s no death in the game: if you run out of health, you’re just sent back to the last save point.

The puzzles are not too complicated, but sometimes thought-provoking. Most puzzles require some kind of mechanical device or switch to be found or activated. Sometimes you also need certain objects that you can find or get on the tracks. The puzzles usually fit well into the game world and story, and are often humorous. There is no penalty for getting it wrong: if you get stuck, you can always retry or ask for help.

The story and the characters

The story of Ravenlok is not very original or exciting, but it’s still entertaining and charming. In the game you control a young girl called Ravenlok. She one day looks into a magic mirror that transports her to another world, Dunia. Here she must fight the Caterpillar Queen and her army of cards who want to destroy the world. Ravenlok is helped by the local inhabitants, who include rabbits, tweedles, cats and other strange creatures. Ravenlok’s goal is to find his way home, but also to save Dunia.

The story is simple and linear, but full of humour and surprises. There are also many references to Alice in Wonderland and other fairy tales. The characters are cute and sympathetic, though not very deep or evolving. There is not much dialogue or choice in the game: there are only a few times when you can decide what to say or do. There’s not much change at the end of the story either: we just get a short conclusion.

The end of the spell

Ravenlok is a beautiful and simple action-adventure game that takes us into a Wonderland-inspired world. The game’s graphics are beautiful and detailed, and the atmosphere is fabulous and magical. The gameplay is simple and easy to learn: just fight and solve puzzles. The story is not very original or exciting

The story isn’t very original or exciting, but it’s still entertaining and charming. The game is not too long or difficult: it takes about 4-5 hours to play through. The game does not require much power or support: it runs smoothly on PC and Xbox consoles. The game fits perfectly into the Xbox Game Pass service: a light and beautiful adventure that you don’t have to pay for. Ravenlok is not a masterpiece or a revolutionary game, but a pleasant and heart-warming experience, especially recommended for children and fairy-tale lovers.

-BadSector-

Publisher: Cococucumber

Developer: Cococucumber

Style: Action-adventure

Release: May 4, 2023.