Things were never easy.
Moving away from friends, and the only home you’ve ever known. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and the convenience it brings. The inheritance from your grandmother was unexpected. A boon, for sure, but that did little to quell the uncertainty and discomfort change can bring.
Stifling a yawn, you gently shut the book you were reading, leaning it against the beautiful and massive tree that was serving as your roost- ancient branches reaching skyward, thick foliage providing a canopy of shade. It was likely a good time to get back to helping unpack. The aged tome sat silently, the beautiful embossment in it’s cover a beautifully elaborate corvid. With a small sigh, you stood, making your way across the front of the yard-weaving between barren planter boxes towards your dad, and the inevitable tasks he would likely have at his disposal. He was always ready to busy a young mind and idle hands.
The tasks were menial, at best. Helping your mother and father unpack and tidy some common areas. At least it kept your mind from wandering. As a thank you, your father had slipped you a large rusty key as he pointed to the barn nestled to the right of the modest farmhouse.
“Go explore, see what you can find…”
You sincerely doubted you would find anything of interest, but under his watchful eye, you soon found yourself at the door, key sliding into the lock and turning with a begrudging click. It seemed to slide open under it’s own volition, as if moved my an invisible hand- no sooner had you stepped through that it softly rolled shut behind you.
The interior of the barn was rather ordinary- sans the beautiful and ornate pictures of fanciful places and unseen creatures and the otherworldly costumed hanging nearly for mannequins. Distracting as they were, nothing could keep your eyes from being magnetically drawn to the mirror in the far right corner, it’s surface seeming to thrum and pulse. Asif guided by an invisible hand, you find yourself drawn closer…closer… and closer still, until you find your fingers grazing the surface of the Looking Glass.
And then, it went dark.

In a mixture of traditional and voxel graphics, the fairytale world of Ravenlok comes to life.

Ravenlok: Legendary Edition is both developed and published by Toronto-based independent Indie studio Cococucumber. Flaunting unique graphics that are a fanciful mixture of typical 3d and voxel- it really stands out. Take the role of Ravenlok in this surprisingly stunning fairytale re-imagining as you enter a land blanketed in a dark curse thanks to the corruption of the Caterpillar Queen. Grab your sword and shield, and battle a host of fearsome foes as you fight to save the fallen kingdom.

While there are a fair amount of re-skins, the overall design of enemies is outstanding in many places.

As someone who got burnt out very quickly with pixel and voxel games, I was initially somewhat hesitant to pick up Ravenlok. However, after browsing through some screenshots- I found myself hooked with the subtle and strange charm they provide. I had to play this game. Detailed charm coming from a blend of traditional and pixel graphics somehow manages to blend seamlessly, making way for a strange immersion I nowhere near expected. Even in the most dark and curse-blanketed areas, you will find gorgeous pops of bold bright colors, keeping you mesmerized inside the Wonderland Cococucumber has created. 

While your adventures may take you to curse ridden lands, some are beautiful and charming.

I was pleasantly surprised at the musical score, and at how well it did its job to pull me deeper into this fantasy world. Sometimes upbeat, other times dark and somber- there seems to be a tune for nearly every occasion. Keeping with the theme, there are often times hints of mystery or unease that creep in, weaving a gorgeous musical tapestry that I found delightful for the ears. While somewhat understated at times, overall it was a sheer pleasure to be able to listen to, along with the general sound design. There is good amount of attention to detail, from special attacks, to coins finding their way into your pouch- each one a real pleasure to the ears.

Every enemy you banish rewards you with points to put towards leveling up your stats. Don't forget to polish that sword!

Controls for Ravenlok are simple and straightforward. I would highly suggest playing using a controller, as that seems how it was truly meant to be played. You left and right triggers and bumpers serve to execute your special attacks that you learn as you progress, each having it’s own cooldown. This made combat an absolute breeze. While not entirely standard, they controls are easy to pick up, and frankly don’t have any real difficulty or need any massive skill to master. This is a game that is meant to tell a story, and be an experience. It plays as such. While this may not be everyones cup of tea, for folks who enjoy a curious story and some enjoyably thought-free hack and slash action, this game may very well be for you.

I swear... If I see that Flower Quest Update one more time...

While I found a whole slew of things to fall in love with in the fantasy world of Ravenlok, I did have a few…gripes, to say the least. And while the pros absolutely outweigh the cons, I did find myself dwelling on some of these weak links thought the entirety of my time playing. If you’re seeking a game that had challenging combat, I will show you the door now. There is not much complication to the battle system, and it is entirely hack and slash. When I said “thought-free”, I mean it. And it serves as both a pro, and a con. While it allows me to let my mind drift and just enjoy the surroundings, there is something fulfilling about a title that feels like there is at least some skill required to survive. You won’t find it here. Again, this did have me on the fence, but it did leave me a feeling a touch lacklustre about any progress. Similarly, some players may be frustrated with the need to manually control the camera. And while for me personally this had little to no effect on my own run, it can cause some points of frustration during battle.
Additionally, while I did love running around farming enemies endlessly, at times you were left to backtrack, with no real direction as to where you were supposed to go. While I’m not one for a good long hand-hold, I like to know what my objective is without a doubt, and that felt a little weak here, leading to much backtracking and scouting when you misinterpret the vague finger point the story gives you. I think the last issue that had me reeling worst of all (and call this a potential personal preference) was the way the quest system worked. One of the first quests you receive is to pick some flowers to put on the family dinner table. After each flower is picked, there is a large pop up that you picked a flower. After that, the whole screen is covered again by a large quest box, showing how far along you are. This was after EACH quest item you pick up. And this continues through the game. While it may not always be so invasive, in situations where you have to collect a certain number of items in a short duration of time, you will absolutely want to scream at the highly invasive UI that screams in celebration at every opportunity. Again, one might be able to consider these more personal or minor gripes, but I did find they somewhat impacted my otherwise enjoyable experience.
Lastly, you will not find a huge range of enemies. While there is certainly a variation, it’s not nearly enough to keep me feeling immersed and continuously excited for what comes ahead in regards to enemies. Many of them are re-skinned with different color pallets. While you will find a couple new enemy types in the different zones, with the volume of enemies and repetition of re-skins, the roughly 3 new enemy types still can grow dull quite fast. I would have liked to have seen a fair share more variety, especially with how gorgeous the world is. However, it was adequate enough, though not by much.

At times, I found Ravenlok to be one of the most unique and stunning games I've played in a while.

Overall, despite a few shortcomings, Ravenlok is a sheer joy to replay. I felt brought back to some of my original roots in the action/adventure genre with a fun sense of wonder and enjoyment that I haven’t felt in years. While not for players seeking a hard-core experience, casuals and others looking for something just a little different will likely find something to love here. Graphically unique, structurally sound, and well designed, it’s very easy to overlook the weaker points and really just stand back to see the whole game shine. It more than makes up for it in the long run, and I would absolutely recommend a trip into the Looking Glass.

Ravenlok: Legendary Edition is available on the Steam Marketplace for $24.99 USD.