Ravenlok
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| Developer(s) | Cococucumber |
| Publisher(s) | Cococucumber |
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| Release | May 4, 2023 |
| Genre(s) | Action role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Ravenlok is an indie action role-playing game developed and published by Cococucumber. The game follows a young girl named Ravenlok, who finds herself pulled away from reality and into a fantasy land cursed by an evil Caterpillar Queen. Ravenlok is scheduled for release on Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on May 4, 2023.[1]
Gameplay
Ravenlok is an action role-playing game that combines voxel tech with pixel art.[2] The game features a third-person perspective, in which players battle enemies using a sword and shield combo.[3]
Gameplay features include arena-based boss fights, a leveling system where players can hunt for new weapons and items to level up their skills, and quests where players can interact with secondary characters and uncover their stories.[4]
Plot
Ravenlok is a fairytale reimagining about a young girl and her quest to fulfill a dangerous prophecy.[2] The game follows Kira, whose family has moved into a new home in the countryside, after inheriting the estate from a missing relative. While investigating her new home, Kira falls through a mirror into a magical realm called Dunia, where she takes up the mantle of Ravenlok and embarks on a journey.[1] The developers have disclosed that the real-world home of Ravenlok is set in an unspecified place in rural Canada.[5]
The game draws inspiration from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with the protagonist being pulled through a mirror into a fantasy world. But unlike modern adaptations of the novel, the story does not appear to include its heavy subject material, such as mental illness.[6] Secondary characters and enemies include knights made of cards, a Queen of Hearts, a white rabbit, court jesters, playing-card guardsmen, and robotic versions of Tweedledum and Tweedledee.[7][8]
Development
Ravenlok was announced and a trailer was revealed at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase in 2022.[9] The initial trailer earned praise for its unique art style, which blends voxel-based character designs and non-voxel 3D assets.[10] The trailer references classic elements of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with both the storyline and character designs reminiscent of Carroll's famous works.[11] Ravenlok's early footage has also drawn comparisons to 2000's American McGee's Alice, another third-person action-adventure game and modern retelling of Alice in Wonderland.[12]
Ravenlok is the third and final installment in Cococucumber's Voxel Trilogy, following the releases of Riverbond and Echo Generation.[13][6] Ravenlok has been described as the culmination of their studio's exploration into the 3D pixel aesthetic.[14] Prior to Ravenlok's partnerships with Microsoft and Xbox, Echo Generation received positive online attention from both Microsoft Gaming CEO, Phil Spencer, and Xbox corporate Vice President, Sarah Bond, on Twitter.[5]
The Cococucumber team has spoken of leaning into themes of family, identity and finding your home in the structure of a coming-of-age story, while incorporating elements of different fantasy stories. Additional inspiration was found in exploring the idea of Asian identity.[11] While not explicitly mentioned, the protagonist comes from an Asian family.[5]
Ravenlok game director Vanessa Chia told Epic Games Store that "the works of Studio Ghibli are a wonderful source of inspiration, especially My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service and Spirited Away".[11] The Cococucumber team have expressed that the game references a number of fantasy stories, such as Labyrinth, The Lord of the Rings series, The Neverending Story, and Over the Garden Wall.[5] Chia said that while the comparison to American McGee's take on Alice in Wonderland is interesting, American McGee's Alice, it is more of a reflection for the appetite for a new game from the auteur developer.[11]
The Cococucumber team have spoken about aiming to make an action role-playing game that builds upon their previous works' gameplay elements, specifically the turn-based combat in Echo Generation and Riverbond's dungeon crawling and arcade elements.[5]
Release
Ravenlok is planned for release on May 4, 2023 on Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S and day one via Xbox Game Pass.[9][10]
References
- ^ a b Romano, Sal (2023-04-12). "Ravenlok launches May 4". Gematsu. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ a b Van Allen, Eric (2022-06-12). "Ravenlok is a new adventure from the makers of Echo Generation, arriving in 2023". Destructoid. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ^ Pinheiro, Daniel (2022-06-13). "Voxel fantasy game Ravenlok announced with a new trailer during Xbox & Bethesda show". PC Invasion. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ Orselli, Brandon (2022-06-12). "New voxel fairytale action RPG Ravenlok announced". Niche Gamer. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ a b c d e Shankar, Bradly (2022-08-19). "Toronto-based Ravenlok developer on the team's growth and shaking things up with each game". MobileSyrup. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ a b Wood, Martin (2022-06-14). "Ravenlok Looks Like Another Bizarre Take on the Alice in Wonderland Story". Game Rant. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ^ Ramée, Jordan (2022-06-12). "Ravenlok Revealed At Xbox & Bethesda Showcase With Colorful Fairytale Trailer". GameSpot. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ^ Wheeler, CJ (2022-06-12). "Ravenlok pulls you through a mystical mirror into a beastly storybook kingdom". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ^ a b Nelson, Mike (2022-06-12). "Fall into the Fantastic World of Ravenlok Next Year with Game Pass". Xbox Wire. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ a b Bonelli, John (2023-04-12). "Xbox Game Pass Confirms Yet Another Day One Game for May 2023". Game Rant. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ a b c d Crecente, Brian (2022-03-07). "Ravenlok's wonderful '80s inspirations and voxel evolution". Epic Games. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
- ^ Tibbetts, John (2022-06-14). "Ravenlok Looks Like We're Finally Getting American McGee's Alice 3". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ Silva, João (2022-06-13). "Ravenlok is an Alice in Wonderland-like adventure game launching next year | KitGuru". Kitguru. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ Lorrigan, Matt (2022-06-13). "Ravenlok is a Voxel Art Action-RPG Set in a Fairytale World". Xbox Achievements. Retrieved 2023-04-27.