Test – Graven: the retro RPG tries its luck on consoles

Released in January on PC, Graven was entitled to a console port less than 6 months later. Is Slipgate Ironworks’ retro RPG doing well?

For some time now, we have been witnessing a veritable tidal wave of pixelated retro FPS games. Phantom Fury, Warhammer 40,000 Boltgun, Chasm, Dusk, Wrath or Prodeus are all typical examples that come to mind in a few seconds. Graven, however, stands out due to its orientation. Graven is in fact inspired more by Hexen, with its medieval-fantasy universe, or by Elder Scrolls for its more RPG-style gameplay than by Doom or Quake.

Ambiance, ambiance.

Quickly, we realize that this title strongly exploits nostalgia while using the codes of Dark Fantasy. So, in Graven, we play a priest exiled for an altruistic crime. From the first seconds of play, the artistic direction is revealed, both seductive and macabre. The player begins on a rowboat en route to the port of Cruxfirth. The atmosphere is gloomy and screams echo in the distance. Once on land, the discomfort increases. Hanged people, corpses littering the ground, and strange dead creatures dot the docks. We quickly understand that this place is ravaged by a mysterious plague having transformed the majority of the inhabitants into the living dead.

As for the graphics, the title is not particularly beautiful and relies on an aesthetic reminiscent of the 90s or early 2000s. In certain aspects, Graven even displays a cartoonish style. On the one hand, this type of graphics aligns with the game’s intention, which is to play on nostalgia. On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that Graven is developed by a small studio.

Offering retro-looking graphics is not in itself a problem. We really have the impression of playing a game from another era, and the nostalgia operates. On the other hand, offering dated game mechanics is a real problem this time around. First of all, the combat system is quite rudimentary. You will have to alternate between physical blows and spell casting. To do this, you have weapons (club, crossbow, sword, etc.) and a spell book. The fights lack subtlety and boil down to punching in the pile. In addition, the game is peppered with puzzles to solve. These are sometimes quite interesting, but often very classic.

The fantasy universe has its charm.

The tasks to be accomplished are hardly exciting and boil down to opening doors, finding objects or unblocking situations. Additionally, prepare to smash dozens of crates to collect ammo and lives while avoiding hitting the bright red explosive barrels.

Concerning the artificial intelligence of the enemies, the observation is particularly disappointing. They do not adopt any strategy and sometimes display frankly stupid behavior. For example, during our gaming session, a group of enemies eliminated themselves by detonating a barrel of explosives, while we were several meters away. More generally, Graven turns out to be quite poor in its content. The semi-open world is rather empty, and the NPCs are sporadic and all look the same. Interactions are limited to two or three lines of written dialogue, while oral exchanges are limited to onomatopoeia (um!, arh!). In addition, the game gives very little indication of the objectives to be accomplished, which often requires numerous trips back and forth on the map to unlock a situation.

Note that Graven offers a cooperative mode. Finally, the title does not have French subtitles.

Note that this port to consoles is generally successful, but does not bring any major improvement. The title remains quite buggy and has changed little since its release on PC. In terms of optimization, it’s far from perfect…

Conclusion

Released at the start of the year, Graven seduces and disappoints with its retro aspect, not only in its aesthetic (graphics, artistic direction), but also, unfortunately, in its gameplay. The fights turn out to be summary and not very interesting to play. We are far from a fast-FPS here since the title leans a little towards RPGs. Indeed, Graven is aimed at a very specific audience. Those who grew up with this type of game in the 90s/2000s will likely feel a sense of nostalgia while playing it. On the other hand, those who are not familiar with this style may not be hooked at all. If it is not bad, the title in any case struggles to make an impression. It is therefore better to be warned, and ready to invest, before embarking on this quest!

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