Fluent Goes Hands-On With the Upcoming Pirate RPG, "Raven's Cry"

Thanks for checking out this article here on RPG-slash-Action-Adventure-slash-Simulation-Watch.com! Wait, what? This isn't that site? Gah! Well, today we will be previewing a game that I would consider one of these strange and wonderful hybrids, rather than a more traditional, "hardcore" computer role-playing game. But hey, that doesn't mean it's a bad thing! Let's check it out then, shall we?

The game I'm referring to is the brand new RPG from the Polish developer, Reality Pump, called Raven's Cry. Reality Pump is best known around these parts for their work on the Two Worlds series, including Two Worlds II and the Pirates of the Flying Fortress expansion. Raven's Cry is a 3rd-person, story-driven pirate RPG set in the 18th Century Caribbean. You play a wily character known as Christopher Raven, a pirate scourge of the seven seas, matey! Arghh! Mr. Raven's entire family was killed, and now you're out for a bit of revenge and doing all the pirate-y things that one would expect along the way.

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[youtube]vY4IPpmsuWk[/youtube]

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( Quick Walkthrough of a Town)

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I recently got to play a few hours of a sneak peek version of the game. This version had plenty of stuff missing, but it left me wanting to try the retail release to see how it stacks up. Here are a list of 30 observations I made about the game during my few hours of play-time.

#1 - The game is heavy on the cinematics. You can expect a lot of cutscenes, voice acting and an overall movie-like experience.

#2 - There are some choices to make in quests. You can choose different ways to achieve the results you want.

#3 - Pistols and muskets are in the game. You have to manually reload your gun as well as manually aim.

#4 - Loot is randomized most of the time. When you loot something, you will often get a random amount of coin and possibly a random item or two.

#5 - You can buy new and bigger ships, upgrade existing ones with new cannons, cargo space, better sails and more!

#6 - You have a crew of sailors that you have to manage. They all have different traits and personalities that will affect your overall ship's wellbeing in both positive, and negative ways.

#7 - The game is very reminiscent of Two Worlds II. The art direction is similar and anyone who has played Two Worlds II will probably feel right at home here.

#8 - There is an inventory system and various items you can carry. Everything from new weapons to potions and herbs are here.

#9 - You can level up your character, and each level you will gain new skill points to spend in a skill tree on various abilities (including passive abilities).

#10 - You can equip various weapons, from sabers to rapiers, even special named weapons as well.

#11 - There are some consequences to your choices. Tick off the wrong person during a quest and it may come back to bite you later.

#12 - The character stats that are available are Health Points, Damage, and Damage Reduction stats.

#13 - There is a reputation system. Sinking ships and doing various deeds will make you friendly to certain factions, but decrease your reputation with others.

#14 - You have to manage crew morale. Keep them paid and fed well so they remain happy with you.

#15 - There are many unique characters you can recruit to your crew. They all have a back story and history.

#16 - There is a main quest, as well as some side quests to complete (including treasure maps that lead you to new locations.).

#17 - The cities you visit are large and sprawling, with NPCs everywhere doing various little things to make it feel alive.

#18 - There isn't much interactivity in the game world. Your character is mostly a fighter, not an herb collector.

#19 - Most NPCs can't be interacted with. The important ones are marked on your map (complete with markers on the mini-map).

#20 - There are ship-to-ship battles! You have to steer your ship into position, decide which type of shot to use (each type has different characteristics), determine the angle of the cannons and give the order to fire.

#21 - When boarding an opposing vessel, the game turns into a turn-based mini-game that allows you to give orders to your men on how they should act.

#22 - You can haul cargo from port to port to gain riches, and the economy prices will fluctuate accordingly. This adds a simulation aspect to the game.

#23 - The overworld map is a large series of port cities that you can visit, given you have the necessary money to pay your crew and enough rations.

#24 - There are random ship battles on the high seas. These can be avoided by hiring a certain type of crew member.

#25 - The overworld map has auto-travel, where you select a port and then your ship automatically travels to it.

#26 - Health regenerates outside of combat.

#27 - If another NPC spots a dead body, they will loot it.

#28 - Did I mention you play as a complete badass who has no regard for human life? This is definitely an adult-themed game.

#29 - Guns are very powerful but slow to reload. Not recommended for reloading during a battle.

#30 - The combat feels similar to Two Worlds II. There are finishing moves that you can execute as well if you have the skill. They instantly kill an opponent regardless of his health points. You can also parry and riposte, as well as actively dodge incoming attacks.

So, there you have it, 30 observations I made about this upcoming pirate fantasy. But enough observations, I'm sure you're wondering if I had a good time with the game! In all honestly, yes, I enjoyed myself quite a bit, although a few of the missing features made me want to stop playing for now and wait for the retail release.

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[youtube]3kwoHucMgls[/youtube]

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(Ship Combat Gameplay Preview)

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The game's sprawling cities, movie-like cinematics, side quests and open-seas exploration will keep you coming back to play. It's a little light on raw exploration, so don't expect something quite the level of Risen 2 in this regard. Although, one of the side islands I visited was inhabited by some unknown tribe of primitive men who tried to maul me to death. And, they largely succeeded, as this area seemed to be a bit higher level than I was ready for at the time. That island also had some semi-open type exploration.

The ship-to-ship battles can be fun and intense, once you get the hang of them. I can see many people failing at the very first one, but once you learn the ropes a bit, it becomes quite fun and most importantly, rewarding to partake in these battles. You can loot an opposing ship when you win the battle and take all the cargo you can currently carry. The turn-based mini-game when boarding a vessel is a very nice design decision and should be appreciated for those who enjoy such things.

Those wanting to get lost in the wilderness and just explore, like in a game like Risen 2, may find the world a bit lacking in that regard. In one of the cities I visited, going off the beaten path resulted in a whole lot of nothing to find, but perhaps some of these features are indeed missing from the version I'm playing. Other cities seem to have no wilderness to explore at all, however, the cities themselves are vast enough to provide an ample amount of content to keep you playing.

The cinematics and cutscenes are a bit harder to judge without proper voice acting, but I can see myself getting engrossed in them when the voice acting is implemented. This is largely a cinematic experience, which usually is not my forte, but I found myself enjoying it in this game. It is very much a story-driven RPG in that regard.

Another aspect that may annoy or possibly frustrate some gamers, is the fact that you are indeed playing a cutthroat type of character. You will be murdering people, shaking people down for money, doing all sorts of shady and nefarious stuff. Your character seems pretty nasty in the early going of the game, but then again, you are given the opportunity to choose how you want to handle many of the quests, so if you want to go the path of the kindhearted killer pirate, by all means, go for it! However, some scenes are forced upon you and will have you grimace if you are squeamish at all.

The simulation aspect of the game is also quite addictive and fun. You will constantly be trying to upgrade your ship, as well as capture other ships and plunder their cargo and goods to sell in port for a tidy profit. You will want to capture these vessels because it means more coin in your pocket, which ultimately means a better equipped ship, or perhaps a larger, much stronger ship to sail the seas on.

Is the game going to be great? I'm not sure, but what I played so far was far more enjoyable than not. This type of story-driven experience is not usually my forte, but I can see myself playing this game a bit on release to be engrossed by a story and cinematic approach. There is enough pirate fare here to appeal to anyone who wants a more rooted-in-history pirate adventure. It's definitely an adult venture, with lots of swearing and general maliciousness, which turns out to be great fun! I will say this, the game has a huge amount of potential, and if it fulfils it, it's going to be one fine pirate adventure you will not want to miss. I've played for 5 hours thus far and I find myself craving more. I will most likely be playing this one when it releases, on January 26th. The game will be available on Steam.