After 2021’s excellent Echo Generation, when I saw developer Cococucumber’s name attached to Ravenlok, I knew I’d be playing it as soon as possible. The developer creates the most stunning voxel artwork imaginable, and Ravenlok is no exception. The art direction here is pristine, and the atmosphere is exquisite.
Ravenlok succeeds wholeheartedly in invoking the same reaction as Echo Generation did. But while that game was full-length, this one is a smaller experience. Where Echo Generation had a certain amount of depth to its proceedings, Ravenlok is both simpler and easier. None of that takes away from the charm or joy inherent to this adventure, but it’s bittersweet to reach the end after such a short time.
Ravenlok begins with the player naming their character while she’s in the middle of moving into a new home with her parents. The initial tasks here are chores like helping her dad with the toolbox, and putting some flowers in a vase for her mom. But it doesn’t take long before you find a mirror, and you’re whisked away to a land that’s very clearly Wonderland by any other name. The place has been subjugated by an evil queen buoyed by card soldiers, and the main character is the fabled Ravenlok that’s destined to save everyone.
Ravenlok is spent collecting three MacGuffins used to open a gate and face the queen, but each area has its own story. One features a bunch of bunnies being used for slave labour by Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum. Another sees you helping a hatter with his tea party. It’s all very cute, but it doesn’t attempt to do much aside from its presentation to really build its own identity. Ravenlok comes across as somewhat slight, just like the rest of the game, but all the variation and lightning-quick pacing do a terrific job of keeping things highly engaging the whole way through.
“Ravenlok is spent collecting three MacGuffins used to open a gate and face the queen, but each area has its own story.”
Ravenlok can best be described as an action adventure. The protagonist gets a sword and shield early on, which allows her to attack with terribly quick slashes and block while her shield meter still has stamina. She also has a fast dash that you’ll use to maneuver about. It feels quite nice, but again, it’s all relatively simple. You also get four skills on cooldown throughout the course of the game that lets you get a bit more damage in, but everything is light on challenge. Most players will rarely die in Ravenlok, and you can stockpile potions and bombs if you find yourself having trouble.
Enemies drop feathers that are used to level your hero up by returning to an NPC. Luckily, there are mirrors all around that you’ll activate in order to fast travel, so doing this never takes long. You’ll also find coins in destructible objects, which enemies drop as well. I almost never bought anything, though, as the game gives you plenty just for completing brief side quests. There are plenty of adventure game moments where you need to find and use an item, but these almost never require deep thought. You’ll find puzzles as well, but these are similar.
However, I did get stuck at one point as I didn’t realize that a crucial item could be interacted with since it needs to be approached from a specific angle. On occasion, you’ll need to cease pressing forward on a particular path until you’ve obtained the correct item. Ravenlok is broken into the aforementioned adventure segments as well as battles against hordes of foes and plenty of bosses.
The bosses in Ravenlok are all quite easy, but the artistry with which they were constructed is honestly marvellous. Nobody does voxel art like Cococucumber. There is a bit more variety on occasion too, such as a simple forced stealth section that strangely has you avoiding some enemies that you’re then able to easy best mere moments later.
“The bosses in Ravenlok are all quite easy, but the artistry with which they were constructed is honestly marvellous.”
Ravenlok took me just three-and-a-half hours to complete, which I found more than a little disappointing, as Echo Generation was much longer. However, there are a couple of extra little things to play around with. If you do a dance near figurines, they’ll be added to your inventory, and you can trade them for some meagre rewards. You’ll also come across various hats, which is the extent of the game’s character customization. Aside from that, there’s not much meat here at all.
But as a game, Ravenlok is simply highly enjoyable regardless of its simplicity and brevity. Its world is a real treat for the eyes, and it’s certainly a calm and relaxing way to spend a few hours. It doesn’t try to do anything out of the ordinary, but its presentation and constant momentum make up for that. It’s well worth a trip to this wonderland if you’re so inclined, just expect shallow waters, not an ocean, for the overly high $24.99 ticket price.
