Gamescom 22: Ravensbound issues brutal fantasy action in a huge Roguelite world

Is Ravensbound the best-looking Roguelite ever? I might be, as the game features a massive world to play in, and a dark-fantasy theme.

You are the Vessel

Quoth the raven ‘Roguelite’. Also quoth the raven ‘open-world’. And maybe ‘fantasy’ too, as Ravensbound from Systemic Reaction hits all of those marks, and looks pretty incredible doing it.

You are the Vessel. Within you is the Raven, a powerful weapon forged by the ancient gods to rid the land of darkness. Knowing this mission could take many lifetimes to complete, the gods have allowed each Vessel to pass down to the next the wisdom they gain traveling across the world and battling ferocious enemies. Be ready to die, but know that with every peril you overcome, you serve those who will follow you.

Systemic Reaction press release

If you can’t tell, Ravensbound is influenced by Scandinavian folklore, giving its world a unique look for a fantasy tale. You can also explore that world by either foot or wing, as you can actually control the raven that your hero is bound to.

Just be warned that, when you engage in combat you have only one life to give. Each “vessel” sent from the gods has permadeath, and you’ll get a new one to play as when you die. That’s not to say you’ll lose all of the experience you’ve gained though, as each successive vessel has “benefit” of the abilities the previous one attained.

There’s also a deck-building, carb-based mechanic to the game. And it’s by way of that, that you’ll “access to more powerful gear and weapons with each new life”. Kind of neat.

Ravensbound is in development now, with no release date as of yet. If you’re digging it though, you can wishlist it today via Steam.