Ravenswatch

Ravenswatch has the hard stuff nailed down - the combat is sophisticated, the roguelike mechanics are spot-on and there is no shortage of progression avenues and opportunities; it just needs more content than it currently has to really shine. As it is, Ravenswatch is a roguelike overflowing with innovation and potential, it just needs a bit more content to turn a very good experience into a great one.

There are so many roguelikes on PSN now but this is one of the better ones, elevated as it is by a brilliant cast of playable characters. The same roguelike pitfalls apply though so expect some grind and repetition.

It might still need some wrinkles ironed out in terms of its balance and difficulty, but otherwise, Ravenswatch is a strong action roguelike and a worthwhile entry into the increasingly crowded genre.

For a 1.0 release, Ravenswatch has just barely gotten the basics right. Fortunately, those basics are incredibly solid. The gameplay is unique for a roguelike, successfully capturing the feel of a full playthrough of an ARPG like Diablo in runs lasting just under an hour. Each of the nine playable characters features a completely different playstyle, and all of them are immensely satisfying to play. The limited number of levels and the lack of variety within them are disappointing. However, the core gameplay is so strong that it keeps you coming back—especially when playing with a group of friends.

Ravenswatch delivers a tantalising co-op rogue-like experience for those willing to partake in the action alongside others. Taking on the dark world of Reverie solo proves less enticing thanks to its imbalanced difficulty, but after a year and a half in Early Access, Passtech Games have delivered a well-crafted, visually appealing dark fantasy spin of familiar fables.

Ravenswatch is a roguelike that stands out for presenting distorted versions of well-known characters and placing them in a very well-designed dark world. The diverse build possibilities enhanced by the cast of characters and modifiers guarantee a good replay factor, especially when played in a group. However, some updates with more content are necessary for the game to remain interesting in the long run.

Ravenswatch is a visually impressive roguelike with an interesting concept, but it suffers from balance and repetitiveness issues. If you plan to play alone, expect a tougher challenge and possible frustration. On the other hand, in the co-op mode, the game comes to the fore and provides real enjoyment.

The atmosphere, characters and general style are all high points, but Ravenswatch's major issue comes from how repetitious the gameplay loop is and that rarely anything new or cool pops up. The base structure is there to have been a really cool roguelite, but as it's far more strict in its roguelike nature, it's tough to recommend in any large capacity, lacking in too many things to encourage frequent plays.