It’s an incredibly frustrating system, and one not helped by the floaty movement and sluggish animations.

Only some enemies are unaffected by it, some enemies will tank right through your attacks as if you’re hitting them with a pillowcase, and most times they’ll come at you in groups, rendering your parry almost useless. The trick is to parry an enemy, which knocks them down if timed right. It has standard masocore-style controls, with heavy and light attacks on the right triggers, an evade move, and a parry (with or without shield). Which is an issue in Ravenbound, because the combat is just not precise enough to be skill-based, and you can’t rely on gear and skills, at least early on, to keep you alive.

If you do, though, you’ll be grossly underpowered. There are five bosses to slay, and each one is a monumental task, although you only need to kill one to face the final boss. The idea is to find and cleanse Tears of Hatred, which will steadily reduce the corruption in the area, weakening the boss and allowing you access to better loot and items. You take control of Vessels, warriors with great potential and the ability to transform into a Raven for speedy travel around the vast open world. Plagued by the powers of Hatred, Ávalt is a realm in need of a hero. Based on Scandinavian folklore – not Norse mythology, as the developers are quick to reinforce – Ravenbound takes place in the land of Ávalt. It follows the roguelike template of games like Zombi and Rogue Legacy, where each time you die you’ll respawn as a completely new character, but retain some of the skills and gear you unlocked in your last incarnation. Sometimes, the cracks begin to show in its shiny façade. While that sounds damming, I only said “struggles” for the most part it manages to bear that weight. Ravenbound, from Systemic Reaction, is a game that struggles with the weight of its own ambition.

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