There are so many roguelite titles out there that it can be difficult to differentiate them, but Ravenbound is taking the genre to an open-world setting for something a little more unique.
Coming from developer Systemic Reaction, Ravenbound will merge roguelite action with its Nordic-inspired open world. It will make every death count by letting you control a new Vessel every time you respawn - aka a new human body. But each one will help increase the power of the titular Raven, who then in turn helps each Vessel through the landscape. The more you die, the stronger your Raven gets.
Each run will also allow you to pick up new weapons, loot, armor, and even cards that will give your Vessel unique powers like affecting the day/night cycle or emitting freezing blasts. Interestingly some cards will offer you access to new playable classes for your Vessel too.
It's also doing something different with its narrative. Rather than the more traditional linear progression of other roguelites, Ravenbound is tying progression to specific encounters you'll find throughout the world. Once you've ticked off a number of these you'll unlock that realm's boss, which will gain you great rewards if you manage to defeat it.
That means you can take your time with each Vessel to explore the isle of Àvalt, powering up and mastering the new build before you take on anything too risky.
If that sounds like it could be right up your realm, then Ravenbound is dropping on PC via Steam sometime in 2023. You can wishlist it on Steam now, or get involved with the growing community on the official Ravenbound Discord server.
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