Ravens Cry

[Thagarr]

For those of you who missed it(why didn't you read the front page? ) the last couple of weeks, Topware Interactive and Octane Games have taken over the much anticipated Nitro Games Raven's Cry! So far there are only some sketchy details about what the game will be about, but one thing is obvious, this will not be POTC! Personally, I hope they don't go to the other extreme and make this just a hack and slash mindless bloodfest, but time will tell I suppose. Anyway, what we know about the game so far from their web page:

Plot :
A young Scottish boy and his family try to escape the famine in late 17th century by getting aboard a ship bound for the New World. Near Jamaica their ship is attacked by ruthless pirates. The boy, Christopher Raven, is the sole survivor. Christopher lost his left hand then, but years later the road to vengeance might see him lose his soul too. The game begins when Christopher embarks on a journey to track down and kill the people responsible for murdering his family.

There is no specific year or date for the events. Real world historical events and persons are woven into the story to mix fact with fiction. The story is divided into chapters and in these chapters, Christopher is tracking down a particular pirate known as Neville Scranton who he blames the leading the assault, as well as all former pirates who took part in the massacre of the only people he has ever loved.

Game Info :
Raven’s Cry is a dark themed action-adventure that will reinvent the image of the pirate in popular culture. Instead of the usual glamorous but light-hearted pirates that have been popularized by the generations of pirate fiction, players will assume the role of Christopher Raven, a troubled anti-hero who has turned pirate to avenge his murdered kin. The game repletes with all manner of dynamic combat and atmospheric set pieces that showcase the sinister beauty of the 17th century Caribbean. Raven’s Cry thoroughly submerges players in a lavishly detailed world of treachery and adventure.

Players will visit diverse locations from the unsavory pirate-run Jamaican haven of Port Royal to the ancient Aztec city lost deep in the steaming South American jungle. The gripping, character driven story is divided into six chapters, each featuring multiple locations and their own unique missions, themes and characters. The combat is fast & brutal. Arcade style hack n' slash is combined with historical weaponry & special skills that bring a tactical element to the combat. Opponents bleed and suffer, which enhances the moral aspects of the game. Offering many innovative and engaging game elements, Raven’s Cry will immerse players in an epic story that they can genuinely affect. And one that they will never forget.

Features :

• Action adventure set in the age when pirates plagued the Caribbean
• Tactical yet brutal melee combat
• Cast of memorable characters
• Use special moves abilities like Fear and Frenzy to overcome enemies
• Main storyline that you can really affect
• Deadly duels with dangerous characters
• Dark-themed pirate setting
• Unique combat by combining melee combat & historical weaponry

The trailer is definitely different and sets the tone for the game right off. I have also heard a couple of rumors, one of them being that this will be an open ended game where you are free to follow the main story or choose your own path, but I haven't found anything official about that. I am really kind of curious to see what they mean by historical weapons, does that mean marlinspikes and belaying pins? If this one is done properly, this could well be the pirate game we have been waiting for!

 

[Stallion]

I hope Topware doesn't bugger the game up like they did the original Two Worlds, which, despite being one of my favourite RPGs, leaves much to be desired. I keep remembering the buggered-up launch of the second game in the series, too, and the supposed special edition that turned out to be pretty limited and, if memory serves, didn't even come with the game since the North American launch date was pushed back.

"Historical weapons" probably means they stole the Build Mod idea of being able to tote around your own cannon. Or was that a bug?

 

[Thagarr]

I have never played Two Worlds, so I can't comment on that one. Octane Games is a relatively new developer from Finland, they are set to release there first title later this summer, Wasteland Angel.

"Classic shooter gameplay personified, Wasteland Angel puts a fun twist on the top-down action that had us pumping an endless stream of quarters into our favorite coin-ops back in the arcade days," said Steve Milburn, Marketing Director of Meridian4. "This summer, everyone can relive or experience for the first time the gameplay elements that gave birth to a whole generation of gamers."

Wasteland Angel takes place after World War III where most of the world's population has been wiped out and the ones that survived were the unlucky ones. Now, survivors live in constant fear of being murdered or enslaved by violent gangs, renegade military units and horrific mutants

You can read the full press release HERE, and here is the trailer :

Doesn't really look like my kind of game, but the graphics look decent.


I must have missed that "feature" of the build! As long as nobody is swinging around an anchor, or carrying around a salad shooter of doom, I'll be happy!

I think it would be pretty cool to be able to just walk over and pick up a belaying pin and whack someone over the head with it though. According to a post on Octane's Facbook page we will also be able to "Sever limbs, gouge eyes, impale livers and cut throats".

 

[morgan terror]

you can still swing around a house though, last time i checked...

 

[Thagarr]

Well, this is very disappointing ....

Pirate charms will supposedly let you become invincible, summon ravens to rip enemies to shreds, boost attack speed and damage, and even cast some magic.

I just don't get it, why do they insist on filling a pirate world with supernatural hokum? I understand superstitions ...but come on, summoning ravens and casting magic??? And this from a game who's tag line is "So you think you know pirates?"

Besides the typical third-person action, you can expect naval battles and mano-a-mano duels with certain enemies as well. Some of the weapons' concept art looks ridiculous, like a "sword-pistol" that is basically a big knife with a revolver attached to it, or an "axe-rifle," which looks like a 17th-century version of the lancer from Gears of War. Maybe you can chop it into a person's shoulder blade and then use that person to stabilize your shot, eh?

While there may very well be some limited historical examples of such weapons, they were hardly common place, and quite probably extremely expensive to have made. I am beginning to detect a slight hint of steampunk mixed in there, and a pleasant aroma it is not! Please no salad shooters of doom!

Perhaps I am jumping a bit to conclusions, but based on what I have seen Disney do over the years, this really looks bad!

Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention on the front page that the new release date is apearently 2013. You can read the full preview on Destructoid HERE!

 

[modernknight1]

I am with you Thagarr. Good points all.

I have to wonder when I see this sort of development, what their business plan was. Do they always look at a game as being only a temporary attraction/distraction? That's sure what it seems like. Their formula seems to espouse a notion that they should attract a following with as much glitz as possible up front, and then expect interest to decay quickly thereafter. Anotherwords, they are using a one time fishing net and whoever they catch, they catch. That defines their success and their marketing strategy. It's a bright attractive lure and they only need to invest the minimum amount possible into their lure to achieve their prospective market yield.

It seems to me that a smarter business development model for video games would be: What aspects of the game will keep players interested - for a longer more enduring period of time and continue to attract players as well as a following over a time due to word of mouth and review, because their product is actually really good? When you go after that marketing segment, you allow yourself the ability to gain brand loyalty and more importantly, open up the possibility of sequels that offer even more, which means future work, building renown and the establishment of a good reputation.

Historical authenticity is one of those aspects that will do that for them. With a little research and development, they can add significant depth. No matter if their players are historical idiots, they will still appreciate the depth and feel that authenticity adds. That "feel", atmosphere, or mood, will almost sell the game by itself. I for one am no longer sold when I look at a game package and see a few pictures of neat looking buildings or a cool looking dude with a sword. I really feel like this current generation is so used to billboard comsumerism/advertizing on everything, that they don't just buy things impulsively anymore just based on cover art. Especially considering the current world economy, it seems like the smart developers would be betting on horses that are going to go the distance. It's just good common business sense.

I am retiring from the military soon and am actually considering starting my own gaming company. I vow to never follow the "drive-by" mentality all the other companies seem to follow. It's amazing to me that they can't see what I'm talking about when you consider the Sea Dogs model and derivatives as well as the Total War franchise. Those are models I would be looking at hard for the success formula.

MK

 

[Keith]

True mk.

I would like to be a fly on a wall when they do come up with these ideas. I have an idea it's a lack of knowledge of what people want on one hand....but in their defence look at well Madden football sells.

I'd like to ask Nitro why they do make the games in the fashion they do, is it because they need the console market which cannot support open environments or is it easier to make a game in smaller "maps"?

If it's for the consoles, then you could do SM Pirates. If it's for the small maps well then, don't make a pirate game.

I'd be interested to see a business model for the game studio mk

 

[modernknight1]

Be glad to share Keith.

Still working on it.

I like your reasoning and agree. However I will say that taking something like Madden as an example, that there is already a large marketing segment that's already fiercly loyal to football. They've already got the hard part done.

Now taking that example, imagine if the game developer got the uniform colors wrong or the iconic team symbols incorrect. Imagine the Denver Broncos being an off shade of desert sand with a donkey symbol, or the Dallas Cowboys being barn red with Wonder Women's golden lassos as their symbol. Imagine the players having super human abilities and attributes not realistic so that certain players could fly or use freeze power or Pokiemon abilities........the fan's would literally crucify the developers.

If the Pirate/Age of Sail genre had this kind of large scale, fiercly dedicated following that was willing to learn and know everything about each historical figure like the 12 year olds know inidividual football player touch down stats, yardage stats, etc, then these "drive-by" game developers would never be able to get away with what they do when they slaughter realism and historical authenticity in favor of glitzy Pokiemon meth.

So I am a true believer that those guys that actually do their homework and get it right, can't help but stand out in the crowd, and that the masses will gravitate to what looks and "feels" true and authentic. Just look at Sci-Fy movies and games. The ones that truly stand out are the ones that make these outlandishly un-scientfically supported worlds/scenarios/technologies - look and feel believeable. How?....by making them seem authentic and true to our current technological reality and knowledge.

The games that achieve that feel are the ones that become addictive and gain a loyal following. These are the bits of cream that float to the top of the milk bucket.

The ones with magical oversized crystal swords that are wielded against flying purple fairy dragons supported by luminous pink sparkley fart clouds, and that burst into magical coins and floating numbers when they get hit, are the easily forgotten temporary diversion games that will not be remembered six months after their release. No doubt, both make money, - but which is the more legitimate money? I wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror each morning, and I'm certain that I would eventually hang myself with pink licorice if I was responsible for such shallow fluffy offerings.

MK

 

[Thagarr]

Well said MK! I spent almost an hour on here yesterday typing up a response that agreed with pretty much everything you and Keith have written. But it basically ended up devolving into being just another one of my Disney bashing rants, so I just deleted it and decided to wait till I had calmed down a bit before I posted anything. I am now very glad I did.

I was really hoping that since we had had a few people from both Nitro and Paradox hanging around the forums a bit the past couple of years, that maybe, just maybe they would actually get it right this time. Or at least get it close enough that it would at least be a believable world setting. Once again I set my expectations way to high, I should really know better by now. I am now more convinced than ever, if we want a real pirate game, we are going to have to write it ourselves. Unfortunately, without a major inflow of some coders willing to take on the challenge, that just isn't going to happen.

 

[Jack Black]

Here are the first screenshots and a Live Action Trailer from GamesCom 2011 in Germany last weekend from "Ravens Cry".
Be warned. The Live Action Trailer is very brutal. Absolute unsuitable for children.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/gc-11-ravens-cry/719568

 

[Akella Fan]

Dumb trailer, because it doesn't actually show footage of the game, but very nice work, @JackBlack!

 

[Keith]

I actually thought the trailer was good, story wise. But yeah I would have liked to have seen some gameplay.

This game does look like a console game though.

 

[Peter Willemoes]

Nitro Games´ naval engine is superb. Its new for me to see you can walk around on land.

 

[Stallion]

I like the dark, moody colour choices. But going supernatural with a pirate game is getting a bit old.

As an aside, has anybody noticed an uptick in sim forums lately of PoTC being mentioned? The only problem is, most of the talk is negative. It is being labelled the de facto pansy naval simulator for some reason. It's being compared to Ship Simulator: Extremes which, after having a look at the demo, isn't a good thing. SS is just a giant bug, for one.

No worries, though - I dealt with the offending instigators and was subsequently banned.

 

[morgan terror]

well, it IS a ship sim by now. but where on earth did they get the idea of the game being pansy from? PotC will murder you if you go off and be stupid. and frequently even when you aren't. maybe because there's no gore, but that would be some pretty retarded criticism with gore never having been a part of the game engine in the first place.

besides, many people don't seem to get the concept of a beta version. minecraft's creator often gets emails from people telling him that the game is buggy and he needs to do more beta testing. he is. you're doing it!

 

[Akella Fan]

Off topic, but when is Minecraft gonna release? I mean the final version.

 

[Thagarr]

Thanks for the video and screen shots Jack Black!

From what I have learned about this game so far, it appears they are going almost completely opposite of what the POTC movies have been at least as far as main characters go. POTC's Jack Sparrow is more a loony happy go lucky pirate, dabbling a bit in the supernatural. Christopher Raven seems to be more of a complete psychopath hell bent on revenge at all costs while he continues to build his collection of heads. I have absolutely no desire to play a game that forces me into the roll of Roc Brasiliano. I am really curious to hear back from Octane on the questions we sent them, but I have a feeling that the freedom to choose your own path is going to be absent from this game.

Thanks for standing up for us Stallion!

Akella Fan, sometime in November.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

I like the dark, moody colour choices. But going supernatural with a pirate game is getting a bit old.

As an aside, has anybody noticed an uptick in sim forums lately of PoTC being mentioned? The only problem is, most of the talk is negative. It is being labelled the de facto pansy naval simulator for some reason. It's being compared to Ship Simulator: Extremes which, after having a look at the demo, isn't a good thing. SS is just a giant bug, for one.

No worries, though - I dealt with the offending instigators and was subsequently banned.

POTC is being called a Naval Simulator? That means POTC is no longer just another game. I take that as a high compliment. Yes POTC is buggy, with some of the bugs being self inflicted. But they are being worked out.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Simulator That should be in the forum title somewhere.

 

[Akella Fan]

Akella Fan, sometime in November.

Well, if even in Beta-stage it made such money, I can see gamers going crazy all over it in November. I personally don't like indie games, but this might be an exception.

 

[Stallion]

A review on an obscure, barely accessible Russian gaming site is calling this game "GTA with pirates!". They seem to have gotten their hands on an early preview copy which, being the site is based in Russia, I am not even remotely surprised about.

One wonders if that means "GTA IV with pirates!" or "The other, far better GTAs with pirates!". :