New Raven’s Cry Trailer: Rough Seas Can’t Dampen My Desire To Give This One A Shot…

Posted on August 20, 2014 by geelw

Okay, so the sound mix is way off balance and sure, it’s not looking as stunning as other games coming out this late for last-gen systems, but I’m still going to play TopWare Interactive’s Raven’s Cry when it’s released. Veteran developer Reality Pump Studios has been working on this game for a while, so I’m curious to see the final result for a few reasons. It’s probably one of the last open world games on the PS3 and Xbox 360, it’s not another fantasy RPG, and while the pirate theme has been done to death and some consider that last Assassin’s Creed game the be-all, end-all game in this sub-genre, it’s just nice to root for the “little” guy every now and then, I say. Besides, rough edges aside, there’s something about a European-made RPG that commands attention and respect. Well, at least I think so…

Raven’s Cry lands on PC, Mac, PS3/PS4 and Xbox 360 on October 14, 2014.

Gallery: New Raven’s Cry Screenshots + A Little Shanty To Spice Up Your Monday (Arrrr!)

Posted on June 30, 2014 by geelw

Ahoy! My Monday’s running a wee bit late, but at least some things are working better than they were yesterday (and how!). The laptop isn’t rattling, there’s a nice strong wi-fi signal today (this past weekend was lousy!) and the fine folks at TopWare Interactive shot over a cannonball with four new Raven’s Cry screens that missed me by a mile, but there’s now a nice cannonball-shaped hole in the wall here. And you know what? I’m not even mad about that because I happen to think porthole windows are cool!

I just need to see if Home Depot has any in stock about the size of a ten-pound cannonball hole. I suppose I should let Dean over at Topware know that if he plans to shoot a review copy of the game over to aim for the roof, as I don’t think I need another hole in a wall here (or worse, through the porthole window I just installed.

Say, do ye fancy a shanty that’s not for the wee ones? Good! Topware has also dropped a second adults-only sea shanty called “Hangin’ Wille” that will make some of you laugh and others cringe accordingly. Like the other NSFW shanty “Sail With the Devil”, it’s got some VERY salty language that would make even a dead pirate blush. I’d post both videos here, but I’d probably get a second and better-aimed cannonball from the ladies out there. Hey, the life of a pirate wasn’t all TV series fodder and booze commercials, you know! Anyway, Raven’s Cry will be sailing into stores for PC/Mac, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 on October 14, 2014.

Back with more on this one soon – I should probably invest in a cannonball catcher or something…

Raven’s Cry Update: Shipping Out 10/14/2014, Loads of New Stuff In The Cargo Hold!

Posted on March 28, 2014 by geelw

One of the upcoming games I’ve been keeping my telescope pointed towards the horizon on for a while now has been Raven’s Cry, the pirate-themed action role-playing game from developer Reality Pump (taking over from Octane Studios) and publisher TopWare Interactive. The game has had a few delays due to Reality Pump really going all out to add a ton of gameplay and story content to it and these new and new-ish screens show off a load of cool:

And the official site has also been updated with a new video, concept art and even wallpapers to download if this one floats your boat. As for the new features being implemented, here’s a rundown stolen from the press release:

– New skills for the captain (a skill tree with over 25 options)
– The personal story of Christopher Raven (more than 25 hours of main storyline)
– Additional adventures and skirmishes (open-world setting and side quests)
– An economic system with a wide variety of trade-able goods and simulated price adjustments
– Realistic naval combat
– Depictions of the dark life of pirates (or: cinematic cut scenes)

All of this should make for a game that’s at least worth a look to see if Reality Pump can pull it all off. It seems like a darker and grimmer game than their previous RPGs, so let’s hope it all pans out the way they (and we sea dogs) want it to. PC, Mac, PS3, PS4 and Xbox 360, folks. Yeah, once again, a decent-looking RPG is skipping the Xbox One, so you owners of that console can get cranky about that elsewhere. I’ll be busy Yo-ho-ho-ing it up and trying not to get sunk by some frigate I’m trying to loot…

Raven’s Cry Update: Sneaky Pirates On The Horizon Set To Land Next May

Posted on December 4, 2013 by geelw

Aha! I didn’t forget about YOU, Raven’s Cry. This long awaited Topware Interactive published game has shifted development over from Octane Studios to veteran Polish developer Reality Pump Studios and has added even more pirate-y goodness in the process. Arrrrr! (sorry – I’ve had this stone in my shoe all day! Ahhhh, that’s better)…

No templars in this mix as far as I can tell, just the same seafaring tale of one man’s vengeance on those that did him wrong as a wee lad and set him to his life of crime on the high seas. Four new screenshots were recently set adrift by Topware PR, so here you go. Sorry for the delay in posting these, folks. Do you know how long it takes to air-dry screenshots? Longer that you’d think! Anyway, look up. Look down. PIRATES wherever (I tell) you (to) look!

As for a release date, well Happy Birthday to me, people! The game should be available May 7, 2014 at least on PC as far as I can tell. I know I’ve reported this earlier as a multi-platform release, but that’s because I had mock-ups of the cover art. I see now that no console logos are on the official site, so I’m gathering PC will come first and anything else may pop up later. But don’t hold me to that.

Gallery: Raven’s Cry

Posted on April 27, 2013 by geelw

RCLogo_withRaven

RC_Pass3_1280x720_Shot28 I’m not sure exactly when TopWare Interactive is releasing Raven’s Cry other than that nebulous Q3 2013 launch window, but I’d say it’s worth a look if you’re into the whole pirate-themed video game (and want to see how this stacks up to Assassin’s Creed IV, I guess). The game looks to fill a more “realistic” niche other pirate themes have teased, but have yet to deliver on. The story is pretty interesting and in combination with developer Octane Games’ promise of real-world locations and historical accuracy in some of the game’s elements, should make for quite a game experience that’s hopefully not just action-oriented.

As Christopher Raven, who as a young boy saw his family slain by pirates, players will hop into his boots as an older, vengeance-fueled pirate as he sets sail to do in those who ripped his life apart. yes, indeed it’s a completely single-player RPG, which means the developer is concentrating on delivering a rich story, character and hopefully, game world to interact with.

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Raven’s Cry Gameplay Trailer: More Pirates Setting Sail For Retail!

Posted on April 30, 2012 by geelw

Sooooo… it looks as if pirates are the new zombies this year, huh? Between this game, Risen 2, the new One Piece game and a few other pirates appearing in games lately, it’s looking like “Yo, Ho, Ho” and “Arrrrrr” will be popping up on review sites as well as too many lame pirate jokes that even I won’t be able to stand with my pun-laded ways. That aside, Raven’s Cry does look quite good so far. Octane Games and publisher TopWare just may have a nice niche RPG hit on their hands that won’t get the hook (arrrr!) when the finally game hits PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 at some point.