Vendetta: Curse of Raven’s Cry: Arr, Yeah – It’s Not Dead In The Water

Posted on November 19, 2015 by geelw

Remember a game called Raven’s Cry that was supposed to pop up a while back on PC and consoles? Well, it sort of did (on PC) but didn’t survive the harsh critical waters thanks to a number of issues. Reality Pump Studios moon-walked off the plank it was on, went back to the drawing board and has polished up their open world pirate RPG to what looks like a tasty finish.

The newly titled Vendetta: Curse of Ravens Cry has a release date of November 20 (hey, tomorrow!) looms on the horizon for Mac, Linux and SteamOS in both Standard and Digital Deluxe Editions for users who want their games in that particular format. Console and packaged retail versions of the game will arrive sometime during Q1 2016, but don’t expect to see this on the PS3 or Xbox 360 at all as those “old” systems have of late been consigned to Davey Jones’ locker when it comes to getting new releases, arrrr!

Five screens below and publisher TopWare Interactive has just put up a nice interactive map of the places you’ll go on your ship with your not so jolly crew. As far as I can tell, there are no whales to deal with in the game, but as you can see, Here There Be Tygers… er, leopards. That screen is kind of amusing because it looks as if both that feline and that pirate are thinking of that new coat they’re going to be wearing when the smoke clears.

As to the seaworthiness of Vendetta, it’s probably safe to say that Reality Pump has set the ship righter that it’s previusly been, but the proof will be in the parrot pudding starting tomorrow.

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: Sacrilegium – Reality Pump’s Survival Horror/Adventure Game Is Creeping Closer…

Posted on April 30, 2013 by geelw

Sacrilegium_Logo

sacrilegium_art Veteran developer Reality Pump Studios has been cooking up what’s looking like a nice surprise for horror game fans with its upcoming multiplatform release, Sacrilegium. Coming to PC, PS3 and Xbox 360’s worldwide soon, the TopWare Games-published “Survival-Horror Action Adventure” sounds (at least on paper) like a game that’s got a lot going for it if the lengthy and very detailed press release is any indication.

For many gamers who love their work, Reality Pump’s games (particularly their deep and mostly well-made RPGs) have always been highly ambitious, but between the outstanding new engine and promise of a deep, story driven single-player adventure starring a female character with a tailor made back-story, this could be one of those really intriguing game experiences that draws attention to itself on a few key fronts.

TopWare is promising this will be “A dark, thrilling tale with a captivating atmosphere, full of twists and turns, surprises and rewards.” as well as delivering “A constant feeling of tension, trepidation, and fear of the unknown and the unseen, combined with visceral action rewarded by the excitement of progression.”, which gets my brain tingling in all the right ways…

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Gallery: Two Worlds II

Posted on October 19, 2009 by geelw

One of the more under-appreciated RPGs in the US this console generation had to be Reality Pump’s Two Worlds, an open world action-based RPG experience with plenty to see and do (and some rather interesting monster designs). While the game wasn’t perfect and had an ending that cut off any further exploration once the main quest was completed, there were more than enough enjoyable elements to keep me hooked in for hours at a stretch. Let’s just say I spent a huge amount of time crafting up the perfect weapons and armor set. That and learning all those great summon spells so by the endgame, my character was pretty unstoppable by the endgame…