Official Site: http://www.raw-thegame.com/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/209730/
Source: Youtube Channel focusinteractive
Developer: Wizarbox
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, [PC]
Release Date: Oct 11, 2012 (PC release date)
Genre: Action-RPG
Pros:
+ Straight-Forward and to the point Hack 'n Slash, Action-RPG fun
+ Keyboard/Mouse compatibility, but mainly designed for gamepads
+ Local Cooperative gameplay like old-school Gauntlet games
+ Tons of action and lots of enemies to kill on screen
+ Challenging, but allows player to switch difficulty levels at any time
+ Relatively cheap price for an entertaining experience
Cons:
- No Online multiplayer
- Key bindings cannot be changed on controllers and keyboard alike
- Very limited customization to class skills
- Controls don't feel very tight, especially for charged attacks
- Other than the prologue level, all 3 classes share the same playthrough
Recommended: Yes, for those looking for a cheap priced Action-RPG that they can enjoy playing through without spending too much time on it
R.A.W. Realms of Ancient War was one of the games I mentioned 2 days before the release of Diablo 3 and one that I had interest in trying out. It was going to be difficult to judge this game having played Diablo 3 and Torchlight 2 throughout the year (in 2012), but I somehow managed to really enjoy the game. The game's design was meant for controllers as it released on consoles as well and so the player can only have 4 skills set at a time between 2 bars which allowed the player to utilize 8 skills. For those playing on Keyboard and mouse, which is what I used, it felt odd having only two keys on the left hand as skills while 2 other keys were reserved for potions. The layout of the keys were also stretched into an uncomfortable position and so I used a speedpad to customize the keys to my own liking as the game didn't allow changes to keybindings. The gameplay is very straight-forward: Kill enemies, light puzzles, move forward. What many may not know about the game is that it's not open-world in the sense of the Diablo series or Torchlight. Rather, the story progresses level by level in a stage selection map and so the game is pretty linear with side quests scattered around each individual level. One of the complaints early on for many players is that there isn't a map, and honestly there isn't much need for one because of how small each level is. The game provides a compass to point to where the player needs to go next should they ever get lost. All in all, the game has a lot of flaws that can be picked out but still ended up to be pretty fun. I would probably play through the game 2 more times with the other classes, but I have too many other games lined up to do so.
Aesthetics
Art Style: Medieval Fantasy / Diablo-esque
+ Special ability effects are flashy and nice looking
+ The environment of each level is really detailed and beautiful
+ Designs of enemies and bosses distinguish what attacks they do
+ Music is okay, but sound-effects was a big part of the experience
+ The graphics combined with the sound effects makes combat satisfying
- Enemies, items, and objects often blend into the ground and environment
- Attack animations, especially charging attacks, are erratic and clunky
Aesthetics: 8/10
Buttons
Controller: Keyboard/Mouse; Gamepad/Console Controller
+ Very few keys to memorize
+ Layout is pretty easy to understand and skill sets are easy to switch between
+ Basic point-n-click controls for keyboard and mouse
+ Charge execution is universal to all skills, so it's easy to perform
- Skill set mapping and inventory equipment are both archaic to use
- Key bindings can't be changed and default layout is odd for keyboard
- Some skills and point-n-click walking don't always work as intended
Buttons: 6/10
Concept & Content
Core Concept: Kill enemies, get stronger, move forward
+ Each class has a unique set of skills with a different play style
+ The story is laughable, but has an interesting conclusion to it
+ Even with small maps, levels have side quests and light puzzles in them
+ Combat is fast-paced and forces players to utilize their skills to survive
+ The difficulty can be changed at any given time if it's too easy or too hard
+ Charge attacks is what sets this game apart from other Action-RPGs
- The amount of skill customization is very limited
- Can't stop in a level, the game saves after a level is completed
- Quests that require running back and forth in the same level is annoying
- No end-game content, levels can be replayed
Concept and Content: 7/10
Duration
+ The game is relatively short, no nonsense grinding or dragged out story
+ Combat is fast-paced with pockets of enemies in each area
+ R.A.W. is meant to be played 2-3 times depending if you play multiplayer
- A level can be anywhere from 5 minutes to 40 minutes to finish without save
- No end-game content and enemies/items don't scale, low replay value
Duration: 6/10
Fun
+ The rogue class struck me as the class I'd have the most fun with
+ Killing droves of enemies was relaxing, satisfying, and a lot of fun
+ It was pretty exciting whenever I found a strong item or an elemental tome
+ Despite not being able to save, I liked the levels split into separate stages
- The limited amount of skills and skill slots were disappointing
- There wasn't much incentive to playing the game after completion
Fun: 7/10
Overall
The game has a lot of the core aspects that makes a top-down, point-n-click, Action-RPG fun: A variety of environments, satisfying combat, different classes with unique skills, cooperative-multiplayer, and tons of loot. The problem was that each of those aspects are lacking in quality or content: enemies and bosses don't change too much, skills are limited, no online capabilities, and the best loot didn't show up until near the end when the game is over. The game is far from perfect, but the game was still mindlessly fun for a sale price of $7.49 from its usual $14.99. If one desires an Action-RPG with more depth and content, I would recommend games like Diablo 3, Torchlight 2, or Path of Exile. But if one desires an Action-RPG that requires little time to playthrough with local co-op, then I'd say give R.A.W. Realms of Ancient War a chance. Overall: 6.8/10
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