The RPG Codex has reviewed the RPG Vendetta: Curse of Raven's Cry:

RPG Codex Review: Vendetta - Curse of Raven's Cry

[Review by Lord_Potato]

Before we begin, I have an admission to make: I have a soft spot for the underdogs. Furthermore, I value ambition over craftsmanship. When it comes to gaming, I prefer indies and medium-budget titles over AAA blockbusters. While not as visually attractive and polished, they often contain novel ideas which cannot be found in more expensive productions due to being considered too risky. They also tend to be less sanitized than the AAAs, which are often burdened down by the sheer weight of political correctness. When developers don’t have tens of millions of dollars on the line, they can allow themselves to be more courageous. Their game does not have to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, so there is no need to ‘streamline’ it into complete and utter brainlessness.

I’d like to thank another member of RPG Codex, Konjad, for bringing Vendetta: Curse of Raven’s Cry to my attention. Most of what I’d previously heard about the game in articles and on YouTube was very negative. It was supposed to be an unfinished, bug-ridden mess with a broken combat system, a poor excuse for a story, an unlikeable main character, and edgy dialogue. Furthermore, its publisher TopWare had been accused of dishonest practices such as posting fake reviews on Steam, which might be the reason the game was removed from the platform for a certain period of time. However, Konjad’s very enthusiastic opinions about Vendetta inspired my curiosity and motivated me to give it an honest try. Fortunately, the game had since returned to Steam after its mysterious disappearance, where I was able to purchase it with a 75% discount during a sale.

Without further ado, let’s jump in and find out whether the game’s bad reputation is justified or whether it truly is an underappreciated gem that deserves more attention. I hope my review will provide some answers to these questions.

[...]

Weigh Anchor and Hoist the Mizzen!

Vendetta: Curse of Raven’s Cry is a game with a very troubled history. Passed from one studio to the other, it was released prematurely without being tested properly. The bugs made the game difficult to play and easy to hate. Its complete disregard for the current political climate strengthened the negative reception it received from the press. The alleged shady practices of its publisher proved to be the last nail in the game’s coffin.

That’s a pity, because I found Vendetta to be a fascinating RPG that does a lot of things well in spite of its many bugs and imperfections. The game offers an interesting and dark world to discover, good writing with lots of delicious vulgarity, ingenious quests, memorable battles, and a dynamic economy. Its character system might not be the greatest out there, but the ship management makes up for it.

In summary, Vendetta is an ambitious title that tries to provide the complete pirate experience without compromising or cutting corners. Its creators obviously poured much love into it, spending years fixing its problems after its release. I recommend that every RPG lover give the game a try and I sincerely hope you enjoy Christopher Raven’s adventures as much as I did. If you’re spooked by the bugs, keep in mind that the game is regularly on sale. For the $7 I paid for it, it’s basically a steal.

Vendetta - Curse of Raven's Cry got a major update and is on a weeklong sale right now:

Update V1.10 released!

Version 1.10 Release notes:

• optimization and correction of cutscenes
• optimization of multi CPU support
• Audio fixes and dialogue corrections
• Audio enhancements and additions across the islands
• Multiple fixes in accordance with playthrough reports
• Multiple main and side quest corrections and expansions:
• Sully's books added to his "death hut".
• Shaka's reactions enhanced during Sully's demise.
• The Maroons' hiding spots moved for better concealment.
• The cave battle of the Maroons versus the soldiers expanded.
• Extra loot in the docks near the clerk in St. John
• While assassinating the clerk, you can choose to kill a random colonist accidentally (or on purpose).
• More characters populate Avery's port (you can also interact with some)
• Small addons to Avery's colony (captive and domesticated animals, guards, servants, etc.)
• Ray's and the Colonist's paths in the Patriarch assassination missions optimized.
• Corrections in scripting for the Avery's and Arko sidequests.
• Corrections in the Patriarch ship hunt sea battle mission.
• Expansions and additional plot and gameplay added in Avery's storyline: additional assassination missions, hunt for buccaneers, and more.
• Spoiler: Ray (as your ally) will actively help you out in fights when completing Avery's missions (e.g. during the infiltration of Buccaneer Island)
• Ray's attacks include melee / armed combat and tossing explosives
• Spoiler: additional ways of eliminating the clerk in the port assassination mission for Avery
• Interactions with Ray expanded, with new extended gameplay sections, fights and dialogues
• Avery's port office overhauled and expanded
• Avery's plantation and mansion overhauled and expanded
• More characters and interactions in Avery's plantation
• Overhaul and expansion of Avery's port
• Musician to steal money from added in Avery's port
• Hayes, his Hunting Stall, and his sidequest line added to Avery's port (quest opens after the Maroons' line, when Tutuola goes missing)
• Arko's line expanded with the tasks of recovering his relics (sound-orientated mission), and tracking down and defeating Modok the evil shaman
• Tutuola's voodoo houngan cave added as a new location (with extra loot and interactions)
• Tutuola's storyline expanded, with extra missions and a new conclusion added for the Maroons' houngan
• Extra rewards from Tutuola, including loot, experience, and Erzulie's portrait
• The hut and the killing fields of Ray's brother Sully added as a new location (with loot and extra items around)
• More tasks and encounters with the girls at the brothel
• Goat dressed up at the brothel (find out the details from Maria's sidequest)
• Spoiler: Ray's brother storyline expanded with a new conclusion (human sacrifice)
• Spoiler: moral choice expanded in Ray's brother storyline (possibility to spare the brother, or to deliver him to the Maroons to be sacrificed)
• Spoiler: moral choice expanded in Avery's island assassination / Patriarch sabotage mission (possibility to spare the wife, murder her, or let Ray kill her)
• Spoiler: gravesites and a shrine to Christopher's murdered parents added as a new location (XP for visiting)
• Spoiler: fight against Ray and hunting down Avery in his mansion expanded and lengthened
  Additional interactions with the Maroons (extended spying/tracking down sequence, introductory fight, extended scenes)
• Additional enemies and fight encounters added (humans, e.g. Hayes the Hunter, and animals, e.g. the Giant Sabertooth cryptid)
• Fixes and multiple enhancements in the Ancient Temple trap labyrinth
• Fixes in console messages and logs.
• New sidequests and extra characters added (extra XP points for finding 'Crocodile Gena')
• Additional ship encounters
• Additional sea mission / treasure search
• Additional and expanded logs
• Multiple additions and expansions across all islands (new ruins, new sacrificial altar with extra loot, new cannibal rituals and sacrifices, and much more)

Thanks Alistair!

Sir Brennus spotted that a Steel Book and a Collector's Edition are now available for Vendetta: Curse of Raven's Cry.

Vendetta: Curse of Raven's Cry has been removed from Steam because of fake reviews posted by developer TopWare.

Thanks, Couch.

It appears that publisher TopWare might have been caught out by the powers that be at Steam for posting false reviews for their Vendetta – Curse of Ravens Cry release.

You may not have heard of Vendetta – Curse of Ravens Cry, but it’s a pirate themed adventure that was re-released last year and it came with some of the oddest game trailers we’ve seen featuring some quite fruity language.

Today there’s been some action on SteamDB which shows that entries and information for the game have been deleted from Steam.

It’s now thought that the game has been removed because publisher TopWare has been posting fake reviews which gave the game a 76% positive review score. This is of course against the rules of Steam and a very dodgy practice, especially when the game has been quite publicly slagged off by people unfortunate enough to have played it.

Metacritic’s user scores are down at 3.1, which is not always proof a game is bad, but in this case the user reviews are probably quite accurate.

More information.

Reality Pump Studios is saying that anything over 30 fps doesn't matter for the gaming experience in Raven's Cry: Vendetta.

Vendetta – Curse of Raven’s Cry – formerly known as Raven’s Cry – appears to be lacking SLI support and from the looks of it, there won’t be any in the foreseeable future. And according to one of its developers, anything above 30 FPS does not matter for the gaming experience.

When a fan asked Reality Pump Studios to further optimize its title, Reality Pump’s Raidor responded that the team is analyzing the game’s performance issues, claiming that this is an expensive, complicated and time consuming research.

“On the one hand it is quite understandable, that a customer who spent 600+ bugs on a high end card (e.g 980Ti) expects that a game runs faster than on a 2 years old (e.g.780 GTX) – on the other hand … if you put two or four engines in a car it will be probably not run faster than with one powerful engine. It will for sure be more heavy and bigger, consume more fuel and be very expensive. Please notice, that the developers of the well known Benchmarks receive any support, money and any hardware they want from the graphic card manufactors … we received the last free graphic card 5 years ago, never ever any money and have to purchase graphic cards like an end user without any discount in retail.”

More information.

Vendetta: Curse of Raven's Cry has been re-released on November 20. The Steam user reviews are much better now. Here's some gameplay:

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Let's Play Vendetta - Curse of Raven's Cry

Vendetta: Curse of Raven’s Cry is a third person, open world action-RPG that combines fast-paced swordplay with thrilling naval battles and exploration. Assume the role of dread pirate Christopher Raven and take your revenge on Captain Neville Scranton and the men who killed your family. Loot, sail, shoot and stab your way through myriad missions and side-quests, and explore the sprawling West Antilles by land or by sea. Hand pick your crew, upgrade your skills and your ship, and gain a reputation for either savagery or mercy, influencing how your friends and foes interact with you. Every choice has a price, and your decisions will bring you closer to your ultimate revenge. Getting there with your soul intact is up to you.

Features

• A Brutal World: Dozens of missions and side-quests are spread across the 18th century Caribbean. From white, sandy beaches crawling with deadly wildlife to dark and stormy seas infested with pirates, the world is your battleground.
• Know Your Enemy: Hundreds of colorful characters await you; pirate gangs, cannibals, government factions and even ferocious wildlife all stand in your way as you loot, kill and pillage your way across the stunning archipelago.
• Fill Your Coffers: An extensive economic system allows you to make your fortune in a variety of ways; search for lost treasure, trade goods in local ports, gamble in taverns or head into the jungles for a hunting expedition.
• Only the Strong Survive: Upgrade your skill tree to learn new attacks and combos and use dozens of historically accurate firearms and blades in tandem with your fearsome hook.
• Scourge of the Sea: Handpick your crew and set sail. A wide variety of ships can be purchased and upgraded, and different ammunition types allow you to strategically cripple enemy ships for looting, or blast them to the bottom of the ocean.
• Every Choice Has a Price: The notoriety system allows you to influence the world around you; earn a reputation for pure brutality as you laugh in the faces of those that come after you, or show mercy while manipulating your enemies and turning them against each other.

Story

It's been years since Christopher Raven's family was brutally murdered by Neville “the Devil” Scranton and his bloodthirsty gang, the Devil's Tines. Orphaned and missing a hand, Christopher is rescued by Marcus, an ex-slave and rum-maker who nurses Christopher back to health and takes him under his wing.

Growing up with a black bitterness in his heart, Christopher drowns his demons in rum and violence, brooding endlessly on the revenge that was stolen from him when the Devil’s Tines disappeared in the monstrous quake that sunk half of Port Royal. When a string of brutal and all too familiar murders occur, Christopher’s chance for revenge is suddenly within his grasp. Neville and the Tines are back, and nothing on earth will stop Christopher from claiming their heads.

Joxer spotted this announcement for Vendetta - Curse of Raven's Cry:

Vendetta: Curse of Raven’s Cry to arrive on the 20th of November
Pirates! Whispered rumors spread faster in the Caribbean than scurvy on the seven seas. Today we received an urgent warning, and its contents have been confirmed; anti-hero Christopher Raven and his deadly crew have been sighted spreading fear and violence across the open world of the Caribbean in the upcoming action-adventure RPG, Vendetta: Curse of Raven’s Cry!

Vendetta: Curse of Raven’s Cry takes players on an epic adventure featuring the dread pirate Captain Christopher Raven as he scours the Caribbean on a quest for revenge. Cut, sail, slash and shoot your way across the Antilles, from pirate hideouts to unexplored savage islands and sprawling plantations. Make choices ranging from the moral to the monstrous, while you walk the razor’s edge between gaining your revenge and becoming the very thing you’re hunting.

With over 50 hours of playing time, 120 minutes of cinematic video recordings and new quests and voice-over work, Christopher Raven’s ship is loaded for war like never before. Don’t worry, Christopher Raven will leave no brother of the coast behind! Those who took to the seas with Christopher in Raven’s Cry will receive a free upgrade to Vendetta: Curse of Raven’s Cry from the Captain himself.

New features in Vendetta: Curse of Raven’s Cry:

• Scores of new characters and more than 200 side-quests enrich the gaming experience, while existing quests have been extended and enhanced.
• Locations have been polished and enhanced with improved optics; from flora & fauna to the new (dangerous) wildlife lurking on the shores and in the jungles of the Caribbean.
• Numerous items have been added, including new equipment that affects game-play, like hats, amulets and a variety of new weapons.
• The combat system has been enhanced, from Christopher Raven’s fighting techniques to his opponent’s behavior, both in and out of combat.
• A new reward system has been integrated into the game-play and combat.
• Sea adventures have been optimized with new upgrades and a new free-sailing mode has been added.
• An advanced and optimized trade and economic system with numerous new distributors and negotiable items have been implemented.
• Shaman skills allow the brewing of powerful potions and tinctures.
• Ship personalization and customization has been overhauled, thanks to new figureheads, different colored sails, and new hull colors.
• New videos and cut-scenes have been added using facial motion capture technology.
• A more streamlined and accessible quest log and help system has been added, including notifiers for quest difficulty and an overhauled quest interface.
• New game achievements document the progress of your achievements and accomplishments.
• Completely new English voice recordings and lip-synching.

The digital release of Vendetta: Curse of Raven’s Cry will be available on the 20th of November, 2015 for PC, Mac, Linux and SteamOS in both Standard and Digital Deluxe Editions. A retail and console version is scheduled for release in Q1 2016.

Raven's Cry will be Vendetta: Curse of the Raven's Cry:

Swashbuckling RPG Raven's Cry is being re-named and re-released

It sure hasn't been smooth sailing for Raven's Cry, the high-seas piracy RPG that came out early this year. We first talked about it well over three years ago, after which it set (and missed) a few release dates before finally launching on Steam in January—an arrival greeted with borderline catastrophic user reviews. In many cases, that would be the end of it; the developer would hang its head in shame and either go bankrupt or start making mobile games. But Reality Pump Studios has decided to push ahead with a re-release of an updated version of the game under the new title Vendetta: Curse of Raven's Cry.

[...]

The new website at vendetta-game.com provides a handy breakdown of everything that's changed, and the list appears to be extensive. Key points include the addition of new quests and enhancement of existing ones, more "dynamic" sailing with a time acceleration option, enhanced trading and skill system, a new Alchemy system, new videos and cut scenes, and completely redone English voice acting.

That's all well and good, but the big question is whether Vendetta: Curse of Raven's Cry will be sufficiently stable and bug-free to redeem itself in the eyes of the Steam community, which has buried it in overwhelmingly negative user reviews.

[...]

Reality Pump has released patch version 1.03 on Steam for Raven's Cry this week. Here is the full lengthy changlog, and it proves the developer is trying to fix the game.

CHANGE LOG:

GAME STABILITY:
- Fixed various crashes.
- Several levels and physics changes.

MISCELLANEOUS:
- problems with lipsync corrected
- Raven position in cutscenes fixed
- Pete cutscene fixed
- Finishing moves added to fighting system
- added guards to some cities e.g. San Juan
- improved behaviour of guards
- NPCs now should properly react to pushing them (push back, guarding stand, attack depends of behavior of CR)
- Added tips for pause option when sailing and possibility to add player's marker on the map.
- Improved fight mechanic.
- Added cannibal chieftains models
- Fixed cameras in dialogs with merchants and shipwrights
- Fixed treasure chest on Isla Dauphine
- Fixed 'escaping ships with no crew' issue

BALANCING:
- Improved shooters' AI (they can fight also in close distance).
- Hero's health points slightly increased.
- Decreased price of throwing knives and pistol ammo.

Well another week and another negative review for Raven's Cry was released. This time the website is called Hooked Gamers, and they gave the game a final score of 3.5/10.

This ship is sinking with every passing moment, and there is no happy ending to be seen here. Raven's Cry encompasses a great idea, and it certainly looks nice until things are in motion, when they immediately start falling apart. As a game, this is a failure and while it's at least playable it doesn't mean you're likely to have fun while you're doing it. At most you'll try to convince yourself to like it as the water rises, until you're drowning in the realization that the ship isn't even sinking anymore; it's sitting at the bottom of the ocean.

GameWatcher has the next negative review for Raven's Cry I found this week. How negative you may ask? Well the reviewer gave the game a final score of 2.5/10.

If you haven’t guessed it already, Raven’s Cry is quite blatantly unfinished. I personally guesstimate that it needed a whole ‘nother year in development but either Reality Pump or TopWare ran out of money. Which is a shame, since after that year it could’ve been a good game. At this point in time though, it’s the complete opposite. In every aspect Raven’s Cry is painfully dull, excruciatingly frustrating, and woefully glitchy. There is literally nothing fun here at all and I can’t imagine anyone wanting to play it for anything other than a Mystery Science Theater 3000-style evening of mockery. It’s the worst game of 2015 so far, and it’ll probably hold that title until Alone In The Dark: Illumination comes out. Avoid, please god avoid.

Well here are two more reviewS for Raven's Cry that I found this week.

Eurogamer - No Score but they say avoid the game.

I wanted Raven's Cry to be good. I really did. I'm somewhat enamoured with the modern, idealized pirate. The freedom-loving anarchists that spout cool one-liners with a soft sentimentality to them. While the archetype is neither novel nor realistic, I had hoped however foolishly that Raven's Cry would indulge me my childhood fantasy.

Instead, there's disaster and disappointment at nearly every turn. With a team that wanted to put the effort in, that had the time or the money to build on this, we might have had an interesting game. Every time I was able to sail to a new island or port, I found myself excited. I wanted to probe around and see what wonders the locale held, but every single time my curiosity was met with tedium and mediocrity. I want to think that my eagerness to explore was a sign that there's something interesting about this setting and this world, but now I think I may have been projecting my own hopes onto a broken, buggy lump.

TechRaptor - 3/10

A dark spin on the pirate fantasy may be tantalizing enough to convince you to give Raven’s Cry a shot, but do yourself a favor and wait until the games has been thoroughly patched up. After that, I can honestly say that there will be some worthwhile fun to be had with this one. For now, Raven’s Cry has left a very bitter taste in many people’s mouths. One can only hope that the studio will learn their lesson and start treating their customers with respect.

Reality Pump has released a new patch on Steam for Raven's Cry this week. Here is the full lengthy changlog, and it proves they are at least trying to fix the game.

CHANGE LOG:

NEW FEATURES:
- Added Benchmark in Settings menu.
* this is the first version and will be extended
* the test allows to change the graphic detail settings according to the system performance
- Added Language selection in Settings (texts/voiceovers).

GAME STABILITY:
- Fixed crash after opening map in Temple level.
- Several levels and physics changes.

BALANCING:
- Increased HP of Man Of War.
- Increased HP of Ship Of The Line.
- Reputation system tweaked.
- Random encounters balanced.

GUI:
- Added visual hint when a fighting skill is ready to use.
- Removed unnecessary map markers during tutorial.
- Added information about hiring crew into Ship Tutorial.

MISCELLANEOUS:
- Improved the look of several objects and levels.
- Fixed few spelling errors.
- Pliny is now properly named.

QUESTS/STORY:
(!!!spoilers alert!!! - please do not read, if you did not play the game so far)

Please note: Save Games from version 1.00 and 1.01 are compatible, but quest related bugs are stored in the old save games from version 1.00/1.01 - fixes of quest bugs will be only effective, if the game is re-started.

- Fixed Agent on Santorio's Island.
- Kensington's ship quest may be solved also by boarding ships.
- Fixed first meeting with Avery.
- Ray has to be killed in order to meet with his master.
- Lancaster ("One last favor"):
* fixed Quest Log entry and rewards,
* officers should be more aggresive,
* Lancaster should now properly avoid obstacles.
- The Battle of Cumana: fixed ships behaviour (French faction)
- Using flag works as intended (French faction)
- breaking English faction quest by escaping encounter with Spaniards is no longer possible.
- Battle of Cumana is now easier (English faction)
- added information to quest log to distinguish both Mr. Dwights.
- Cheng now can be hired after battle of Cumana.
- fixed potential deadlock in English faction chain quest.
- fixed bug blocking the French faction quest
- Revamped "Dirty Dozen" quest:
* Now there are two guard stations where Kensington's men hang out. One in Port Royale, one in Santo Domingo.
* The Players needs to take the uniforms from chest in that guard stations (by force or sneak)
- Revamped "Spice of Life" quest:
* instead of a tournee of Caribbean the Player needs to poison the spice crates in Kensington's warehouse in Cumana (either by force or sneaking)

Known Priority Issues (to be fixed in further Patches)
- still 110 English VOs missing (1.03)
- SLI/crossfire settings and other optimizations need to be fixed in upcoming graphics drivers.

Well seems Gamespot has posted the next very negative review for Raven's Cry this week as they give the game a 1/10, and call it broken & offensive at the same time.

All of the other complaints that can be levied against Raven's Cry are legion, but you can force yourself to soldier through them if you really want to, although I pity anyone who voluntarily spends any time with this game. What truly puts Raven's Cry in the pantheon of the worst games of all time is that story progression can easily become totally impossible. After slugging through 17 hours of the game, a bug in a story portion of the game--where there was only one way back to the overworld out of the labyrinthine temple I'd been exploring--crashed my computer over and over again at the same point. I turned the game off, came back a couple of hours later, and tried again. The game crashed again. And I'd had enough.

It's not hard to say whether it's worse that Raven's Cry is so broken or that it's full of so much offensive material; the offensive material is worse. But the fact is that either of these things is more than enough for a rational person to avoid playing it. The game is unfinished, a chore when you can play it, and full of disgusting vitriol aimed at women and people of color.

I thought IGN had the worst review seems I was wrong.

Giant Bomb released a new video for Raven's Cry that has over one hour of footage.

Arrr! Go on an epic adventure filled with danger, fun, and self-fulfillment... or come watch this Quick Look. The choice be yours!

Here is the first English review I can find for Raven's Cry, and its from a  site called Attack of the Fanboy. The reviewer did not like the game, and gave it a 2/5.

Raven's Cry has very few redeemable qualities. Despite having the potential to be the ultimate pirate adventure, and the inclusion of a ton of features, it's not very fun to play and has quite a few technical issues.

Raven's Cry has finally launched on time as was promised a few day back. You can now buy the game on Steam for a 10% discount with no end date listed yet.

"Raven's Cry" is a third person RPG-adventure game that combines fast-paced swordplay, thrilling naval battles, and free ranging explorations through undocumented islands and historical towns. A cadre of colourful cutthroats will cross your path on your travels, all with their own motivations and plans, but make sure to choose your crew with care!

Don't forget to read the preview from earlier this month.

Well all the information from the developer about A January 26th release for Raven's Cry was wrong once again.. The delay was announced yesterday on Steam.

We need a few (this time really only 4) days more to implement some features wanted by the community.

We also got a new update about the games DRM.

We decided to change the (if you still want to call it like this) DRM of the Raven's Cry Steam version.Each game will receive a Serial Key and with this key you optional register the game. And activation or any other action is not required.

And if you still feel down here are a few new gameplay videos. Before I end the news-bit thank you Joxer, and Gabriel for the information and links.

Thanks to Forum member Morrandir we have more replies from developer Raidor who answered a bunch of questions about the game on Steam again this week.

- Will you add more interactivity with the world? It seems there is nothing to do at the moment. Moreover will the world be livelier? Sometimes the NPCs stand still (e.g. the fruit salesman) or don't react to Christopher at all (e.g. when he bumped into the crowd at the gallows).

* some NPCs you can interact others just stand in your way.

- Is there an option to deactivate the motion blur effects, which are played when Chris swings his sword?

* yes. there are 10 levels of motion blur

- Will you add a free-sailing OPTION, you the fast travel removing the option of a free sailing is a bad move IMHO.

* there are parts where you have to sail free.

- Will there be a boarding option, where the protagonist would board the vessel and be fighting himself?

* yes. 2 times in the game.

- Have thought about adding a more realistic depiction of blood? Blood spurts are there but they are been overused and are too exaggerated in games. Why don't you add a blood system like the one used in Overgrowth.

* technically the system for the blood is in - but we need to adjust how intense it is used.

- Could you add a red line showing the course the ship had taken in the fast travel menu?

* there is a red doted line showing the way.

I know many of you are wondering if Raven's Cry will be released this month, and the answer is yes. Thanks to a site called The Games Cabin I have the information.

So just to clarify, the game will release on Mac/Steam/Linux on January 26th whilst the retail edition will be available from January 28th for the PS3, PS4, PC and Mac.

You can pre-order your copy here from Amazon.

The Xbox 360 edition will no longer be getting a full retail release but will available via the Xbox Marketplace, though the publisher doesn’t have a solid release date as of yet.

Originally announced back in 2012, Raven’s Cry puts players in the sea-faring boots of Christopher Raven, a pirate during the 17th century on a quest of personal vengeance.

Well you know as they say you have to share both good, and bad news. So here is a  negative preview I found on Fix This Game for Raven's Cry this week.

After Assassin’s Creed Black Flag we didn’t get a proper pirate game, and even though that title was an interesting one, it didn’t show the true life of a pirate, it was only a colorful recreation of that world for kids. And while Raven’s Cry tries to be the more mature game here, the reality is that in the end it fails to do so.

Why is that? I have played the game a little while ago at a closed press convention and this brings some lackluster ideas that are brought together in a very bad way. For example the game retains the Reality Pump boring world appeal that was in Two Worlds 2, now with an even lower appeal unfortunately. And if that wasn’t enough, we also have some unrealistic weapons such as the sword pistol. How on Earth can you create a pirate simulation game and come with things like this?

As we promised from the latest news-bit here is Fluent's preview of Reality Pump Studios latest Pirate Adventure-RPG game Raven's Cry. We also added a few videos.

Thanks for checking out this article here on RPG-slash-Action-Adventure-slash-Simulation-Watch.com! Wait, what? This isn't that site? Gah! Well, today we will be previewing a game that I would consider one of these strange and wonderful hybrids, rather than a more traditional, "hardcore" computer role-playing game. But hey, that doesn't mean it's a bad thing! Let's check it out then, shall we?

The game I'm referring to is the brand new RPG from the Polish developer, Reality Pump, called Raven's Cry. Reality Pump is best known around these parts for their work on the Two Worlds series, including Two Worlds II and the Pirates of the Flying Fortress expansion. Raven's Cry is a 3rd-person, story-driven pirate RPG set in the 18th Century Caribbean. You play a wily character known as Christopher Raven, a pirate scourge of the seven seas, matey! Arghh! Mr. Raven's entire family was killed, and now you're out for a bit of revenge and doing all the pirate-y things that one would expect along the way.

Staff member Fluent had the chance to get an early copy of Raven's Cry, and shared a new five minute preview video of one of the games towns on his YouTube channel.

A little walkthrough of a port town during sunset (that's why the tint is reddish). This is from an early build. The end result may be even better!

Look forward to his written preview hopefully sometime this week.

Forum member Joxer shared a link with more replies from Raidor [dph] on Steam. Oh and in-case anyone can't tell Joxer was the one who also asked the questions.

1. Will this game contain godlike endless respawning trashmobs that can't be killed permanently (Dragon Age: Bears) or we're looking into a game that is not grind2win (Gothic series)?

- there is no respawn. Everyone who is killed is dead for ever.

2. Why is it more expensive that the The Witcher 3 (also openworld, also mature theme, ETA on release May this year)?

- no idea. How should I answer this. I do not know anything about the pricing policy of CDP, but I think a good game which is complete (I mean not cut in parts and you need 10 DLCs to have the full game) is worth 50-60 USD / Euro.

3. Does it work with 32-bit systems (apparently system requirements on the web site and Steam don't mention that)?

- Raven's Cry supports 32 and 64 bit versions of WIndows 7, 8, 8.1

4. Any influence from SeaDogs and it's sequels? Not the horrible ground combat, but shipsailing and shipbattle superb mechanics with captain/crew ship skills?

- we played a lot of games and more or less all games we played have some influence. RC has sea battles, your ship has a crew, you can hire officers, there is cargo and amunition, the crew has moral values,you can change the flag, you can sink or enter other ships, repair, upgrade and equip your own.

5. Apart from unique videospots we saw, what about the general music in the game? Orchestrated or also more piratethemed singing crazy scores?

- the general Soundtrack of RC is - let's say - modern orchestral with some ethnic parts. Kind of cinematic score.

- at some locations you have musicians, bands or persons who sing, play instruments or perform songs. This can be in a tavern or brothel or also at the harbour, beach or on the street. Some of these are wellknown shanties and have a RC adapted text.

Forum member Morrandir noticed a publisher of Raven's Cry named Raidor answered a bunch of questions bout the game. He talks about new DRM, and a game demo.

One post of interest is the games DRM.

Some Remarks:

- it seems that no one really understands our intensions. Handling these activations is a lot of work for us. It would be much easier to wave it.
- the DRM is not a copy protection. First of all - 10 minutes after release of a game - everyone can find a hacked Version in the net. Beside this, who does not pay for games can find a cracked copy anyway.
- Steam is great, alone the fact that Eath 2160 (Steam ID 72) was one of the first games from an external Company should proof that we always have been friends of Valve. BUT, as much as we like Steam, we do not know if it will stay, as it is now, forever. Company policy may Change, ownership may Change ... and what happens with your purchased games in such a case? - just imagine one or more of the following "slightly" changes of policy: 1. subscription will cost a montly fee 2. Steam retail activations will have a Charge 3. only Premium Users (who pay a monthly subscription) have full Access to all Steam Features OR ... immagine: Steam is sold to EA, Amazon or someone else who you like even more. (this hopefully will all not happen - but ... nobody knows! - who is the new CEO of Unity? who acquired Oculus VR?)
- over the Holidays I was doing customer Support. You cannot immagine how many users want to revive an old game. If they can proove somehow they bought it, they all got a new download, or whatever else they needed.
- a Steam Publisher has limited possibilities to help a Steam customer. We e.g. cannot give any refunds. We can not identify a user. We have only Information about the customers who activated or registered their games with our DRM.

I do not want to defend our DRM, but once we realease a game without it, we do not know who bought it. And if anything happens all your games are gone.

btw: the remarks regarding Raven's Cry will never come out are not very productive. We do our best to release a great game. We have here to withstand the beating - but we have to pay more Money to the dev Studio the longer the development takes and have no earnings from the game in the meantime at all. So basically we are sitting between all chairs, but have to decide if the game is ready to release or not.

The release of Raven's Cry has, again, been delayed. This time to the 16th of December. So your desires to play as a pirate have to wait just a bit more.

Thanks M00n1ight.

Raven's Cry is delayed for the third time in two years, but this time the delay is only for one month. The develper claims it's for poilsh, and to relese the game on Linux.

New Release Date for Raven's Cry

Raven's Cry to be released on November 27, 2014 on PC Mac and SteamOS

Karlsruhe, 10. Oktober 2014 - Ahoy! The winds were on our side for a good bit there, but alas, we've hit some rough seas, and it looks like Raven's Cry will be arriving in port a bit late. We need more time to scrub the decks and get the guns in working order. We could have just sped through these treacherous waters - land was right over the horizon! But no captain worth his salt would put his ship on such a perilous course; after all, we're beholden to our loyal fans and our extraordinary community to deliver an exciting and perfect pirate adventure. 

All the recordings have been made, all features are on board, but no sailor feels safe when his ship is listing. So, to make sure we can count on smooth sailing form here on out, Raven's Cry will now be released on November 27, 2014 for PC and Mac, the retail and console versions will be out in the first quarter of 2015. But there's some good news as well! We recently picked up a coded message in a bottle informing us that our pirate epic will be coming out on November 27, on Linux and SteamOS, too.

TopWare Interactive announces that you can now pre-order Raven's Cry on Steam.

Pre-purchase Raven’s Cry on Steam 

+++ This dark pirate epic can now be pre-purchased on Steam +++

Karlsruhe, September 8, 2014 – Right now captains can pre-purchase this dark pirate epic at a 10% discount, as well as some exclusive pre-purchase items. No crafty buccaneer worth his salt would pass this offer by and miss out on the exclusive soundtrack, digital world map, and three exclusive in-game items (the "Long Hand" pistol, the "Griffin" figurehead and the sword "Marrow"). Each of these exclusive items will enhance Christopher’s skills and the capabilities of his ship when you use them.

Pre-Order Raven's Cry on Steam and get 10% off, in addition to these exclusive items:

• The Official Soundtrack with a total of 100 minutes of content (MP3 Format)
• Digital Map of the in-game world (PDF Format)
• Three exclusive in-game items: the pistol "Long-Hand", the "Griffin" figurehead and the sword "Marrow". All exclusive in-game items increase the respective abilities of Christopher and his ship when used

 
 The Digital Deluxe Edition of Raven's Cry contains:

•  A brand new location waiting to be explored, with extra quests and an additional 30 minutes of playing time
• Two exclusive in-game items: the Grim Ripper figurehead and the mighty cutlass "Merciless". Both exclusive in-game items increase the respective abilities of Christopher and his ship when used
• The digital Artbook: Enjoy 72 packed pages of original Raven's Cry artwork (PDF Format)
• An extended version of the Official Soundtrack with a total of 140 minutes of content (MP3 Format)
• All 8 classic pirate songs, including the traditional Irish and Mexican lyrics, including Whisky in a Jar, Hanging Willie aka Drunken Sailor, La Bamba, Da-YO aka Bananaboat Song and more
• A digital Songbook including all of the Tavern songs with both the lyrics and the musical notes (PDF Format)
• Exclusive Wallpapers

Raven's Cry on Steam:  http://store.steampowered.com/app/281130/

TopWare Interactive released a new trailer for Raven's Cry with in-game footage.

The new in-game trailer for "Raven's Cry".

"Raven's Cry" is a third-person action-adventure game with RPG elements that - impresses with its gripping narrative - on the islands of the Caribbean, sea battles and piracy among countless passages. A story which - driven by the main character - literally "under the skin". "Raven's Cry" tells the dark story of a man who exceeds in his desperate search for peace of mind and revenge any moral boundaries.

TopWare Interactive is holding a new contest as part of their message in the bottle newsletter for Raven's Cry. Here are the details of the contest.

Dear TopWare fans,

Today we’re offering a one-time chance to our registered users:
Raven’s Cry and Creative are giving away three "EVO wireless headsets" with our next message in a bottle!

Sign up for the message in a bottle right here today to get exclusive background information on Raven’s Cry and secure your chance of winning one of three headsets!

Raven’s Cry takes you on a journey to the Golden Age of Piracy that will forever change the way you think of pirates! Experience the sounds of a still untamed Caribbean world, the pandemonium of combat on the high seas, and the raucous shanties of the crew with the EVO wireless headset from Creative.

A somewhat different take on the traditional newsletter, these messages in a bottle are designed to keep you up to date on what’s happening with Raven’s Cry, the dark and gritty adventure RPG coming soon from the makers of the Two Worlds series. In the first issue, Christopher himself let us know just how hard life is in the world of Raven’s Cry. The second message told us of the dramatic events surrounding the filming of Raven’s Cry’s cut scenes. The last message came from Marcus, Christopher’s foster father, who gave us a glimpse into his rum production business and told us what it’s like to live with the young man destined to make a mark on the history of seafaring with his bloody hook.

When the fourth message in a bottle comes out on June 20, 2014, three lucky subscribers will receive a high-quality EVO wireless headset from Creative!

Starting with the fourth issue, registered users will be able to download previous messages in a bottle from our website. Don’t miss your chance to get a look behind the scenes of Raven’s Cry!

TopWare Interactive released a new "Message in a Bottle" on the Raven's Cry website.

"Each message in a bottle will provide you with background information and glimpses into the world of Raven’s Cry and its development. We’re going to start by letting Christopher speak for himself and give you a look at his captain’s log for the first time ever. You’ll also get an idea of the wide variety of gameplay options awaiting you in Raven’s Cry." The newsletter announcing this also has an indication of how much gameplay to expect from Raven's Cry, saying: "Dive into in a sweeping storyline – 25 hours of gameplay that will forever change your image of the Caribbean and the world of pirates."

TopWare Interactive and Reality Pump announces in a new press release written as part of your character in game captain log the new release date for Raven's Cry.

TopWare Interactive announces release date for "Raven’s Cry" on new website

+++ Content and release date have been doubled +++

The Captain’s Log of Christopher Raven

Karlsruhe (Latitude 48° 59' 2.21" N, Longitude 8° 29' 44.96" E), March 28, 2014 08:00 UTC+1 – I’ve been informed by the crews of TopWare Interactive and Reality Pump that a new website covering my travels has been completed. Starting today, all information on "Raven’s Cry" may be accessed at www.ravenscry-game.com. Let the record officially note the site coordinates. Observations of the crew’s activity on the web as noted on the maps indicate:

-    Snapshots of our travels (screenshots)
-    Moving pictures depicting out activities on the high seas and on shore (videos)
-    Descriptions of known and undiscovered locations and the dangers associated with them
-    Records full of information on friend and foe alike
-    Drawings and designs featuring the captain’s friends and acquaintances (concept art)

Karlsruhe (Latitude 48° 59' 2.21" N, Longitude 8° 29' 44.96" E) March 28, 2014, 09:00 UTC+1 – A Note on the entry from 08:00

Along with the overhaul of the website, the men are planning to send out a message in a bottle (newsletter) every two weeks. The captain hereby grants his approval for the following items to be released:

-    Information on travel itineraries
-    Background reports on seafaring and trade
-    Battle reports
-    Contacts with ladies

Up-to-date readings of the currents in these waters indicate that the bottles should arrive at the coordinates of the new website (registration).

Kraków (Latitude 50° 3' 74" N, Longitude 19° 56' 41.93" E) March 28, 2014, 10:00 UTC+1 –
The navigator announces an arrival date of 10/14/2014 for "Raven’s Cry". Given that "Raven’s Cry" has doubled the amount of cargo in her holds, this will delay her arrival into port. The additional loot includes the following features:

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

Signed: Christopher Raven, Captain

Hardcore Gamer has a new preview with more information about Raven's Cry.

Raven’s Cry is an upcoming action adventure game from Topware Interactive that aims to show pirates in a more authentic light, portraying the more unsavory aspects of historical piracy. As such, the game will be a much darker, grittier, and mature take on the life of a pirate. The game’s main character, Christopher Raven, has been described as an “anti hero on a quest of revenge,” which definitely seems like a premise suited to this darker and more brutal vision of 17th century pirates.

Raven’s Cry has been in development for quite a while, and it’s safe to say there have been bumps in the road along the way. The game was first announced all the way back in 2011 and was originally slated for a 2013 release. Throughout the course of development, Topware Interactive became dissatisfied with the progress developer Octane Games had made, so the entire project was handed over to Reality Pump Studios in August of 2013. Reality Pump is best known for the Two Worlds games, the first being a deeply flawed game with some interesting ideas while the second came much closer to executing on those ideas and was considered by many to be a solid RPG.

When Raven’s Cry releases, Reality Pump will have had less than a year with the game, so concern about the final quality is certainly warranted, though hopefully the strides the developer made with the Two Worlds games can aid them in taking Raven’s Cry down the home stretch.

It has been some time since we had any news for Raven's Cry, and this time it's a new interview from GamingBolt with the CEO of Reality Pump Tadeusz Zube.

Ravi Sinha: What motivated you to develop Raven’s Cry, especially to make it a pirate game since not many of these titles have really taken off in the past (with the exception of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag)?

Tadeusz Zuber: The short answer is our main character, Christopher Raven. Is there anything cooler than playing as a badass who answers to no one, and cares only about himself?  Whether he’s on a motorcycle, a UFO or a pirate ship, we knew that players would understand and relate to the motivations of Christopher, even though he’s far from the traditional lovable hero. Christopher Raven has a tragic past, and he’s on a quest to find his revenge, and maybe even some kind of peace for his tormented soul.

That core storyline could be set against any backdrop; outer space, the wild west, wherever, but we found our inspiration in the world of pirates.  Exotic locations and lawless seas contribute to a feeling of real freedom that we, as gamers, wanted to explore with Christopher Raven.  We felt the best recent pirate games have opted for a more light-hearted, family oriented tone, but with Raven’s Cry we wanted to go back to the classic roots of pirate lore in literature and film, giving Christopher Raven a truly brutal and cold hearted world to live in.

Ravi Sinha: Will the game have any type of skill tree system and leveling up?

Tadeusz Zuber: Absolutely.  The skill tree is a tried-and-true concept. The experience points needed to build up skills will be awarded for completing tasks, discovering new islands and forgotten treasures, eliminating enemies on land, winning sea battles and more.  Certain skills will only become available if other skills have already been learned. Some three dozen skills will be accessible, and they come in five types – General Skills, the Landlubber’s Skills, the Sea Wolf’s Skills, the Captain’s Skills, and last but not certainly not least, the Raven’s Skills, possessed by our antihero’s trusted companion – his black raven.

While we are, of course, setting a maximum available level for the skills, it will actually be possible to go beyond that level on some occasions – all thanks to experienced officers who can be hired as part of the crew. Since the officers are unique characters with their own traits, they will add their knowledge and strength to the player’s crew, thereby letting some skills grow even higher than theoretically possible.

Ravi Sinha: How big of a world will the game have? Will it be an open world and how is the mission structure shaping up?

Tadeusz Zuber: We have opened much of the Caribbean Sea and the Spanish Main to players, from Greater to Lesser Antilles, along with the coast of South America. This world is accessible from the moment players hoist their sails, while other locations must be unlocked. Entering a city where pirates are not welcome may require making certain alliances. 

Accessing a dock where pirates are not only unwelcome but hanged on sight will require some clever planning. As the plot develops and more missions become available, players will also keep learning of new places to visit (not all islands have been charted, after all; at least not on the official maps) to collect new rewards and to face new dangers.

Ravi Sinha: Naval battles are confirmed to be in the game. What kind of gameplay mechanics have you employed to make it unique?

Tadeusz Zuber: Again our approach was to make these battles as realistic as possible, without sacrificing fun. Don’t expect any helpful light beams showing you your canon ball trajectories; we want players to feel the heat of these sea-battles.  As the captain of a ship, players can do a variety of things, including jumping behind the cannons and making adjustments in order to ensure an accurate shot. Each ship has its own feel as well. The small and swift schooner might be perfect for a fast getaway, whereas the heavily armored war galleon is a challenge to steer, but exactly what you need for all-out battles.

Reality Pump and TopWare Interactive announce in this new press release that the RPG adventure Raven’s Cry will be released on May 7th 2014.

+++ Pirate RPG adventure game available on 7th May 2014+++

Karlsruhe, 22 November 2013 – In a joint announcement withReality Pump, the TopWare Interactive AG has announced that the RPG adventure “Raven’s Cry” will be released on 7th May 2014. The screenshots released today depict a Caribbean that’s far removed from the postcards – giving you an insight into the brutal life of a man who leaves only scorched earth in his wake.

When you look into the depths of a chasm for long enough, that chasm will surely look into your depths ...

Gloomy yet paradise-like images describe a world full of betrayal, greed and brutality. Accompanied by sinister cutscenes, the thirst for revenge leads the main character into an open, free-roaming world. “Raven’s Cry” is the story of Christopher Raven’s personal vendetta – and never forgetting that bloody vendetta, he still has to find ways to supply himself and his crew with all the necessary resources and information. Following the cry of the raven, he oversteps every moral boundary, drawing a bloody trail through the Caribbean.

Tadeusz Zuber, Head of the Development Team: “ The idea for Raven’s Cry gives us the opportunity to create our very own image of the Caribbean and piracy, far removed from all the family idylls. Christopher is tormented by his own demons and external threats – and our goal is to make these realistic enough to be actually ‘felt’ by the player. Christopher is a man trapped in the chains of his own demons – and the only way to break these chains, it seems, is the path of violence and revenge which he has chosen.”

RPG elements with hook

“Raven’s Cry” offers various RPG elements, so there will be a complex game skill system and modifications for all the ships in the game, which can be designed to influence the reputation of the individual sailor with the groups and enemies in the Caribbean. Christopher himself will continue to evolve in the course of the story, unlocking new abilities and weapons. His characteristic hook – as seen in the images – plays a vital role, especially in brutal close combat. Regardless of where Christopher’s path leads him to obtain information or money, he will never become a shimmering hero who coincidentally saves the world. For him there’s only one way out of his suffering and that is death ... either his own life or the lives of his enemies. The people around him are either for or against him.

“ It was important for us to drive Christopher’s sinister story on in a way that would enthrall players – but to give them more role-playing elements at the same time. He will constantly develop his character, his ships and his crew throughout the game and adapt it to his own personal style, which is somewhere between “Bad Ass and Bad Guy”, says Alexandra Constandache, CEO at TopWare.

GamingLives has the first preview that I have ever seen online for Reality Pump's Raven's Cry.

Yarr! Avast! And so on. While it would be easy to write a preview of Raven’s Cry in a ridiculous pirate style, it doesn’t seem fair to bring this dark, mature, action-RPG down to that level. Not least because it’s been going through a bit of a rough patch lately; original developers Octane Games have been replaced with Reality Pump, who have set about moving the entire game onto their GRACE engine. What this means is that the build I saw was incredibly early stuff, so while it looks absolutely stunning, there wasn’t a whole lot of gameplay to see.

According to InsideTwoWorlds Raven's Cry is now being developed by Reality Pump Studios instead of Octane Games.

TopWare Interactive announced at this year's gamescom in Cologne that the gritty Pirate Action Adventure "Raven's Cry" has been handed to Polish developer Reality Pump Studios. Well known for the Earth and Two Worlds series, Reality Pump brings a wealth of experience and dedication to the project, which is set for release at the end of the year.

The game has been delayed since it was first shown to the media last year, and after analysing the game's development, TopWare made the tough decision to reorganize the project. The core storyline and dark setting of the game will remain untouched, but additional features and a new open world will be implemented by the Polish team. In addition, Topware has kept a close eye on message boards and early feedback, and will be including a few interesting tweaks and features requested by pirate fans