My gut says Ravenbound took flight a little too early, flapping furiously with half-formed wings as it tailspins into mediocrity. Developed by Avalanche Studios offshoot Systemic Reaction, Ravenbound has the bones of a decent game – gorgeous environments, fast-paced combat and a progression system that gives you just enough forward momentum to stop you from giving your monitor a flying lesson by tossing it out of the window. But that gorgeous world is also staid and lifeless, one that makes little effort to conceal its role as a mere backdrop for a punishing grind to power.
’s premise is explained in the game’s introductory cutscene, the mythic Scandinavian vibes of which are only slightly spoiled by the distractingly cockney voiceover. The island of Àvalt was watched over by six gods known as the Ellri. But one of those gods basically went off, like a bag of potatoes left in the cupboard for too long, covering the land in the sticky black goo of hatred. To fight the Betrayer, the five
