Review for The Raven Remastered. Game for Mac, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Network and Xbox One, the video game was released on 13/03/2018 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 22/01/2019
The hot impression perceived as soon as the credits of The Raven Remastered, fatigue of King Art, it was like the German development house has done a homework, a school chore without too many pretensions. Known to most as the creators of the point and click fantasy The Book of Unwritten Tales, King Art has indeed ventured into an unusual genre for a video game: a classic yellow that seems to come from the pages of the queen of the sector: the British writer Agatha Christie.
If, with good reason, it can be said unusual is the choice to remaster a title released in 2013 - a year of which we can still speak of recent times - THQ Nordic considered the title so invaluable that it had to be repeated on all consoles of the moment, not least the Nintendo Switch (our reference console), in one newly found portable mode.
Placing ourselves in the shoes of a critical inspector, our case or rather our "enigma", will be to discover if this revitalization operation is limited to coming only from the pen of the aforementioned author, without therefore providing anything striking, or the title in question , our "guilty", is to be considered innocent and deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Old and New Crow
The Raven Remastered is resurrected exactly like its antagonist, the Raven. Figure in the shadows and unassailable for many years, so much so that it is considered the best thief of all time, robbed the museums of the most precious jewels with artfully made shots until, during a chase on the rooftops in Paris, a young Frenchman, theInspector Legrand, it does not end up capturing him and ending his life. In a short time, Legrand rises to a hero in the newspapers and the world no longer hears of the Raven… at least until today. Yes why the Raven has returned from the dead with the aim of stealing the two Eyes of the Sphinx - a ruby and an emerald that exhibited together exponentially increase their value - on the occasion of their simultaneous exhibition for the first time at the Cairo Museum, Egypt.
Unfortunately for the organizers, the Raven has already managed to steal the ruby in London, but something is wrong: the skilled thief was known and almost admired by the common people for his shots so spectacular, but harmless: no agent was ever hurt. Such was the cunning of the raven-masked thief who, like a "modern" Arsenius Lupine, was in his own way a gentleman thief. This time, however, the Crow went further, changing modus operandi and injuring two museum agents with an explosion, before running away in an inelegant way with the first Eye.
Therefore, the rumors about the return of the Raven multiply, but someone, more witty, begins to separate the person after the crime, thus creating a "Old Crow" (that gentleman is spectacular) and a "New Crow" (dangerous), throwing Inspector Legrand back into pursuit and making him doubt that he had shot the right man.
The show must continue, however, so (as per the plan) the second Eye of the Sphinx is transported from Zurich to Venice on theOrient Express - before a long series of quotes to Agatha Christie - to get to the Egyptian capital (by ship from Venice). And this is where we get to know the true protagonist of The Raven Remastered: not the Raven, not the talented Inspector Legrand, but this Agent Anton Jakob Zellner. A Swiss with a good soul, with a few extra pounds and a mustache that makes him the Hercule Poirot of the situation, Zellner is an absolutely ordinary man who begs his superior to be put on the Orient Express with the desire to catch the Crow to escape the daily routine of simple agent. Passionate about detective novels and heart problems, Zellner is also a keen observer, a less sanguine counterpart to Inspector Legrand who has made the case a personal matter.
Zellner, curious and proactive despite the different springs, is the ideal adventure companion for a point and click in yellow sauce what is the creature of the King Art. Like the most classic graphic adventures we will move between the game maps by touching and studying the various objects: Zellner will have to (re) say about everything, through commands reduced to the bone that limit to examine or use an object highlighted with a magnifying glass icon.
Moving between the various carriages that make up the train, The Raven Remastered will immediately show the side with gods rather slow uploads, against nature compared to the limited amount of maps of the game, which we will carry with us until the end of the adventure. Graphics cannot be said to be state of the artin fact, to justify tens of seconds spent looking at the black screen while Zellner makes his movements from one compartment to another or from one area to another of the cruise where he will crash. Since The Raven Remastered is a puzzle game, that is to say that to continue with Zellner's stubborn investigations you will need to combine objects and listen to the characters' dialogues, it goes without saying that you will have to move back and forth numerous times: one load after another.
Speaking of the graphics, it is hard to tell the difference between the 2013 game, The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief, released on last generation consoles, with the remaster coming to current-gen consoles. A routine operation, now, which is limited to remastering the game in Full HD and little more. It doesn't take an experienced detective to say that the starting material leaves little room for improvement and, apart from theaddition of some always welcome extras, such as the soundtrack, artwork and studies on the game, it remains the impression that they have not put too much effort in King Art's studies on this front: le animations, also advertised as remastered, the facial expressions and movements of the characters, appear woody and weird to the "touch" and contribute to a rather slow pace of the game. The graphics, in short, poorly defined overall and not helped by the brightness, which goes from too dark to too light, only serves as an accompaniment to the plot, but it is certainly not the strength of the title.
Zellner on the Nile (and not)
The story, on the other hand, is what one would expect to find in a classic thriller: one intriguing story, which however has little time to develop. In just under 10 hours of play, unraveled in three chapters, the Corvo case will be as good as solved. The Raven Remastered takes its cue from novels such as Assassination on the Orient Express, Poirot on the Nile and in part also that masterpiece of The Assassination of Roger Ackroyd, and to solve the puzzles that will face Zellner it will be it is vital to talk to the characters, with which we will have the opportunity to familiarize ourselves because they will make the same trip as us to Cairo.
Among the many with whom we can interact, the rich novelist certainly stands out Lady Clarissa Westmacott, character clearly inspired by the real Agatha Christie, which has several things in common with the British, starting with nationality. The witty lady, like Christie, has already written the death of her character to be handed down to posterity after her death, Maurice Partout, a veteran of several novels, the most famous of which is Little Indians. Among German doctors and penniless violinists in the background of the 60s, Zellner will inevitably focus his investigations on them convinced, unlike Inspector Legrand, that the Raven is not the same as in the past, but an impostor who traces his footsteps badly.
The plot has several twists and turns and it is pleasant to follow it, but it lacks insights due to the duration. A praise to the guys of King Art is a must for having decided to show the downside, allowing the player to take on the role of other characters, useful to dispel the mist on the final revelation. The end, rightly, it seemed a bit rushed, especially without an epilogue for the different characters who, stereotyped but in-depth, are useful only for the purposes of the plot, being discarded in favor of an impact ending. Zellner (and the player, by reflex) simply does not have in hand or has not had the time to glean the right evidence to frame a culprit, at the topical moment of his revelation - key in any self-respecting crime novel - also causes a ' trick that actually deceives the budding detective a little and forces him to play by his rules.
Once the skein has been unraveled, surely the title takes on another flavor, retracing the crumbs left by the Corvo replaying the chapters and noting if they have been wisely directed to indicate the culprit at the end of the game - something we were not impressed with in the first adventure . It's nice to participate in the investigation as a simple agent, but the final feeling is almost powerless in front of the great puppeteer: the game itself.
I puzzles are not particularly challenging, but rather imaginative, with Zellner who will make different creations with objects that can be collected, stored in your pocket and used at a later time, such as metal threads for the most classic burglary works or creatively discovering fingerprints with graphite obtained from a pencil. The agent brings with him a notebook in which details of the characters and the various developments of the case are noted, which players can use in case of difficulty for possible clues on the current puzzles which, if used, will remove points at the end of the chapter (system that leaves the time it finds).
La translation, present for all screen objects and dialogue but not for dubbing, although typos are present on more than one occasion, does a good job, just like the soundtrack does in accompanying players during the many interactions with characters. The dubbing, with marked French and German accents, contributes to creating that “multicultural” atmosphere that one expects to find in intercontinental trains and cruises, in a context - the Sixties - faithfully restored.
Nothing to complain regarding the port on Nintendo Switch: playing in portable mode is comfortable and perhaps does more justice than the big screen given the "lightness" of the title, which, like a good book, can be measured out and taken with you.
The Raven Remastered, on balance, is an “honest worker” in the vast gaming world. A title perhaps sold at a premium for what it offers, both in terms of content and duration; King Art wanted to pay homage to the great Agatha Christie and in this he succeeds, but the choice of remastering remains doubtful, not bringing major renovations. The story is classic and interesting, but the hasty ending, surrounded by uncertain graphics and cumbersome and dated animations, push to confirm the hot impression that opened the review, recommending the return of the Corvo only to those who are fasting yellow or in discount case.
► The Raven Remastered is an Adventure-Point & Click game published by THQ Nordic for Mac, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Network and Xbox One, the video game was released on 13/03/2018 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 22/01/2019
