GRAVEN (v2024.04.10)

A plague-ravaged medieval realm becomes the setting for a brooding first-person adventure built in the spirit of late-1990s shooters. In GRAVEN, you are a priest of the Orthogonal order cast into exile after protecting someone else, only to awaken in a swamp with a cryptic mission and a growing threat of occult corruption. Ruined settlements, flooded caverns, ancient fortresses, and hostile wilds all hide evidence of heretical cults tampering with nature itself. The tone is grim and mysterious, mixing religious horror, dark fantasy, and the lonely atmosphere of an old-school PC action game.

Combat centers on a mix of physical weapons, magical spells, and clever use of the environment. Your staff does more than strike enemies: elemental abilities interact with water, fire, mechanisms, crystals, and obstacles, turning exploration into a steady chain of practical puzzles. New firearms and melee tools expand your options, while blacksmiths and alchemists upgrade equipment to suit a more aggressive or methodical approach. Levels reward backtracking, as fresh powers open sealed routes, hidden chasms, optional treasures, and previously unreachable parts of earlier regions. More than thirty enemy types keep encounters varied, from familiar undead and cultists to stranger creatures lurking in the world’s most unnatural corners.

GRAVEN stands out because it treats retro shooter design as more than a visual filter. Its chunky architecture, sprite-like enemies, oppressive fog, and elaborate maps recall Hexen, Heretic, Blood, and early Build-engine adventures, but environmental manipulation gives the action a more modern puzzle-adventure structure. The world is deliberately tangled and sometimes demanding, so players who enjoy reading spaces, revisiting locations, and uncovering obscure secrets get the most from it. Fans of DUSK or Amid Evil who want slower exploration, heavier fantasy lore, and more problem-solving than a pure arena shooter should feel at home, while newcomers should expect a challenging, old-fashioned sense of directionlessness.