by theygamesAfter two-and-a-half years in early access, dark fantasy boomer shooter Graven has exited early access, unleashing its final, ghoul-heavy incarnation upon the gaming public. And if you’ve got a taste for messily dispatching angular foes, it could well be worth arming up for.
There’s no doubt that Graven looks and sounds a little familiar, but that’s the point. As developer Slipgate Ironworks explains it, it’s an attempt to marry the aesthetic of ’90s FPS games with the technology of today.
And, going by the trailer, Graven is doing pretty well. Well enough, certainly, that despite missing its original 2022 window, this vengeance-driven boomer shooter is exiting early access today.
Slipgate has enlisted the talents of designer Chuck Jones (Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior and more) and voice-actor (Blood, Fire Emblem: Radiance) to give it that extra note of authenticity. There’s also a dash of Thief and Hexen, along with a whole host of other trappings. It’s not a proper fantasy game unless enemies disappear leaving only their cloaks and a whiff of burnt ozone.
Speaking of enemies, the baddies you face are full on-3D, unlike the pixel-based enemies of Duke Nukem 3D, Doom and Heretic. But they, and the weapons you wield, are low-polygon enough that you could be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped back in time. Minus getting kicked out of the game for not having enough EMS, that is. I’m so very old.
The full release adds in two new zones for your wrongly-exiled priest to slaughter their way through, wielding some impressive weaponry, both magical and melee. And, thanks to the addition of co-op, you can bring a friend to share the monster slaughter.
Graven is available from the Steam, Epic and GOG stores, for $24.99 / £20.99 with a 15% launch discount. Now Steam has formally recognized it as a tag, check out the best boomer shooters. And for more nostalgia, try the best retro games.
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