RAIDBORN

Welcome, adventurer, to RAIDBORN! Take control of your desired warrior and battle through this first-person action fantasy game that has you delving deep into procedural dungeons filled with enemies and interesting treasures for you to encounter. If you are looking for a game with a simple plan, this is easily one of the most fun I’ve played in a while. It asks very little of you beyond surviving the waves of the undead and pushing further into the dungeons, but thankfully it keeps things fresh and interesting by switching stuff up for every playthrough. If this sounds like fun, keep reading as we get into it.

Gameplay

As I said a moment ago, this is, in fact, a first-person action roleplaying game. That means there is fun and tense combat with some skill trees and a decent enough plot to carry it all along. I say decent enough, but that is not meant to belittle it, the game is just aware that it’s not narrative heavy. Doing away with long treks between settlements with stretches of nothing and hundreds of dialogue screens that forces you to endure more conversation than you ever would in real life. Here it just keeps to the good stuff, battle after battle with none of the in-between.

The combat is pretty straightforward in RAIDBORN. You run in the direction of the enemy and give them hell. Combat is similar to that which is found in The Elder Scrolls IV: Skyrim, with simple weapons and shields for up close, and a selection of ranged weapons to cover the distance. There is also a little something from Bulletstorm, where you can kick your enemies with tremendous force, throwing them into environmental hazards. I absolutely loved the weight it gives your weapons, and how a heavy blow with a mace can throw your enemies away from you in groups.

There is something so satisfying about how the game makes you feel powerful, and I absolutely loved battling through it. The selection of weapons makes it so you can replay the game a few times and still keep things interesting.

Visuals

The visual style of RAIDBORN is a bit more unique. It has that interesting low poly look that you get in For The King, and this extends form the characters to enemies to the world around them. That’s not to say it lacks any detail, as rooms are filled with items and debris that makes the world feel lived in, but you won’t be staring at a rock for several minutes thinking “wow this looks so real” like you may with some other games.

Story

As I stated, the story is pretty lax. It definitely sets the scene and pushes the game into motion. The king has been murdered by a necromancer and its up to you to go stomp that fool, battling through his undead minions and putting a stop to all his necromantic shenanigans. The game doesn’t try to bog you down with much more than that, you know why you’re there and so does the necromancer.

Pros

• Clean and simple visuals
• Simple story
• Satisfying gameplay

Cons

• No magic-based classes