GRAVEN

Graven has enough puzzles, secrets, weapons, and spells to keep it engrossing and compelling throughout.

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"GRAVEN is a single-player or co-op shooter game with puzzles, set in a detailed medieval fantasy world. As a priest, use spells and crystals to combat eldritch perversions and uncover the motives of heretical sects. Despite some bugs and grinding, GRAVEN boasts splendid gameplay, outstanding visuals, and masterful music, with character designs by Chuck Jones and voice talent from Stephan Weyte."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

52%

Audience ScoreBased on 665 reviews

gameplay47 positive mentions

stability37 negative mentions

Great atmosphere and art style reminiscent of classic games like Hexen and Heretic.
Engaging exploration with interconnected levels that reward players for thorough searching.
Combat can be satisfying, especially with upgraded weapons and spells.

Bugs and glitches can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences, including soft locks and inconsistent enemy AI.
The save system is poorly designed, forcing players to restart from the hub after quitting, which can waste progress.
Limited content in early access, with only a few hours of gameplay available and some mechanics feeling underdeveloped.

gameplay
166 mentions
28 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric world, weapon mechanics, and level design, while others criticize its lack of depth, balance issues, and bugs. Players appreciate the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles like Heretic and Hexen, but express frustration over repetitive combat, confusing navigation, and a lack of engaging enemy AI. Overall, while the game shows potential with its unique mechanics and visuals, it currently suffers from inconsistencies and a need for further polish and content.
- “Levels are huge, and I really like the weapon mechanics and how you can make builds when using them.”
- “The gameplay here is very enjoyable, especially on high difficulty.”
- “I love the grim fantasy atmosphere, and the gameplay really scratches that old school itch.”
- “There's also plenty of very obvious issues that I don't really understand how they weren't caught before release, like gold getting stuck on the ceiling, or co-op sessions crashing after 1 hour of gameplay.”
- “The gameplay itself isn't fast, nor does it feel particularly skillful, and I don't know if I've encountered enemies that can be described as both annoying and awful to deal with as early as I have in Graven.”
- “It's got some great atmosphere, music is solid and most sounds are fine, but the gameplay is just horribly boring, circle around enemies and spam left click to win every engagement.”
story
127 mentions
15 % positive mentions
77 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The story in the game is often described as weak and poorly conveyed, with many players finding it vague and lacking coherence. While some appreciate the atmospheric setting and the potential for a compelling narrative, the lack of clear quest guidance, maps, and engaging storytelling detracts from the overall experience. Many reviewers express frustration with the quest structure and bugs that hinder progress, leading to a sense of aimlessness and disconnection from the plot.
- “Great story, great atmosphere, and good gameplay.”
- “The storytelling, albeit simple, is done really nicely; I very much enjoyed learning more about the world and the plague that runs rampant within it.”
- “The story starts with you being accused of murder, killing another priest who sacrificed your daughter to a demon whom a cult was trying to raise.”
- “The story itself is fine, but the way it's told is amateur at times.”
- “The quests are designed in a way that feels vague and I generally don't feel any investment in the plot.”
- “The story is borderline unintelligible and barely there.”
graphics
125 mentions
47 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their unique retro aesthetic, blending low-poly visuals with modern lighting effects to create a captivating atmosphere reminiscent of classic titles like Heretic and Hexen. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful art style and immersive environments, although some note performance issues and optimization concerns that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, contributing significantly to the game's nostalgic charm and engaging world.
- “Excellent visuals as well as soundscapes!”
- “The graphics and level design are extremely well executed and the atmosphere is fantastic!”
- “The atmosphere, graphics, sounds, weapons, and enemies are all well done, and so far the map design and missions have been intuitive and easy to follow.”
- “Graven sits itself in the now very saturated 'boomer-shooter' or retro-FPS camp with its classical graphics and approach to health, ammo, and mana, but it fails to do anything remotely new or interesting despite being one of the few games of its kind that takes place in a medieval fantasy setting.”
- “Explosions create way too many particle effects, leading even me to lag (let me remind you this game is going for retro-inspired graphics. It has absolutely zero excuse to be system intensive.) The engine felt slightly buggy overall and I took damage due to a bug at least once.”
- “The game is still laggy as hell and for the kind of graphics it has - I expect it to perform at least half decently, to impress at least a little.”
atmosphere
119 mentions
68 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its impressive visuals, dark fantasy elements, and engaging sound design, creating a compelling and immersive experience. Many reviewers highlight the retro aesthetic and atmospheric music, which enhance exploration and contribute to a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles. Despite some gameplay criticisms, the overall ambiance and world-building are considered standout features that draw players in.
- “Visually, the game is quite impressive; the music is very on point, and the atmosphere in some areas is second to none.”
- “The atmosphere is excellent and reminds me of the Heretic & Hexen series.”
- “The dark atmosphere and smooth gameplay combined with simple to host multiplayer make this a worthwhile experience.”
- “But after giving two years to Graven, and despite its charming art and atmosphere that captivated me in the first place, I have to warn people to not make the same mistake I did and fall for Graven's unique look and feel; now the game is going out of early access with all those issues.”
- “Combine that with an absurd, out-of-place stamina system and a save system that doesn't store information about which mob enemies you have killed, and you have an extremely tedious game, where you run through massive maps filled with brain-dead enemies, having barely any plot to give you motivation and not even having any atmosphere - it's not fun!”
- “The things that are done well are appreciated (graphics, music, atmosphere); however, the things that are lacking are what bring the game down.”
music
51 mentions
59 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its quality and how well it complements the visuals and level design. While some mention minor issues with sound mixing, the overall sentiment is that the soundtrack is engaging and contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience. However, a few critiques highlight that the music can sometimes feel underwhelming or inconsistent, suggesting room for improvement.
- “Visually the game is quite impressive, the music is very on point and the atmosphere in some areas is second to none.”
- “This game has an amazing soundtrack, aesthetic, and mood.”
- “The atmosphere, aesthetics, and music are terrific; I'll be happy to update this review as the game progresses.”
- “- mediocre at best sound and music”
- “The mixing on the music seems a little confused at times - activating combat music when there are no enemies, etc. I'm sure that'll be fixed.”
- “The sound, art, music, graphics are fine for what it is, the rest needs work.”
stability
40 mentions
8 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
93 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and performance issues that detract from the overall experience. Many players describe it as unfinished and overly janky, with specific problems like broken mechanics, unreliable saving, and frequent crashes. While some users note that the game runs smoothly at times, the overwhelming consensus is that it feels more like an early access title than a polished release.
- “Overall, bug-free in its current state from my perspective.”
- “It isn't as buggy or stuttery as the negatives say, but it is indeed unfinished.”
- “The problem is the game is so buggy that a good chunk of the things that should work don't.”
- “Graven has potential to be a great game, but as it is now, even in its early access form, I feel like there should not be this many bugs and glitches.”
- “First of all, the game is a buggy disaster, especially in co-op.”
grinding
35 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with players noting repetitive combat, clunky mechanics, and a lack of engaging content. Many reviews highlight the annoyance of backtracking, unclear objectives, and the slow pace of gameplay, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the experience is described as lacking challenge and reward, leading to a monotonous and unenjoyable grind.
- “The game is, at the moment, only held back by the lack of a proper teleportation back to the hub, uneven difficulty which leads to loads of trial and error and tedious navigation due to the bizarre removal of the map.”
- “So all in all, you have a game that is endlessly tedious to play, provides neither challenge nor reward and has some added annoyance on top.”
- “Combine that with an absurd, out of place stamina system and a save system that doesn't store information about which mob enemies you have killed, and you have an extremely tedious game, where you run through massive maps, filled with brain-dead enemies, having barely any plot to give you motivation and not even having any atmosphere - it's not fun!”
optimization
24 mentions
13 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting frequent performance issues, including memory leaks, lag spikes, and crashes, particularly in Act 1. While some users have noted improvements in later patches, many still find the overall performance to be poor, especially given the game's reliance on Unreal Engine 4. Despite its retro aesthetic and enjoyable gameplay elements, the optimization problems detract from the overall experience.
- “If you've ever played Heretic/Hexen games, you'll have a lot to enjoy here; even the retro graphic aesthetics... which leads me to my greatest gripe currently: the optimization is terrible.”
- “Another thing (this is minor considering an EA title): you should work on performance, surely hitting less than 50 fps at times on a machine that can run (maxed out) Doom Eternal at 150-200 fps isn't all that great, even if the maps are large (too large for my taste).”
- “I don't like making claims about performance, but it runs perfectly fine on a Ryzen 5 with an RTX 2060 Super.”
- “Some other things to note: the performance gradually degrades to the point that it becomes unplayable, like there's a memory leak or something.”
- “You have to restart your game every couple of hours to get your performance back.”
- “Its turned into a bland, boring, poorly optimized, uninspired mess which threw out the imsim spell casting in favor of mechanical and poorly thought out puzzles that have spell casting elements.”
replayability
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate its potential for varied playstyles and looping level designs reminiscent of Dark Souls, others find it lacking due to a short completion time and limited content. Many hope for improvements in future updates to enhance replay value, especially given its current early access state.
- “This game has a lot of replayability right off the bat, and I enjoy that with games.”
- “Another way of replayability is some sort of system that allows me different playstyles and embracing them.”
- “What I'm looking for is replayability.”
- “I really recommend the game when it is out of early access, the game is currently €20.99 or about $25, which is quite a lot for a game that can be completed easily in under 10 hours and doesn't have much replayability.”
- “Lacks replayability; I ended up in early access as a millionaire with poor weapons and that was it. No weapons or armor to buy, no more ammo or packs to carry more ammo, nothing.”
- “It tries to have a Dark Souls style level design, and I love Dark Souls with paths that loop back on themselves, but the levels in Dark Souls are much more playable and intuitive.”
humor
9 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding enjoyment in the absurdity of glitches and quirky character interactions, while others feel that the humor falls flat due to inconsistent mechanics and lackluster weapon designs. Notably, moments of dark comedy, such as the amusingly chaotic behavior of dead bodies, provide some laughs, but the overall experience could benefit from more engaging NPC interactions and a cohesive comedic tone. Despite its flaws, the game offers a unique brand of humor that some players appreciate, particularly in its broken and chaotic moments.
- “Even getting a funny stick that sent enemies flying into walls wasn't enough to keep me from wanting to take a nap.”
- “I'll give them credit for the laugh riot; the next time I want to experience something totally broken and hilariously messed up, I will come back to Graven.”
- “Not to mention that you can't finish this without a guide - which is hilarious for a game where there are no puzzles to solve.”
monetization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn criticism for appearing exploitative, with users feeling that the $23 price tag for a release lacking substantial content compared to a free demo is a cash grab. Concerns about the game's potential abandonment and reliance on promotional events for updates further exacerbate negative sentiments towards its monetization approach.
- “Charging $23 for a 'release' that has less content than the free demo you gave out earlier this year makes this game feel like a huge cash grab, and is gonna be a hard pass and a definite not recommendation from me until full release (if it ever gets to that).”
- “I'm starting to feel like 3D Realms and Slipgate Ironworks are just trying to do quick cash grabs on people's nostalgia.”
- “Has really good potential, sadly it looks more and more like it'll be abandonware, only really getting news with announcements for other games and saving the important updates related to the game to events and conferences where they can use them as ads.”
character development
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a significant lack of character development, with players expressing disappointment that the game fails to provide meaningful growth or depth for its characters. This absence detracts from the overall immersive experience.
- “There is no character development at all; it feels like the characters are just placeholders.”
- “The lack of character growth makes the story feel flat and unengaging.”
- “I was really disappointed with the character development; it felt rushed and superficial.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional response to the game is mixed; while it successfully captures a retro FPS vibe, it also evokes feelings of boredom reminiscent of older titles like Hexen.