Ravva and the Cyclops Curse

About

In "Ravva and the Cyclops Curse," play as Ravva, a summoner apprentice on a perilous journey to save your cursed mother from the Cyclops Lord. With 8-bit graphics and challenging NES-inspired gameplay, use four summon types to outsmart enemies and obstacles across various stages. Gather power-ups and high scores while demonstrating courage and determination.

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Single-Player

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91%

Audience ScoreBased on 112 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

Ravva and the Cyclops Curse is a charming homage to 8-bit platformers, featuring adorable pixel art and a fun soundtrack that enhances the nostalgic experience.
The game offers a variety of difficulty settings, making it accessible for casual players while still providing a challenge for seasoned gamers, especially with its engaging mechanics and level design.
With tight controls and a fluid gameplay experience, players can enjoy exploring levels filled with secrets and power-ups, making it rewarding to replay for high scores.

The game suffers from a frustrating mechanic where players must constantly switch between abilities, which can be tedious and disrupt the flow of gameplay, especially during boss fights.
Level design can be punishing, with timers that conflict with exploration, leading to a sense of urgency that detracts from the enjoyment of discovering hidden secrets.
Some players have reported issues with the tutorial and overall game mechanics, indicating a lack of polish that can lead to confusion and frustration during gameplay.

gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
66%
6%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its nostalgic pixel art, smooth mechanics, and engaging level design, while others criticize the restrictive scanner mechanic and punishing level design that detracts from exploration and enjoyment. The game offers a straightforward arcade platforming experience, but the need to rush through levels for higher scores can create a frustrating loop. Overall, it appeals to both retro enthusiasts and newcomers, especially with features like a "kid mode" for younger players.
- “Nicely detailed pixel art with an awesome soundtrack that fits nicely in the SNES/Genesis days, along with well-designed levels and a cool yet simple weapon switching mechanic, make this one of the best (and fun) modern action platformers I've played.”
- “This game combines the colors and styles of the 8-bit retro era with creative gameplay, fast-paced action, and great retro-style songs.”
- “Gameplay itself is fluid and simple; players move Ravva and select different power-ups (which are unlocked from the very beginning) to traverse through the level or unlock secrets to earn extra coins or massive bonus points.”
- “In essence, this forces the player to repeatedly activate the ability at most occasions outside of combat and platforming, which makes this aspect of the gameplay banal and dull.”
- “Due to the combination of platforming difficulty with the necessity of the revealing eye mechanic, there is just not a reasonable amount of time to complete the more complex stages.”
- “Mechanically, the game is poorly designed in how its mechanics encourage exploration and experimentation, but the level design immediately punishes it with a timer and how if you die, you halve your score.”
graphics
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
43%
7%
The graphics of "Ravva and the Cyclops Curse" are widely praised for their charming 8-bit pixel art style, reminiscent of classic platformers from the NES and Sega Master System eras. Players appreciate the nostalgic visuals, smooth gameplay, and the ability to customize display settings, although some critique the overall design choices that detract from the fun. Overall, the artwork is considered appealing and well-executed, contributing positively to the game's retro aesthetic.
- “This is a love letter to 8-bit platformer classics, as it recreates the pixel art, sound design, music, and aesthetics of the Sega Master System, in particular.”
- “The graphics have a very nice 8-bit look and would fit right at home on the NES.”
- “It's pleasant to look at, and if you grew up in the NES/FC era, you will feel right at home with the default graphic options.”
- “An abilities-based retro platformer with cute artwork and senseless design choices that refuses to be fun.”
- “The retro art style and color palette, soundtrack and sound effects, the simple yet challenging playstyle, and the balance between a short but solid score-based game will give you that nostalgic feeling we all love.”
- “The pixel artwork is charming, and nothing ever gets rage-inducing - which is refreshing in its own right.”
music
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
50%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy, retro-inspired tunes that evoke nostalgia for classic 8-bit platformers, particularly reminiscent of the Sega Master System and SNES/Genesis eras. While the soundtrack is enjoyable and well-produced, some players noted that the music tracks are recycled across levels, which can become repetitive during extended play. Overall, the music enhances the game's fun and engaging atmosphere, making it a standout feature for many players.
- “The music is fun and fitting, and the cutscenes are cute.”
- “The art style is cool, the music is enjoyable, and the levels introduce varied enemies and situations as it progresses to keep you interested.”
- “At some point, we all expect classic retro tunes, but still, here we have an impressive new age of retro melodies, in an amazingly well-produced soundtrack which will get stuck in your head, in a good way.”
- “Music tracks are recycled for all stages of the same world.”
- “Could use more than one song in-game, but other than that it was quite a fun quick game to play.”
- “One thing I was worried about with these style games is the sound and music being annoying and hurting my ears; however, the sound fit the game really well and I honestly can't remember the background music.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The story of "Ravva and the Cyclops Curse" is straightforward and reminiscent of classic platformers, centering on a young summoner's quest to save his mother, who has been turned to stone by a cyclops. While some players criticize the game's design for implying inevitable failure, the narrative is complemented by charming artwork and engaging cutscenes, delivering a nostalgic experience without the need for complex storytelling. Overall, the game effectively balances its simple plot with enjoyable gameplay elements.
- “Like every good story, evil always finds a way to disrupt a happy family.”
- “[b]Ravva and the Cyclops Curse[/b] doesn’t need a huge deep concept of storytelling, but still delivers the necessary background, just like in the old days, where gameplay was definitely the main reason to pick any game, expecting large doses of platforming action!”
- “I abhor games that force you to die or lose lives for no reason, as it implies that the story/plot was never meant to succeed and will always end in failure. Even Dark Souls you can complete without dying with planning and strategy. In this game, the child never saved her mother, the cyclops wins, and the child died hopelessly as there was never a chance of success (not spoilers, all this is in the first 2 minutes).”
- “The story is simple and to the point: mama summoner gets turned to stone by a cyclops, so baby summoner sets out on a quest to defeat the cyclops to save his mother.”
- “[Ravva and the Cyclops Curse] doesn’t need a huge deep concept of storytelling, but still delivers the necessary background, just like in the old days, where gameplay was definitely the main reason to pick any game, expecting large doses of platforming action!”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to slow power switching and repetitive monster spawns. The need for constant button pressing for actions like autofiring adds to the monotony, making combat feel laborious, especially in frantic situations. Overall, the grinding experience detracts from the enjoyment, with some players suggesting that it could be improved with more streamlined mechanics.
- “The combat is not much better; switching your powers is slow and tedious, and the game basically spams monsters that keep spawning until you can find the hidden way to stop the spam.”
- “I wish I could hold down the button to autofire instead of tediously pressing for each shot.”
- “I also find using the bumpers to scroll through my powers tedious at times.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game offers moderate replayability, particularly for players interested in maximizing their scores or completing achievements. This adds an extra layer of challenge and encourages players to revisit the game.
- “It's a fun little puzzle adventure game that has replayability if you aim to maximize your score.”
- “There's a bit of replayability to it if you're going for the achievements or a high score.”
- “But it's got a bit of replayability to it if you're going for the achievements or a high score.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization is highly praised, consistently delivering a solid performance with a stable 144 frames per second and no noticeable drops.
- “Performance is solid, maintaining a fixed 144 frames per second at all times, with no noticeable drops.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the game's melodic and fluid soundtrack, which effectively enhances the emotional experience without contributing to in-game stress. The music delivers a powerful emotional impact, particularly during key moments.
- “Very melodic, with fluidity and doesn't add to the overall stressful in-game pressure, but still delivers that emotional kick when the melody kicks in!”

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