Ravva and the Cyclops Curse

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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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews

gameplay7 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

Ravva and the Cyclops Curse is a charming homage to 8-bit platformers, featuring adorable pixel art, engaging gameplay mechanics, and a nostalgic soundtrack that resonates with fans of retro gaming.
The game offers a variety of difficulty settings, making it accessible for both casual players and those seeking a more challenging experience, while the tight controls and responsive gameplay enhance the overall enjoyment.
With its low price point, the game provides great value, encouraging players to explore its levels for secrets and high scores, making it a worthwhile investment for fans of the genre.

The game suffers from some frustrating design choices, such as a reliance on a scanning mechanic that can feel tedious and counterintuitive, especially when combined with tight timers and hidden secrets.
Boss battles can be unfair and require a steep learning curve, leading to potential frustration for players, particularly if they enter with fewer lives, as dying resets their score.
Some players may find the game too short, with only a limited number of levels and bosses, which could leave them wanting more content and variety in gameplay.

gameplay
25 mentions
28 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its nostalgic pixel art, smooth mechanics, and straightforward arcade-style platforming, while others criticize the restrictive scanner mechanic and punishing level design that detracts from exploration and enjoyment. Despite its charming visuals and potential for fun, many find the gameplay loop frustrating and counterintuitive, leading to a less rewarding experience overall. However, the inclusion of a "kids mode" and the ability to progressively learn through simple mechanics may appeal to newer players or those seeking a casual experience.
- “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.”
- “The gameplay is typically a straightforward arcade level shoot-em-up/platformer with a sassy tone to it!”
- “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
22 mentions
50 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Ravva and the Cyclops Curse" are widely praised for their charming 8-bit pixel art style, reminiscent of classic NES and Sega Master System games. Reviewers appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic, smooth visuals, and the ability to customize display settings, although some note that the overall design choices detract from the gameplay experience. The artwork and sound design contribute positively to the game's retro appeal, making it visually appealing for both nostalgic players and newcomers alike.
- “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.”
- “I love the 8-bit graphics and the soundtrack is phenomenal!”
- “The graphics have a very nice 8-bit look and would fit right at home on the NES.”
- “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
21 mentions
43 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy, retro-inspired tracks that evoke nostalgia for classic 8-bit platformers, particularly reminiscent of the Sega Master System and SNES/Genesis eras. While some reviewers noted the recycling of music across stages, the overall sound design is considered enjoyable and fitting, enhancing the gameplay experience. The soundtrack stands out as a highlight, with many players appreciating its quality and ability to evoke a sense of fun and nostalgia.
- “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 music is catchy and reminds me a lot of the Mr. Gimmick music.”
- “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
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
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 from a cyclops. While some players criticize the game's design for implying inevitable failure, others appreciate its charming artwork and cutscenes that enhance the simple yet engaging narrative. Overall, the game effectively delivers a nostalgic storytelling experience without needing complex themes.
- “The game starts out with a short story cutscene, done in a very nice style and is reminiscent of games like Astyanax or Ninja Gaiden.”
- “[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 in Dark Souls, you can complete the game without dying with planning and strategy. In this game, the child never saved her mother, the cyclops wins, and the child dies 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
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to slow power-switching mechanics and the repetitive spawning of enemies. The need to constantly press buttons for actions, like autofiring and cycling through powers, adds to the overall sense of monotony, especially in more chaotic moments.
- “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.”
- “Secret finding got a little tedious, especially in the beginning when familiarizing myself with the controls.”
- “I wish I could hold down the button to autofire instead of tediously pressing for each shot.”
replayability
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game offers moderate replayability, particularly for players interested in maximizing their scores or completing achievements, making it enjoyable for those who seek to enhance their performance.
- “A fun little puzzle adventure game that has replayability if you aim to maximize your score.”
- “It has a bit of replayability 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
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is highly praised, consistently delivering a solid performance with a stable 144 frames per second and no noticeable frame drops.
- “The performance is solid, maintaining a fixed 144 frames per second at all times, with no noticeable drops.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its melodic and fluid soundtrack, which alleviates in-game stress while still providing impactful emotional moments, particularly when the melodies intensify.
- “Very melodic, with fluidity and doesn’t add to the whole stressful in-game pressure, but still delivers that emotional kick when the melody kicks in!”