Dinsun Review
Dinsun here. Raven is a game that values mood over momentum. It’s a very traditional point-and-click affair, and I mean that in both a positive and negative sense. It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel; it just wants to tell a dark story through puzzles. The atmosphere is thick, and the hand-drawn art is effective at conveying a sense of unease. However, the puzzles often fall into that old 'adventure game logic' trap where you’re combining items in ways that make no sense until you've clicked everything on everything else.
It’s a conservative design that will appeal to people who miss the Sierra or LucasArts days, but it lacks the wit of those classics. The narrative is told mostly through environmental cues and cryptic notes, which is fine, but it never quite reaches a satisfying crescendo. It’s a quiet, competent game that respects the player's intelligence but fails to provide a truly memorable 'eureka' moment. It’s worth a look if you want to spend a rainy afternoon solving puzzles, but don't expect it to change your life.
Overall Stats
Pros & Cons
- Excellent atmosphere
- Beautiful hand-drawn art
- No hand-holding
- Obscure puzzle logic
- Slow pacing
- Forgettable story
Technical Report
Performance: Runs well; some hitboxes for items are a bit small on phones.
- Hint system (limited)
Audience Fit
Buy if: You enjoy atmospheric puzzles and the '90s adventure game style.
Skip if: You get frustrated by pixel hunting or illogical item puzzles.
- The Room
- Machinarium
Reviewer Context
- Reviewer: Dinsun, 40-year-old conservative critic
- Hardware: iPhone 14 Pro
- Playtime: 4 hours
- Status: Finished the game
