Ravensword Shadowlands Review: A Modern RPG for Mobile Gamers

Ravensword Shadowlands Review: A Modern RPG for Mobile

Ravensword Shadowlands
Android, iOS
Crescent Moon Games
Western RPG

Ravensword Shadowlands is an RPG for mobile, coming to us from Crescent Moon Games. Google Play is ripe with the genre, but there are few similarities between Ravensword and the vast majority of mobile RPGs already out there. When attempting to locate a game that Ravensword can compare to, one must delve into the word of modern-day, western, console RPGs. Ravensword is not too far removed from the likes of The Elder Scrolls and Fable franchises; there is certainly room for a comparison of the depth and feel of these games. With a deep storyline and a vast open world to explore, Ravensword has the makings of console offering wrapped up neatly into a mobile package.

Ravensword Shadowlands boasts a large world with detailed environments, options for first and third person perspective, reputation and upgrade systems, mount riding, and an original soundtrack to boot. These are all features players would expect to find in a game on one of their consoles, not listed as the description to a game in the Google Play Store. Ravensword does a great job in offering a true modern RPG feel for a game that fits in your pocket, by containing elements previously only seen on consoles. While the elements are done well individually, how do they come together and tie in with the controls and visuals to complete the user experience?

Built upon the Unity 3D engine, the visuals are where this game really shines. While playing the game, users will notice that the details are crisp and clear. Buildings, characters and environments all have striking detail and clarity, even on tablets. Ravensword Shadowlands also offers a vast, open 3D environment that offers plenty of depth to the game and allows users the freedom to roam where they please and become really immersed in the experience.

Controls have always been a frustrating barrier in mobile gaming, a barrier that has kept many users from truly getting into a game. Controls can really make or break a game. Fortunately, Crescent Moon Games has prevailed in this regard. Ravensword Shadowlands does a good job with the spacing of the buttons to allow ample room for the virtual control sticks, while saving screen real-estate to allow players to still get a good look at the action. While the controls are responsive compared to other third and first person games on the market, on screen controls still aren’t everyone’s favorite way to play. While bluetooth controller support was not made available at launch, the Crescent Moon team has definitely given this feature some thought; support will be available in a future update. We would be willing to bet that this game will be at optimal playability with a controller in hand. Until then, this is still one of the best-controlling third-person touch screen games available at this point in time.

There are plenty of RPG offerings on the mobile gaming scene these days, and that’s a good thing. Many of these games pull from the old school formulas, like Zenonia. Some of them even are old school games, like Final Fantasy itself. But variety breeds competition, and Ravensword Shadowlands is something the competition should take very seriously. The depth and overall feel of the game is superb and offers a lot to the user. While there is not a demo version, the game bears a price tag of only $6.99 on the Google Play and Apple App stores. Ravensword offers great value at that price, and those willing to take the plunge and give it a try will be immensely rewarded for doing so. Ravensword Shadowlands is a must-have for all mobile gamers who are looking to play something they can really sink a lot of time into.

This game was played and tested on the Nexus 7, Nexus 4, and HTC One.

Score: 9/10