| GRAVEN | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Slipgate Ironworks |
| Publisher(s) | 3D Realms Fulqrum Publishing |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Platform(s) | Windows PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X/S |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Graven is a 2024 first-person shooter game developed by Slipgate Ironworks and published by 3D Realms and Fulqrum Publishing. Graven incorporates elements of the action role-playing game and immersive sim genres to create an "action-adventure puzzler". [1]
Graven is an open-ended journey through three expansive regions, where the player will encounter both dangerous enemies and friendly townsfolk. Various hints, quests, and upgrades are obtained from the world's non-player characters. The player can find a wide variety of weapons and spells, each of which must be put to novel use in order to progress. While some spells may be used offensively, most of the combat involves using medieval weapons against eldritch monsters. [1] [2]
The game supports solo play, split-screen co-op, and up to 4-player online play. [3]
Players assume the role of a faithful priest of the Orthogonal order, exiled for a crime of retaliation against the order for sacrificing his adoptive daughter. The game begins with the priest adrift in a swamp, ferried by a stranger to solid ground. He bestows vague instructions, along with a mysterious staff and book. The priest embarks to hunt down the foul heretical sects responsible for conjuring plagues and twisting the natural order of the seasons. [3]
Graven was announced by 3D Realms and Slipgate Ironworks at the Realms Deep 2020 event on September 6. [2] The announcement included a 30-minute gameplay reveal. [4] The game was released on Windows via early access on May 26, 2021. The game was released in full for Windows on January 23, 2024, with versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S was released the same year on June 25. [5] The game is also scheduled to release for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. [6]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 65/100 (PC) [7] |
| OpenCritic | 64% [8] |
Graven received "mixed or average" reviews for the PC version, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. [7] PC Gamer described as a spiritual successor to Hexen II . [1]
3D Realms Entertainment ApS is a video game publisher based in Aalborg, Denmark. Scott Miller founded the company in his parents' home in Garland, Texas, in 1987 as Apogee Software Productions to release his game Kingdom of Kroz. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the company popularized a distribution model where each game consists of three episodes, with the first given away free as shareware and the other two available for purchase. Duke Nukem was a major franchise created by Apogee to use this model, and Apogee published Commander Keen and Wolfenstein 3D the same way.
Lords of the Fallen is an action role-playing video game developed by Deck13 and CI Games. It was released in October 2014 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. A mobile version of the game, which features one-to-one swipe combat controls, was released on 9 February 2017 for iOS and Android, as a paid game with in-app purchases. A reboot of the same name was released in October 2023.
Praey for the Gods is an action-adventure survival game developed by No Matter Studios. Initially released via early access in January 2019, and the full version of the game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox One in December 2021.
Session: Skate Sim is a sports video game developed by independent developer Crea-ture Studios for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The game is considered a spiritual successor to the Skate series.
Ghost Ship Games ApS is a Danish video game developer and publisher based in Copenhagen. Founded in 2016, it is best known for developing Deep Rock Galactic.
Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is a 2024 first-person shooter developed by KillPixel Games and Slipgate Ironworks and published by 3D Realms and Fulqrum Publishing. Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is built on a modified version of the Quake engine, making it the first major game release on that engine in nearly 20 years. The first episode was released on Steam Early Access on November 22, 2019, and was fully released on February 27, 2024.
Ghostrunner is a 2020 action platform video game co-developed by One More Level and Slipgate Ironworks, produced by 3D Realms, and co-published by 505 Games and All in! Games. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One in October 2020, and Nintendo Switch in November 2020, followed by a next gen release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in September 2021. A version for Amazon Luna was made available in April 2021. A story expansion, titled Ghostrunner: Project Hel, was released on 3 March 2022.
Godfall is an action role-playing game developed by Counterplay Games and published by Gearbox Publishing. The game was released for PlayStation 5 and Windows on November 12, 2020. It was also released for the PlayStation 4 on August 10, 2021. An enhanced version of the game containing all downloadable content up to that point, titled Godfall: Ultimate Edition, was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on April 7, 2022. It received mixed reviews from critics.
In the video game industry, 2021 saw the release of many new titles. The numerous delays in software and hardware releases due to the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacted development schedules, leading to several games being delayed into 2022 or even postponed indefinitely. Additionally, computer and console hardware were impacted by the combined effects of a semiconductor shortage and a rising growth of bitcoin mining that strained the supply of critical components.
Worms Rumble is a 2020 action game developed and published by Team17. As a spin-off of the long-running Worms series, the game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in December 2020 and for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in June 2021.
In the video game industry, 2022 saw the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry, slowing hardware sales for most of the year as well as development delays for major titles. The industry continued its trend of acquisitions and mergers, highlighted by Microsoft announcing its plan to acquire Activision Blizzard for nearly $69 billion. The industry as a whole continued to deal with issues such as workplace harassment and discrimination, alongside crunch periods, leading to at least the quality assurance staff at three separate studios to vote to unionize.
Maid of Sker is a 2020 first-person survival horror game developed and published by Wales Interactive. The game is set in 1898 in the Sker Hotel, on an imaginary island called Sker Island. The protagonist, Thomas Evans, is invited by his lover, Elisabeth Williams, to uncover the mysteries of the hotel after she notices her family's strange behavior. While exploring the hotel, Thomas learns cult followers called "The Quiet Ones" control the place. He finds notes and gramophone records scattered around the hotel that reveal the history of Elisabeth's family.
In the video game industry, 2023 saw significant changes within larger publishers and developers. Microsoft, after having satisfied worldwide regulatory bodies, completed its US$69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, making them the third largest game publisher in the world. Embracer Group, which had been in an acquisition spree over the previous few years, had an estimated $2 billion deal fall through, causing many of the studios under Embracer to either lay off staff or close entirely. Similar layoffs were seen at Unity, Amazon, ByteDance, Epic Games, Bungie, and Ubisoft, leading to over 9,000 jobs lost in the industry in 2023 and part of a larger trend of layoffs at technology companies in 2023.
Tempest Rising is an upcoming real-time strategy video game developed by Slipgate Ironworks and 2B Games, and published by 3D Realms.