The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief

The first part of this series has made me hungry for more. I will be waiting for the second and third parts, as the anticipation was effectively built up in this introduction.

The controls occasionally feel clunky. [Issue#141, p.117]

King Art manages to install an atmosphere and story that will capture the attention of Agatha Christie styled novels. But they will still have to make do with a less-than perfect interface, and some bugs. More importantly, one will have to trust while waiting for the second and third episodes to be released... and given the price of the lot, maybe it's best to wait for them to come out.

Ultimately, The Raven's underlying mystery is intriguing enough to continue traipsing back and forth between witnesses and reinvestigating crime scenes. However, the chapter ends on such an abrupt cliffhanger that you won't get much satisfaction out of the experience if you don't plan on playing the next installment.

While the logic-based puzzles are never too perplexing, they can require a little too much back-and-forth travel between adjacent rooms, occasionally wearing out the good impression made by each gorgeously rendered setting.

Chase a notorious and presumed dead masterthief in this new point and click adventure game by the creators of The Book of Unwritten Tales. In the first episode you play as swiss police officer investigating the ravens latest heist. Experience exotic locations such as the famous orient express train or a luxurious cruise ship in the Mediterranean and solve mostly logical, simple riddles.

Convincing characters, a well-realised, unusual setting and sensible puzzles. All evidence points to a strong opening for this episodic adventure series.

A tranquil amble from the Swiss Alps to the middle of the Mediterranean, blemished by an overzealous approach to all things cinematic.

As a three-episode game, so far we can state it is, indeed, very promising. Its story is fun and engaging, but the game is only available in English and German, which could be an issue for those unfamiliar with these languages.

The first episode of The Raven trilogy is blink-and-you-miss-it short. The next time we’ll see the same events from the criminal’s point of view. Here is hoping that his version of the story is more interesting.

The potential is there, but this first episode is a mess.

The Raven is a gentle, well-crafted mystery, but it just doesn't carry enough interest or intrigue to make you fully invest.

The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief may be a refreshing change of pace from the majority of video games on the market and a charming nod to to good, old traditional murder mysteries in the Agatha Christie vein, but as a single chapter in a three-game arc, it's too brief to satisfy, too buggy to impress, and not particularly captivating or engaging. I suppose that makes it a reasonably decent diversion then, but not one that's likely to stick with players for any length of time after the credits roll.

While the game should be commended for its engaging plot and compelling narrative, more intuitive puzzles would have made Zellner's investigation far more enjoyable.