Raji: An Ancient Epic Xbox One Review
| Game: | Raji: An Ancient Epic |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Super.com |
| Developer: |
Despite its title, Raji: An Ancient Epic is hardly an epic, although what it is is a well-made action-adventure game that can also inform you about Hindu mythology; a topic which has been rarely touched upon in games.
The titular Raji is a young woman whom works as a circus performer alongside her younger brother Golu, a storyteller. When their carnival is attacked by demons, Golu is captured, and it’s up to the agile and spirited Raji to get him back. With Goddess Durga and Lord Vishnu watching over her, Raji’s quest is far from an easy one, but Durga in particular has faith that she will find eventual success. The most interesting thing about the plot is definitely going to be the Hindu mythology, as the rest of the narrative comes across as a little simple and plain, although the narrative is definitely rich in the aforementioned mythology.
Raji: An Ancient Epic has some stunning environments to adventure and fight your way through, and Raji herself is also largely very well animated. With its ancient Indian setting, there’s plenty of detail in the palace, desert and forest environments, and, despite the short four hour or so playing time, there’s also plenty of variation to be found in its richly realised world.
At least with Raji being a circus acrobat, she has good reason for being able to perform some of her agile moves in the game. Raji can jump and climb as well as run along walls, and she is also nicely animated, albeit perhaps a little stiff looking from time to time. There are also occasional issues with depth perception, making failed jumps feel a little unfair. Other than this though, Raji’s beautiful, ancient environments are a joy to traverse.
Raji is also a capable fighter, which is helpful when she’s going up against demonic forces. There are light and strong attacks, a range of weapons, and Raji is also able to make use of her environment during combat – spinning around pillars and jumping off walls. You can also upgrade Raji’s abilities, adding extra and powerful attacks to her weapons.
There’s also puzzles every now and then, although there’s nothing truly taxing included, which might come as a disappointment to those that would have liked to give their brains some exercise. Any excuse to see more of the splendid environments is fine by me though.
Raji: An Ancient Epic is a memorable action-adventure game that is brimming with beauty and variation, and it’s also somewhat of a lesson in Hindu Mythology, which will definitely be of interest if you like learning about this sort of thing. While the game itself is brief and a little clunky from time to time, Raji is still an action adventure that I would highly recommend you playing, and it’s also one that puts developer Nodding Heads Games on the map with what has turned out to be a very well-crafted debut game.
