8.1 GREAT
REVIEW

The Raven Remastered Review: A Great Mystery Held Back by Its Controls

January 29, 2019

The Raven Remastered is an extremely interesting mystery adventure that quickly pulls you into its story. Set in 1964, the game follows Swiss Constable Anton Jakob Zellner as he investigates a new series of crimes that appear to imitate the work of "The Raven," a legendary master thief who was believed to have been shot and killed years earlier by Inspector Nicolas Legrand.

What follows is a classic whodunit-style journey across Europe, filled with suspicious characters, mysteries, and plenty of questions surrounding the true identity of The Raven. The setting and premise immediately give the game an old-school detective feel, making the story one of the biggest reasons to keep playing and discover what happens next.

Graphics 8.5

The graphics in The Raven Remastered are great overall, but they shine the most in the environments rather than the character models themselves. The different locations are detailed, atmospheric, and do a great job of capturing the game's 1960s mystery setting.

The environments are easily the visual highlight, with plenty of attention given to the scenery, interiors, and overall mood of each location. The character models are not quite as impressive, but the strong environmental design helps carry the presentation and gives the game a distinctive look.

Gameplay 7.4

The gameplay in The Raven Remastered is good overall and fits the slower, investigation-focused style of the experience. Exploring environments, examining clues, and interacting with different characters all work well within the mystery-driven structure.

The biggest issue is the controls, which can feel unresponsive at times. Movement and interactions do not always feel as smooth or precise as they should, which can occasionally break the flow of the investigation.

With a little more polish and responsiveness, the controls could have made the gameplay feel much more refined. Even so, the strong story and mystery help carry the experience forward.

Audio 9.0

The audio in The Raven Remastered is another strong part of the experience. The game features full voice acting, which helps bring the characters and mystery to life and gives the story a much more cinematic feel.

The environmental audio is also very well done, with surround sound and detailed background effects helping reinforce the 1960s whodunit atmosphere. Small sounds throughout each location make the environments feel more believable and add to the tension of the investigation.

The remastered soundscapes are clean and polished, with improved sound effects and music compared to the original release. Overall, the audio does a great job of supporting the mystery and helping immerse you in the world.

Value 7.4

The story in The Raven Remastered is fantastic and is presented in an exciting way, especially as the investigation moves across different locations and continues to build the mystery. The changing settings help keep the adventure interesting and give the story a strong sense of progression.

Where the game takes a hit is its overall length. The main story takes around 11.5 hours to complete, while including additional content can push that closer to 12 to 14 hours. Players aiming to find every collectible and unlock all achievements may get around 15 hours or more out of the experience.

The quality of the story makes those hours enjoyable, but the adventure still feels a little short. A longer campaign or more meaningful optional content would have helped improve the overall value.

Pros

- Fantastic mystery story that keeps the investigation interesting from beginning to end.
- Strong 1960s whodunit atmosphere that gives the game plenty of personality.
- Detailed environments that are easily the strongest part of the visual presentation.
- Full voice acting helps bring the characters and story to life.
- Excellent environmental audio and remastered sound design.
- Changing locations help keep the adventure feeling fresh.

Cons

- The overall campaign is fairly short, which hurts the value.
- Limited additional content beyond the main story.
- Controls can feel unresponsive and lack polish at times.
- Character models are not as impressive as the environments.
- Movement and interactions could have been smoother.

Verdict

The Raven Remastered is a strong mystery adventure that succeeds because of its excellent story, atmospheric environments, and impressive audio design. The 1960s setting, changing locations, and full voice acting help create a convincing whodunit experience that keeps you interested in uncovering what happens next.

The biggest issues are its short length and occasionally unresponsive controls. Neither problem ruins the experience, but both prevent the game from feeling as polished and complete as it could have been.

Overall, The Raven Remastered is an enjoyable detective adventure with a fantastic story and plenty of atmosphere. Fans of slower-paced mystery games should find a lot to enjoy, even if the controls and limited playtime hold it back from being something truly great.

8.1
GREAT