GRAVEN - dark fantasy first person action puzzler from 3D Realms

[Excommunicator]

The early impressions don't sound good at all. Seems to be trying to be something that just isn't very fun rather than trying to be like the games it's supposedly inspired by

 

[Nifft Batuff]

Doom, Heretic, Hexen, etc. didn't have checkpoints.

 

[Ash]

Still holding out hope for this game. But only minimal.

Doom, Heretic, Hexen, etc. didn't have checkpoints.

And they were let down by the fact. Stop whining, the one consistently good thing about all these recent games is their willingness to throw away that old retarded PC standard no matter how much the crybabies kick and scream.

 

[Infinitron]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1371690/view/5630057400378263982

GRAVEN - Roadmap changes announcement

Dear GRAVEN Fans!

As you might already know from our Roadmap, our next update for GRAVEN was delayed.

Our team is hard at work on the game. After some challenging internal discussions, we’ve decided this is not the right time to release a new content update.

The reality is that by focusing on adding new content, we haven’t been able to nourish GRAVEN’s core elements — including an entirely new save system and creature/monster AI — that you’ve been asking for. We are far into the development of Hubs 2 and 3, but we feel that focusing on adding content that we’ll have to drastically change or remove at a later date is counterproductive to our ultimate goal of delivering the best experience of GRAVEN.

We would much rather have these major changes wrapped up first, and deliver the next update as a much more complete and comprehensive package.

Therefore we’ve decided to merge CU#1 and CU#2, and have the entirety of the first HUB ready to go as soon as possible, potentially early next year.

A game like GRAVEN is very systems heavy. In order for us to deliver the absolute best experience for all of you, it’s important for us to focus on the game as a whole, including the first hub and all of its core systems. GRAVEN has always been intended as an experience that spans across the current hub, where progression increases content to be experienced in previous levels, and where each hub gives you tools to do the same with the previous hub.

Delivering a single level while zeroing in on specific features does not deliver the intended experience, and it causes tradeoffs that harm the game. An integrated hub with functionality that meets the needs of the full design - even when that hub does not utilize it - makes for a better game. It can make for a less satisfactory Early Access update, but it means that the second and third hub will also benefit, and we spend less time chasing bugs as they pop up.

We feel sorry that we have to delay the next content update for a bit longer and we would like to apologize to our early access players, but we hope you all understand. We can’t wait to show you all of the fantastic changes and additions we’re adding to GRAVEN. Until then, here is a brand new trailer, showcasing what is waiting for you in our next update!

NEW ROADMAP

 

[Strig]

I really like what I'm seeing. Visually the game's stunning, but that fucking badly written rambling exposition dump is a poor excuse for a narration. The voice actor doesn't help as he clearly doesn't know where to punctuate the important bits.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

That video revitalised my interest in the game a bit. Seems that someone is actually working on it. Although it still looks like a faux retro take on Dark Messiah instead of Hexen2.5 I initially imagined it to be.

 

[Curratum]

Can't wait until it's fully released in 2025!

 

[Sacibengala]

First content update is here!
Dear GRAVEN fans,

We are very excited to share amazing news from the world of GRAVEN as the first major Early Access Content Update is OUT NOW!

The update adds two new areas - the Cruxfirth Archives and the Black House Bog, five new enemies, the Orthogonal Hymnal - a weapon capable of shredding foes with twin mana, the Swamp Bottom Swallow potion, weapon upgrades, spell upgrades and a lot more! Moreover, we have implemented numerous improvements and fixes to many bugs reported by our community!

It also marks the debut of GRAVEN’s experimental online co-op that is available through Steam. Play with other mighty priests (the lobby takes up to 8 but we recommend a maximum of 4) and roam a medieval world inspired by immersive sims and classic first-person shooters! We are confident there is a lot of fun to be had in the current state of the co-op mode and that's why we’ve decided to put it in our players' hands; but we want to re-state that it is still experimental at this stage and our team is working on improving it so it works flawlessly upon full release. Therefore we’d like to ask for your support as we improve the co-op mode and report any issues you might encounter to our team, via the Steam Discussions.

Additionally, as much of the save system has been reworked, we recommend players start a new profile. Outdated profiles are indicated by red text displayed on the profile slot in the profiles menu.

We are aware that we’ve been quiet lately and hadn’t released any new content because we wanted to focus on the game as a whole. While this update brings plenty of new features, items and improvements to GRAVEN, we’d like to highlight that the game is in Early Access, which means that there are still many things that will be added and improved until the game’s full launch. Lastly, we would like to thank each and every one of you for supporting GRAVEN so far and helping us identify issues and improve the game. And again - in case you encounter any bugs, please report them to our team through the Steam Discussions.

Spoiler

Complete list of new features, fixes and improvements:

Features Overview

• Five new enemies
  
• Two new areas
  
• One new weapon
  
• Upgrades for all weapons
  
• Upgrades for all spells
  
• One new potion
  
• One new merchant NPC
  
• Additions and improvements to previously released areas
  
• Enhancements to monster behavior
  
• Co-op support on Steam
  
• DPI scaling

Full Changelist

New Features

• New Region - The Cruxfirth Archives
  
• New Region - The Black House Bog
  
• New Section - Lice Slough
  
• New Section - Clotted Avenues
  
• Brine Muskeg is now swampier, with a new puzzle
  
• New Enemy - Dihedral Cleric
  
• New Enemy - Dihedral Priest
  
• New Enemy - Undecaying Punished
  
• New Enemy - Mire Reaver
  
• New Enemy Miniboss (Optional) - The Archivist
  
• New Behavior - Infected horde bonuses
  
• New Behavior - Skitterfly projectile changes
  
• New Character - The Alchemist
  
• New Weapon - Orthogonal Hymnal
  
• New Potion - Swamp Bottom Swallow
  
• Weapon Upgrades
  
• Spell Upgrades
  
• Staff now has an alt-fire
  
• Armor system with pickups
  
• New interactive environment features (traps, buttons, horror-esque zones)
  
• Cooperative support added for Steam
  
• Gamepad support for gameplay and bindings
  
• DPI scaling option
  
• Add Obituary messages (hints) to the death menu
  
• Add Lore and notes pages in the pause menu
  
• Add minimum mana amount that will be regenerated over time
  
• Breakables are now physics reactive
  
• Throwables do damage to whatever they hit
  
• New fall damage system for the player
  
• New swimming systems for the player
  
• New screen shake on damage and hitting weakpoints with melee weapons

Bug Fixes and General Tweaks

• UI: New Fonts
  
• UI: Scaling and sharpness pass on all menus
  
• Save System: FIXED: That white square issue
  
• Save System: FIXED: Settings file is now deleted when a profile is deleted
  
• Save System: Now saves full object states and quest state
  
• Save System: Saves that are no longer supported are labeled as such
  
• Settings: Fixed various settings not properly working
  
• Monsters now have various knockback amounts based on animation
  
• Monsters resist knockback based upon their mass
  
• Monsters now take fall damage
  
• Monsters have updated weakpoints and damage they're strong/weak against
  
• Relocated the Peat Burner off the main path
  
• Relocated the Cuff Arrow to original Brine Muskeg location
  
• Relocated the Discharge spell to require puzzle solving
  
• One of the pillar puzzle clues is much closer now in Clotted Avenues
  
• Cuff Arrow zoom now has a monocle
  
• Huge refactors of lots of backend functions, this will yield great things in future updates
  
• Clotted Avenues is now entered from the town instead of from underground
  
• FIXED: Some fences were only blocking projectiles from one direction
  
• FIXED: Pickups were sometimes triggering multiple times before being removed, should no longer happen
  
• Clotted Avenues now has a switch operated elevator for the first totem area
  
• Gas clouds now spread fire a bit further
  
• Respawn health is now 70
  
• Clotted Avenues got some item, enemy, and breakable adjustments
  
• FIXED: Explosions causing periodic performance drops

The GRAVEN Team!

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1371690/view/4712459761453970255

 

[frajaq]

So before this update there was some drama that the game was quite lackluster and devoid of content correct?

 

[Sacibengala]

So before this update there was some drama that the game was quite lackluster and devoid of content correct?

The drama was about the lack of news about the development. They're famous for being radio silent for various months at a time. People uses the consistent development blog posts of Wrath, another game published by 3D Realms, as a comparison.
And yes, the game was nothing more than a "demo" before this update.

 

[Tyranicon]

Completely forgot about this, even though I was looking forward to it. Read the steam reviews, saw the combat, saw the lack of updates.

Everything I'm excited about sucks.

 

[Tacgnol]

Does the new update fix a lot of the original complaints?

 

[ironmask]

So is this game good now?

 

[Sacibengala]

So is this game good now?

No, it's not. I played with a friend. There's a stupid bug that locks mouselook on MP that they didn't get rid of yet. The areas looks empty, the enemies underwhelming. The layout of the levels are good, but it's pointless without stuff to do in it. It's still EA, though.

 

[toughasnails]

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1371690/announcements/detail/3326493366179455545

Dear GRAVEN fans,

Realms Deep is just four days away but we have some great news for you ahead of it. It's time for another Content Update!

Return to the plague-ridden town of Cruxfirth for a more fleshed-out first hub world. Assist the destitute townsfolk in new side quests and delve into the Damned Estuary for a hub-ending final showdown. Decimate abhorrent creatures with the Writ of Subjugation, an illicit scroll of primitive but effective magic, and the Ballista, a heavy crossbow capable of felling large targets at great distances.

Morevover, due to the feedback we've received from you after releasing the first Content Update, we have decided to extend development to polish and improve GRAVEN, as well as add a third content update releasing later this year. To ensure a simultaneous PC and console release, the launch date has now shifted to 2023. Check out GRAVEN’s detailed roadmap to see what’s in store for the future. With the release in mind, we are also introducing full gamepad support and multiple difficulty settings.

For now, enjoy the second Content Update and watch the trailer!

New Features

• New Side Quest - Cull the Horde
• New Side Quest - Hair of the Dog
• New Side Quest - Personal Library
• New Side Quest - Blacksmith's Armor Notes
  
  
• New Region - The Damned Estuary (Boss arena)
  
  
• All Regions - Audio pass
• All Regions - Lighting pass
• All Regions - Breakables pass
  
  
• New Enemy Boss - The Festering Congregation
  
  
• New Behavior - Nearby enemies after killing a player will receive a healing buff
• New Behavior - Archivist will respawn until killed
• New Behavior - Skeletons will taunt the player
• New Behavior - Skeletons have destructible armor
• New Behavior - Skeletons have damage modifiers based on heat/cold damage
• New Behavior - Skeleton archers have a change to shoot ethereal bolt
• New Behavior - Dihedral Priest become 'dizzy' if receiving hard hit to the head
• New Behavior - Dihedral Deacons throw spear on death
• New Behavior - Dihedral Clerics throw potion on death
• New Behavior - Critters can be killed
  
  
• New Weapon - Writ of Subjugation
• New Weapon - Ballista
  
  
• All weapons have visual upgrade changes
• All weapons have underwater behavior changes
• All weapons have sprinting behavior changes
  
  
• Add difficulties Easy, Normal, Hard
• Add the option to skip the intro sequence
• Add in-game camera shake intensity setting
• Add purchasable ammo from blacksmith
  
  
• HUD - Additional low health indications
• HUD - Additional damage indications
• HUD - Quest complete notification
  
  
• Add multi-tiered death penalty
• Add hotbar saving
  
  
• Waiting for other players' notification when waiting at a load zone for other players
  
  
• Gamepad magnetism and aim assist
• Gamepad UI navigation
  
  
• Add pickup VFX for mana, gold, health vials and health potions

 

[Hobo Elf]

Realms Deep in four days, huh? Almost none of the games they showcased in the one that was 2-3 years ago have been released yet, at most are still stuck in Early Access limbo. How many unreleased games can they keep announcing before people get tired of this shit?

 

[Ivan]

art looks great, too bad the game controlled like shit (of what I played from the demo). boring pew pew spell combat

 

[rusty_shackleford]

this is an rpg Infinitron

 

[Infinitron]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1371690/view/3431205861629012578

Third Content Update for Graven has arrived just in time for Halloween!
The last content update before full release is spooktacular!

Greetings GRAVEN fans,

We are getting closer to full launch, but we wanted to get one last big update out for our awesome community. The spookiest season of the year was a clear choice, so we have prepared some new features perfect for Halloween:

• A new area - the winding, flooded repository beneath the Library of Cruxfirth
• A new side quest to unravel
• New pickups and breakables
• A devious new enemy - Skeleton Sapper
• New traps and secret areas
• Phantoms!
• Pumpkins!

There are also a lot of changes under the hood, so to speak - read the full changelog below. And please, let us know what you think of the update, either here on Steam in the discussions or come chat to our Discord, we welcome and truly appreciate all feedback!

Full Change Log:

AIs

• Add step back functionality for AIs
• Add immolated enemies attack new target after everything attack
• Add infected face variation
• Add skeleton sapper enemy
• Add support for AI's to navigate around breakables, gates, doors
• AIs that die from explosions have impulse applied
• Add deacon spear attack chance of causing player to bleed (overtime damage)
• Add Parry Sparks VFX to the Skeleton Warrior Sword parry ability
• Add time delay between stunlocks for AIs
• Add AI so that when stuck by projectiles or seeing those projectiles they are alerted
• Reworked Mire Reaver
• Rework Archivist
• Rework Lichenthrope
• Add more behaviours for AI doing range attacks when a player can't be reached
• Add support for enemies to retarget in coop
  ---------------------------------------------------------
• Adjusted Deacon knife fan
• Gave Dihedral Priest some resistance to the Staff
• Changed Skeleton Warrior burn time from 5 to 1
• Made skeletons more resistant to the short sword
• Adjusted shock stun times for multiple enemies
• Updated Razorfin to makes it more easily stunnable and reduced bite damage
• Undecaying Honored - Increased flinch chance, increased flinch cooldown
• Lowered Cleric health a small amount
• Made Lichenthropes more likely to flinch, with a reduced cooldown
• Archivist - lowered the primary head health by 25%
• Update skeleton armor damage to only take the base value and not multiplier from bones
  ----------------------------------------------------------
• Fix skitterflys not flying
• Fix infected sliding after lunge attack
• Fix Infected, Skitterflys, Razorfins, Lichanthropes, Undecaying Honored, Undecaying Punished being affected by swamp volumes
• Fix startup animation not working on client
• Fix SkitterFly not flying after exiting a level and returning

H1Boss

• additional Boss action 'Roar'
• Update H1Boss to have projectile attacks in Phase 1
• Update H1Boss to shoot projectile at enemies when off nav
• Update H1Boss to have much shorter Phase 1
• Fix projectile attachment on the H1Boss (and all other enemies that we couldn't notice)

Quest

• Add Gravick quest
• Add librarian books to have gold sparkle VFX
  ------------------------------------------------
• Fix [Potential] for killing Mire Reavers in H1M4 not opening doors
• Fix not killing both Mire Reavers in H1M4 before saving and later resuming, causing a softlock (couldn't open doors)

Misc

• Add dithering of foliage to fade in/out rather than popping
• Add pickup vaccuum
• Add smart loot system
• Add Stamina costs for kinetic actions
• Add more obituary tips
• Add Casual/Nightmare difficulty
• Add warning for trying to start outdated profile
• Add quest rewards notifications
• Add more lore notes to H1M3
• Rework of elevators
  --------------------------------------------------------
• Update boss health bar to disappear/reappear depending on the distance to the enemy
  --------------------------------------------------------
• Fix two player markers present on map
• Fix keg barrel not having ghost material
• Fix paintings not having backfaces
• Fix Infected character wobbles under a tree (all characters could run into this actually)
• Fix main menu difficulty selection button loses focus if press left/right on the gamepad

SFX

• Add more door sounds!
• Add more gate sound!
• Adjusted sound levels for footsteps, Area Names, Pickups (Health potions and mana), Staff weapon and wood break
• Adjusted sounds levels of some weapon SFX

VFX

• Add VFX for player taking unarmored damage
• Add VFX for player swimming in water
• Add VFX for player entering/exiting water
• Add VFX for parrying
• Add VFX for throwing health potions
• Improve performance of pickup VFX

Levels

• Add new fog!
• Added pumpkins!
• Add super secret to Black House Bog level
• Add small secret to H1L1
• Add mesh for critter holes
• Add additional area to H1M3 - Cellar
• Add crusher traps throughout HUB
• Add Peat Cairns throughout HUB
• Add phantoms across HUB
• Add aftermath victims
  ----------------------------------------
• Adjusted difficulty settings across entire HUB
• Adjusted breakables and resources across HUB and difficulties
• Adjust spawning logic to avoid bypassing enemies
  ----------------------------------------
• Fix stone plague in Cruxfirth center playing wrong sound
• Fix bunch of seams, misalignments, floating rocks, OOB across the HUB
• Fix peat ammo pickup loading/unloading before being pickupable
• Fix ladders being able to be disabled
• Fix iron door in HUB1 town that was locked and never opened
• Fix reso-breakable bars in lice slough not having the correct reso material for resonating stone
• Fix various nav generation issues across the HUB
• Fix H1M3 library main doors not properly opening
• Fix H1M3 gate to hub not always being open

Items

• Add stamina recover to drinking health potions
• Add FP models visual changes for discharge upgrades
• Add visual upgrades for all weapons
• Add additional behaviour for breakables when being kicked or hit with staff
  ---------------------------------------
• Increase Ballista alt-fire damage
• Buffed Short Sword parry damage reduction
• Update Health Potion to be consumable when either health or stamina is not full
• Adjusted armor values for the lower 2
  ---------------------------------------
• Fix spellbook related crash on resuming a save
• Fix not being able to hold multiple levers
• Fix misplaced hand when holding the Ballista
• Fix Ballista having wrong upgrade materials

Player

• Buffed falling damage slightly
• Nerfed death gold penalty on lower difficulties
• Improve ladder handling when entering a ladder from water
• Improve ladder handling when entering water from a ladder
• Stamina tweaks
  -----------------------------------------------------------
• Fix player still being crouched on Revive if they died
• Fix when elevated above an NPC, their dialogue bubble cannot be triggered
• Fix water PP effect not going away when climbing a ladder from water

 

[randir14]

Action, mystery, and a chance for redemption await you in the gritty action first person puzzler GRAVEN. Explore a dark fantasy world as a wrongly convicted man of faith. Battle the horrors of humanity, the wilds, and beyond using the environment, magic, and armaments.

Luckily Graven has an official release date.

1.0 Available on January 23rd, 2024.

 

[Jenkem]

soon lads... soon

 

[Baron Dupek]

already?
with that stamina system and respawning in the hub?

 

[Ivan]

mayo gave up on it (too much fighting the inventory) . def wait for patches

 

[deama]

ggmanlives didn't like it much either:

 

[Child of Malkav]

Couldn't give 2 shits what GManShills thinks.