The horror genre has always had a significant spot in the gaming market. Once the early days of home console games shifted away from solely family-friendly platformers and adventure games, developers began to experiment a little more. Right alongside the advent of the first-person shooter genre, the horror genre started to creep its way into the gaming landscape. Titles likeDoomandHaunted Houselaid the groundwork, while titles likeResident EvilandSilent Hillpropelled the horror genre into the mainstream. Today, horror games are everywhere, and while gamers wait for big upcoming titles likeThe Callisto Protocol, there are a some great horror indie gems out there, likeRavenous Devils.
Released about a month ago,Ravenous Devilshas become the latestindie gameto reach cult status. Boasting an incredibly unique but gruesome premise,Ravenous Devilsis quickly rising in popularity thanks to word of mouth, and while it may only be a few hours long, the experience will likely stay with players for quite some time, making it a must-play for horror fans.
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Sweeney Todd Fans Rejoice
Ravenous Devilssees players control two characters in a Gothic,Victorian London-inspired setting. When controlling Percival, players will manage the tailor shop, and when controlling Hildred, players will need to manage the pub downstairs. There’s one bloody twist to this shared gameplay: Percival kills his customers and sends the bodies directly into Hildred’s mincer.
Clearly inspired by the legend of Sweeney Todd, thedemon barber of London’s Fleet Street,Ravenous Devilsencourages players to be smart about their kills, but encourages players to make swift, intense decisions based on dwindling ingredient supplies and customer needs. Simply put, the more the player kills, the more meat will be available for the pub’s patrons.
Over the course ofRavenous Devils' short but sweet four-hour runtime, players will encounter a variety of vile customers, each of whom would feel right at home inTim Burton’s darkest tales. Though the art style isn’t incredibly unique, it does the job well, and the low lighting of the game’s settings makes the gory sequences pop even more.
While players will mainly be laser-focused on the rooms within the building, the general Victorian London-inspired backdrop does give the game a particularly unique allure. Minimally-lit cobblestone streets aren’t anything new in the gaming scene, but here they’re done extremely well, and add to the eerie atmosphere that developer Bad Vices Games is going for.
A Gory, Addictive Gameplay Loop
Themain gameplay loop ofRavenous Devilssees players control Percival as he welcomes in customers, gets them measured up for a new outfit, and proceeds to murder them brutally before sending the body down to Hildred, who then minces them up and bakes them into an assortment of pies or stews. Players control this murderous duo via point-and-click gameplay, which can get pretty intense and fast-paced when it needs to.
As players continue through the game they’ll unlock an assortment of upgrades. Some of these upgrades include new tools that make Percival and Hildred’s homicidal lives a little easier, new recipes to keep customers truly satisfied with their meals, and general upgrades for each shop.
With some suitably ominous visuals, disturbing animations, simple but engaging gameplay, and a great gameplay hook, the only real downside toRavenous Devilsis that it’s only a few hours long. Thankfully though,Ravenous Devilsis also only a few bucks, so for most horror fans, it’ll be more than worth the price of admission.
Ravenous Devilsis available now on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.
