You can play the co-op roguelike ARPG Ravenswatch for free this weekend, and it’s a slick blend of Diablo, Hades, and Elden Ring Nightreign.
Fresh off the back of a major update and a new hero joining its roster, a Ravenswatch free weekend is the perfect time to check out the fairy-tale action of one of my very favorite co-op roguelikes. Blending distinctive character designs inspired by familiar figures from fantasy and fiction, Passtech Games injects the ARPG stylings of Diablo's ability-led combat, along with action that resembles an open-world Hades, into a structure reminiscent of Elden Ring Nightreign, and the result has kept me coming back for more.
What really makes Ravenswatch sing is the level of personality in its gleeful mish-mash of characters from right across the spectrum of fairy tales and fantasy alike. Its cast starts strong with Scarlet, a twist on Red Riding Hood who fights as a human by day and transforms into a werewolf as the clock cycles to night. Then there's the likes of the Pied Piper, directing swarms of rats to do his bidding; legendary wizard Merlin, with a web of elemental spell combinations at his disposal; and Pinocchio's creator Geppetto, who deploys puppets upon the battlefield and thwacks them around with a hammer to impede his foes.
Much like Nightreign, the structure of each run is based on racing against the clock to power up your character before you are forced to face off versus a region's boss. Each stage is a wide-open zone, with major and minor objectives dotted around it. Fighting enemies and completing tasks (whether that's helping one of the Three Little Pigs build and defend their house, or rescuing Sinbad from the lair of a hungry Cyclops) will earn you experience, boons, and shards to spend on upgrades. You've only got three days and three nights in each area before it's boss time, however, so plan your route wisely.
You can certainly play solo, but I've had the most fun with Ravenswatch as a co-op game, aided by one of the most satisfying character pairings I've ever encountered. Swordsman Romeo and gunslinger Juliet are built to be played together, with abilities that synergize beautifully. Juliet can blast Romeo's roses to detonate them, before the pair zoom close together for an explosive kiss, or dance and spin their way through their foes.
Passtech just last week deployed a pretty bulky Ravenswatch update, which overhauled hero talents with over 50 modifications and some fresh additions, along with game balancing in response to community feedback, and the addition of custom lobbies. There's also a new DLC character, Kintaro, who can either fight riding on the back of their bear companion Kuma, or leap in on foot with their own axe while Kuma accompanies you as an independent ally that you're able to direct if you wish.
The Ravenswatch free trial runs from Friday October 16 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT / 7pm CEST until Monday October 19 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT / 7pm CEST. You're able to experience the full base-game roster characters, either solo or in co-op with a group of up to four friends. Just head here to give it a try.
I love free trials at any time, but particularly with games that lean into co-op, as it makes it much easier to convince your pals to join you for a test run. As an added bonus, if you enjoy yourself enough to keep going, it's currently cheap to keep. Ravenswatch is 50% off on Steam through Thursday October 22, so expect to pay just $12.49 / £10.49 if you buy it while the sale lasts.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.pcgamesn.com/ravenswatch/free-weekend-sale-coop-roguelike-arpg
