Ravenfield

Sometimes all that’s needed in order to attract a big crowd is a simple idea that just works. Complexity is always welcome but definitely not a requirement for fun, which is why there are all sorts of entertaining video games out there that barely feature a handful of polygons and the most basic textures. On the other hand, the gameplay better be worth it, otherwise no one pays any attention.

Ravenfield is a simple first-person shooter designed to come as close to the classic Battlefield without actually being Battlefield, and it turned out quite alright in the end. In fact, you can lose a few hours with it without even realizing, given the fact that the action is fluid and there is nothing to distract you from just shooting enemies and trying to capture as much territory as possible.

Thus, there’s only one map and one game mode at the moment, but that’s enough to keep you occupied for a while. There are two teams going head-to-head, and the goal is for one of them to acquire 200 points more than the other. In order to achieve this, the two teams must conquer flags and hold them for as long as possible, exactly like in the Battlefield series.

There are three weapons to choose from, depending on your play style. Hence, you can go for the classic AK-47, a shotgun for close-range encounters, or a sniper that allows you to keep your distance and pick off enemies one-by-one. On top of that, you can also choose a pistol as your secondary weapon, plus three accessories, such as fragmentation grenades or various other gadgets.

Vehicles are part of the landscape as well, and they include jeeps, helicopters, and even motorboats. They are pretty basic in almost every regard, but then again they only need to take you from A to B faster than on foot, which they do. They can also hold more players at once, which is great for putting certain tactics into practice and moving as a team.

In the end, Ravenfield is surprisingly fun and addictive, especially since it’s so small and simple. However, the gameplay is what matters the most, because you can have many hours of fun with your friends in multiplayer, or decimate thousands of bots on your own. It needs more content in the future, but given the fact that this is barely a beta version, more maps and improvements are bound to be added along the way.