Raji: An Ancient Epic Demo

There’s no denying that the bar is quite high in the world of video games at the moment, regardless of genre. Even reaching this bar is difficult enough, let alone surpassing it, which is why developers have a hard time coming up with new ideas. However, sometimes the answer is pretty simple, such as a different environment for players to explore, or a small gameplay gimmick that changes the overall feel of the game.

Raji: An Ancient Epic is a top-down adventure game with a focus on action and real-time battles, much like something you would see in the Dark Soul series or similar games. However, there are also puzzles woven into the experience, not to mention the fact that the story has a unique charm as well. This demo was designed as a proof-of-concept for the Kickstarter campaign, so it’s far from a finished product, but it does feature some interesting elements.

The story revolves around Raji, a young woman looking for her brother in a land full of demons and other dangerous creatures. Raji is also blessed with godly powers, on the other hand, so she is far from defenseless against the enemies that try to stop her. As mentioned before, the environments are inspired by the architecture found throughout Southeastern Asia, which is pretty nice to see nowadays when every RPG appears to take place in the same medieval world.

Combat itself is based on combos and special abilities, while the enemies pose a different threat depending on their weapons and armors as well. In this shape, the game still feels a bit rough around the edges, especially since your character appears a tad stiff during the battles, but every hit carries weight, which helps with immersion. Naturally, you should be able to find better weapons for Raji as you advance through the game.

There’s more to the adventure than combat alone, on the other hand, because sometimes the only way to get past a certain obstacle is by using your wits. Hence, there are a few environmental puzzles as well, which should diversify the experience and keep you on your toes. Visually, the game is nothing short of beautiful, especially in terms of level design and special effects, but the maps seem to be a bit too linear, which could be a problem.

If you are a fan of fast-paced adventure games with tough battles, Raji: An Ancient Epic may have something for you in the near future. Hence, you can get involved and help the developers by participating in their Kickstarter campaign.