Raven Squad

If you read the fact sheet of Raven Squad it's hard not to have high expectations about Atomic Motion's release, because a game combining FPS and RTS elements is nothing short of intriguing. Unfortunately this title doesn't quite rise up to the challenge and although the result is an exciting shooter with a few tactical features, some people might feel somehow cheated.

Raven Squad is relying heavily on its potent combo of RTS/FPS so the narrative is not something developers seemed to be very concerned about. It's an understatement to say that this is not a story driven title, since the plot revolves around a plane crash that led to some top secret data being lost in the Amazon. The action takes place in a the not so distant future, when Brazil and the entire planet is in turmoil following a global financial crisis. If those intels get into the wrong hands things would turn sour, so a team of highly trained mercenaries is sent to recover them and rescue the survivors.

The twist is that the rebels might have been underestimated and your plane is hit by a missile as it flies over a SAM site, eventually crashing into the jungle. Lost into the deep Amazonian rainforest and surrounded by hostile forces, the surviving members of Raven Squad must make the most of their slim chances. As you progress with the campaign you'll be aided by an Asian woman, an archeologist with access to some sophisticated satellites. She'll be guiding you through the maze like jungle, inform you about enemy movement and providing valuable information about routes and key locations.

You've got two teams to control, each of them comprised of three members wielding a gun and a special weapon, such as a rocket launcher, grenade or sniper rifle. Choosing the appropriate man for the job should greatly simplify the mission, although the game in general is rather easy even on high difficulty. The machine guns alone are good enough to deal with enemy forces, but occasionally you'll run into fortified bases where the tactical side of the game truly shines.

Basically you are cruising through the thick forest in FPS mode, shooting rebels and taking cover behind trees and other debris, trying to keep your men alive. When you are wounded the health will slowly restore if you hide behind something impenetrable to bullets, but if you get critically hit then a teammate must heal you. Switching to the nearest squad member and administer the energizing injection is easy to do, and with up to 40 seconds before the guy dies, there's plenty of time to revive him.

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If dealing with upcoming enemies is fairly easy, attacking a heavily defended base with machineguns nests all over the place requires careful planning and constant switching to the RTS mode. Strategy is limited to getting a better view of the situation and coordinating both teams from above the battlefield, being aware of enemy position. Grenades come in handy especially with the opponents' AI being mediocre and enemy soldiers failing to react to the threat. Throwing them precisely is not that easy, but you'll get enough tries to inflict enough damage before storming the main gate.

Raven Squad members are generally tough, gritty guys, but they are not coping very well under intense gun fire and if left on their on for a just a few seconds they've got the tendency of exposing themselves too much. Just a few bullets are enough to cripple an entire squad and while the enemy is a bit more accurate and constantly shooting at the mercenary you control, your teammates are frequently shooting through walls and trees. Frankly their best usage is providing you with virtually endless rounds, since you don't have to reload and can simply switch to another teammate and continue the siege.

Speaking about the AI, it is equally weak on both sides, with enemy soldiers failing to notice when fired upon and friendly troops running blindly to their demise instead of taking cover as instructed. Sometimes it pays off simply to position your teams behind a corner or some sandbags and wait for the enemy to enter your line of sight to finish them off, as they rarely try to flank you. In RTS mode it is better just to point toward a safe spot for your mercs to advance and don't trust them too much in actual combat, but rather take action into your own hands.

Missions are short and quite straightforward, sometimes too linear to make the campaign interesting, but fortunately the scenery is diverse enough to keep you going. The jungle missions are perhaps the less exciting ones, since the forest routs all look alike and the occasional patrols are nothing more than a nuisance. It's always invigorating to enter an enemy base to defuse some rockets or disable an AA gun, although the opposition is much tougher in zones like these, at least it provides you with some kind of challenge.

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Conclusion:

Don't expect Raven Squad to be one of the most compelling single-player experiences of the year, but instead try to dwell on the sheer fun it generates and acknowledge that this is a decent low budget title. Not necessarily bad, but definitely over-hyped, this videogame can provide you with a few hours of mindless fun while trying to complete its rather short campaign set.

Gameplay: 78

The singleplayer is short enough not to give players a chance to grow bored with Raven Squad, but in the absence of a compelling story, sooner or later you'll lose interest in following the narrative. Switching between FPS and RTS mode adds a little flavor to the entire gaming experience, but while the first person shooting side is decent without impressing, the strategy mode feels terribly underdeveloped.

Graphics: 75

Raven Squad features some decent visual effects but overall the graphics are lacking and this title seems unable to compete with nowadays FPSs. Particularly disappointing are the character models and their facial animations, which make most of the cut scenes unattractive. The arsenal is equally humble in terms of both diversity and aspect, while the lush jungles fail to create an appropriate setting to further immerse the player into the game.

Sounds: 68

It's been a while since I've witnessed such poor voice acting in a video game and it's only fair to say that Atomic Motion's latest release is an epic fail regarding character's voices. Even the American mercenaries have weird accents, while the natives and the Asian archeologist sound more like a joke each time their utter a silly line. Music is fine and it does a good job in creating a fitting atmosphere but the effect is disrupted by occasional instructions given by either teammates or Xian, tempting you to turn it down.牋牋牋牋牋

Multiplayer: 78

Since the campaign set is too short, thus unsatisfying, Raven Squad enthusiasts can try the cooperative mode to maximize the fun by playing alongside a friend. The action is pretty much the same but you no longer have the option of switching between the two teams, instead you can only control one of the three mercs.

Hardware: 80

The transition between the RTS and FPS mode is smooth, and the game runs just fine although the frame rate occasionally drops during some intense firefights. The loading screens are rare and there's usually a briefing happening meanwhile, so it's unlikely they'll become frustrating at any time.