Bumble in the Jungle- Raven Squad Review

Raven Squad for the Xbox 360/PC. Developer: Evolved Games, Publisher: Southpeak Games ESRB: T

In gaming, warfare is usually presented in one of two distinctive perspectives. Titles like Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty and Command and Conquer helped popularize the omniscient, sky-high view common in real time strategy games. In these diversions, the player’s lofty vantage point allows for a comprehensive view of the game world; which is advantageous for large-scale tactical skirmishes.  On the other hand, first person shooters employ a more immersive and realistic approach, as the player looks down a rendered gun barrel. Here, the shape of the television screen helps simulate a sector of fire, allowing the player to see only what is directly in front of them.

Recent release, Raven Squad, valiantly attempts to marry these two divergent viewpoints. It’s a concept rife with possibility- while RTS games are strategically gratifying, they lack the adrenaline-inducing intensity a shooter provides. 2004’s Full Spectrum Warrior showed how a change in perspective could elevate the RTS genre. Yet, for a ‘real time strategy shooter’ to truly succeed, each of the game’s two components should be compelling enough to work as a stand-alone title; that’s not the case with Raven Squad.

The control mechanics of both sky and ground perspectives are easily understood. While in RTS mode, you control two three-man squads, toggling control between the two teams with a downward press of the directional pad. Most of the time, gamers will be directing squads across the map, directing them to a destination with a single button press. Using the title’s RTS mode had two distinct advantages: it allows players to foresee enemies lurking in the environment, and frees gamers from having to slog through the game’s typically empty woodland corridors. As real time strategy titles go, Raven Squad is frustratingly linear, offering the perks of combat at mostly predictably located camps and bases. 

Once contact is made with hostiles, players will probably want to switch to the game’s FPS view, as the Raven Squad’s A.I. is usually insufficient for self-preservation. Each soldier carries a main weapon, along with a second device, which ranges from offensive arms like sniper rifles or grenade launchers, to utilitarian tools like flash bangs, and smoke cans. While full loadouts may be implemented in the game’s RTS mode, the first-person perspective offers a more dramatic view of the action. Sadly, Raven Squad’s shooting mechanics are suspect; a crosshair flawlessly aligned on a stationary target often misses its target. Whether the title is actually simulating the trajectory of the shot or not is unclear, but players accustomed to traditional ballistic battles may be irked by Raven Squad’s firefights. While this can be remedied by sending a heap of lead in an opponent’s direction; is seems unlikely that the game’s commando’s would use this ‘spray and pray’ tactic.

Each of the game’s twelve missions takes place in a lush Amazonian setting, filled with an immersive amount of flora, muddy creeks, and dusty roads. While the game’s locations are proficiently drawn, an additional location would have alleviated the tedium of the jungle setting. By the sixth mission, I had seen most of what Raven Squad had to offer visually; subsequent levels offered little diversity.  While the occasional shine of sunlight, or a blooming lens flare elevates the game’s visuals, the game’s primitive character animations seemed woefully last-gen. The game’s voice-overs are particularly amateurish, as the title’s oft-repeated phrases are delivered with the cadence of a non-native English speaker.

With a real time strategy perspective most useful for bypassing monotony, and a first-person shooter vantage point that’s woefully inaccurate, Raven Squad is a perplexing hybrid. While enjoyment can be mined from the title’s distinctive fusion of genres; at fifty dollars for a five hour campaign, this gratification comes at a heavy premium. Even the inclusion of lag-free co-operative mode can’t allow me to recommend the title as its current MSRP; like the ‘B’-movie action flicks that Raven Squad recalls, wait until this one hits the bargain bins.


                                                               Raven Squad was reviewed on retail Xbox 360 code.

About Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

36 comments

  1. Shame the two halfs didn’t come and make a decent whole.

  2. if those screenshots are real, they look pretty damn cool. Look at the blur on the stock of the weapon. Nice.

  3. Did this game win a few best of E3 awards? What happened there?

  4. I liked FSW, shame this game didn’t quite turn out.

  5. I read one review that said this one needed more time. Do you think that would have helped the game?

  6. A game with army dudes and guns that gets a D+ from tech gaming? WHOA!

  7. Well at least it’s only $50 that takes some of the sting off.

  8. if the shooting ain’t right, I don’t want to touch it. How could they screw that up?

  9. Small site will say the sky is red to get their name on a box.

  10. $10 or less, guys.

  11. damn that sucks is the game really that bad??? damn :/..I know if you guys review that game darkest days or w/e it’s called it’ll get even worse than this game if possible!.

  12. I saw Destructoid had a quote on the back of the WET box. But I guess there are some people that liked that one.

  13. Trees look pretty damn good. IGN said the game was pathetic looking. Hmmm.

  14. Rob, are you reading my mind again? LOL.

    Look for the Darkest of Days review in the next two days.

  15. Too bad about this one. When I first about this one it sounded good.

  16. So which one is better the FPS or RTS?

  17. This is getting really awful scores. Possible turd of the year?

  18. I hear the voices are hysterical, they’re so bad. That sounds like that’s worth a C right there.

  19. Games that get score really well or really poor always get my gametime. I got to rent this one for sire.

  20. The guys name is Zombie or are there zombies in the games?!?!

  21. I bet this will hit the bargains bins REAL soon.

  22. Well, at least the weapons are real.

  23. I love the full title…Operation Hidden Dagger.

  24. What funny about that?

  25. I like the gamespot quote “Raven Squad is 90 percent first-person shooter, 10 percent strategy game, and 100 percent bad.”

  26. So it’s not fun at all?

  27. No zombie, just bad AI.

  28. A D+ is too nice. I rented this and finished it one sitting. Wasn’t very good at all.

  29. Why not an F then?

  30. I put the disk it for about 20 minutes last night (Rental) and I have to agree with this review. The accuracy is way off. I shoot 20 times and MAYBE hit once.

  31. Wow, that is pretty bad. What else have the developers made?

  32. I think a lot of people are overreacting. a D+ is just below a C, meaning average. So this game is slightly below average, which I’m sure is the case.

  33. Love the title on this one. I can’t think of a better way to describe the game.

  34. Never heard of this one. Is it out in the U.S.?

  35. Good review. I’ll probably think about playing it when it hits $20 or less.