Grimdark fairy-tale roguelike Ravenswatch has just been expanded with the release of its first major update, Nightmares Unleashed. The initial step on the post-launch roadmap from developer Passtech Games, it adds new fights, events, and activities, improves the key system, and makes its biggest boss encounters harder. The Nightmares Unleashed update is out now, and to celebrate you can pick up the game with a 30% discount in a Steam sale, with a new set of cosmetic DLC also available.
Ravenswatch quickly won me over from the moment I started playing – in a year of magnificent roguelikes ranging from Balatro to the early access launch of Hades 2, its slick ARPG combat and style make a strong first impression. Its distinctive adaptations of fairy-tale favorites such as Little Red Riding Hood, Beowulf, and Aladdin are packed with flavor. Forget Black Myth: Wukong’s spin on the Monkey King – here, Passtech hands you a stance-switching Sun Wukong capable of temporarily transforming into any other member of the Ravenswatch roster.
Whether you’re already playing or are yet to try it, the Nightmares Unleashed update brings plenty of reasons to dive into Ravenswatch. The game’s act-ending Master Nightmares have multiple new attack patterns that they can choose between at random, meaning far more variety to your encounters against them each run. Joining them are two new mini-bosses: Abu Al Jaan takes up residence on Storm Island, while Avalon now plays home to Melion, King Arthur’s former knight who has been transformed into a pack-leading werewolf.
Keys have been completely reworked. There will now always be enough on each map to unlock everything, they’ll be a little easier to find as you explore, and they’re shared between characters when playing in co-op. They can also be used to open a new type of locked chest, which will give you a choice from a selection of ‘duplicate items’ that offer double the standard benefits.
Three new events can be found. Blood Rituals require you to take on a new elite enemy type, the Summoner Cultists. These foes can call in help from the Master Nightmares themselves, but surviving their onslaught will award you two keys for your troubles. You’ll also find Sacrificial Idols, where you can offer a chunk of your health in return for a flat damage boost. Astral Shrines give you a choice of three boons: gain additional Stars of Fate for rerolls, relearn all your talents with a chance to improve their quality, or upgrade a certain number of your current talents chosen at random.
There’s also a new group to watch out for, the Refugees. This band of surviving humans can be found camping out from time to time. If you choose to engage them in conversation, you must commit to one of the proposed options, so make sure you’re ready for the consequences.
Rounding out the patch are a range of other balance tweaks, improvements, and some new achievements. Alongside this update comes a Steam sale discount, and there’s also a new cosmetic DLC available if you want to grab some additional skins for five of the playable characters.
The Ravenswatch Nightmares Unleashed update and patch 1.1 are out now. You can buy the game at a 30% discount on Steam until Monday February 3, meaning you’ll pay just $17.49 / £14.69. The new ‘Unleashed’ cosmetic skin pack is priced at $3.99 / £3.39. You can find the full 1.1 patch notes courtesy of Passtech Games via the Steam store page.
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