Original hands-on review by the Coloured Static Press team. Reviewed from direct gameplay. The story was not completed, and this verdict reflects the portion experienced.
Voron: Raven’s Story takes players on an emotional adventure through the eyes of a young raven, exploring a mysterious world while helping lost souls find their way. With its beautiful scenery, peaceful soundtrack and unusual gameplay, it offers an experience that’s quite different from your typical adventure game. The story follows a young raven whose journey takes an unexpected turn after an attack separates him from his family.
As I explored, I encountered lost souls that needed help moving on, while gradually discovering more about the world and trying to find my way back to my family. It’s an intriguing premise, and although I hadn’t reached the end of the story during my time playing, I was certainly curious to discover what happened next. Flying is naturally a major part of the gameplay, and when everything works smoothly, soaring through the environments can be genuinely enjoyable.
Flight, stamina and finding your way
However, flight isn’t unlimited. Stamina plays an important role, meaning you need to carefully judge distances and plan your movements rather than simply flying wherever you please. Taking off and navigating certain areas could occasionally feel awkward, particularly when trying to reach difficult platforms or squeeze through narrow spaces.
Exploration involves locating souls, completing trials and solving environmental challenges. The raven’s caw ability, activated using LB, helps reveal important locations, while stone circles are used to open portals and progress through different areas. Some of the trials were particularly challenging, featuring moving obstacles, large gaps and routes that required precise timing.
The trials can test your patience
Missing a crucial white orb or running out of stamina at the wrong moment could mean having to attempt a section again. There were certainly moments when I found myself struggling to work out exactly where I needed to go. Some areas felt repetitive, and the combination of tricky navigation and limited stamina occasionally made progressing more frustrating than it needed to be.
However, overcoming a particularly difficult section was satisfying, and I generally felt encouraged to keep trying. One rather amusing aspect was the raven’s reaction to failure. There’s no traditional health bar, and a particularly unfortunate collision or fall could send my poor feathered adventurer tumbling helplessly through the air with a rather dramatic caw.
Atmosphere and presentation
I certainly became familiar with the game’s respawning system! Visually, Voron: Raven’s Story is lovely. The environments create a mysterious and sometimes melancholy atmosphere, while the soundtrack complements the experience beautifully. Much of the music is calm and relaxing, although certain moments introduce a more tense feeling that suits the challenges ahead.
Final verdict
Together, the visuals and audio help create a world that feels peaceful yet occasionally unsettling. Overall, Voron: Raven’s Story is an enjoyable and atmospheric adventure with an interesting premise and some genuinely satisfying moments. Its emotional storytelling, beautiful environments and unusual approach to exploration make it worth experiencing.
However, awkward flight controls, occasionally confusing navigation and some frustrating trial sections prevent it from reaching its full potential. Despite these shortcomings, I enjoyed my time with the game and remained curious about the young raven’s journey. For players who appreciate exploration, atmospheric adventures and a little challenge, there’s certainly something worthwhile here.
Coloured Static Press verdict: 75/100. Written from the Coloured Static Press team’s original review, with her final score preserved. She had not reached the story’s ending at the time of review.
VORON: Raven’s Story on Xbox Series X|S · Developed by Merk Games; published on consoles by Sometimes You.
Disclosure: Coloured Static Press received a complimentary Xbox Series X|S review key for VORON: Raven’s Story through Keymailer. This did not influence our editorial opinion or review score.