Never Writes About:
Raji: An Ancient Epic
Hello and welcome to another one of whatever these are! Are they reviews? Not really. I guess this doesn’t need a label, really. I’m just a little guy trying to get a little trophies. I wanted to say obsessed just now, but that word carries a certain connotation that I would like to avoid while writing, and it would take more explanation than I want to give, or am willing to give at this time. But now I feel I’ve been too vague. Vague to the point of frustrating the reader. Setting up an explanation that will never come, leaving them unsatisfied. why won’t I say “obsessed?” What connotation? What is it that drives me to Platinum as many games as I can? I should answer these questions now, because I brought it up.
OR
Raji: An Ancient Epic is an interesting game. I first became aware of it when it’s sequel was revealed during a showcase last year that I don’t recall. I thought it looked cool, and I added it to a list I keep of games I may potentially play.(He never remembers to check this list.) Fast forward a few months, I’m browsing the PS+ Extra games, looking for something quick that I can possibly Platinum in a few days, and lo and behold, as luck would have it, to my surprise////{fatal error occurred()”cliche generator”/N_P_A\……..
PS+ Extra and premium are expensive, ($220+ CAD!) but it is almost a no brainer if you’re a trophy hunter. I see a lot of value in it. I’ve discovered and enjoyed so many cool games that I wouldn’t have tried otherwise. Truly great experiences like The Wild At Heart or Sakuna: Of Rice And Ruin. These are great games that I think back on fondly. Raji: An Ancient Epic falls comfortably into this category.
I called Raji interesting, and that’s because I was really surprised by it. I don’t look up too much when going for a Platinum or when choosing a game to play. Particularly when it’s a game from PS+. I’ll check to see how long a guide says it is to finish, then triple it. And I check if there are any missable trophies I need to pay attention to. The latter action only occurs if I don’t care about the story. Raji surprised me because it does not play anything like I thought it would. I assumed, based on screens and a short video that it was an isometric, dungeon crawler, hack ‘n’ slash game. It isn’t.
Raji: An Ancient Epic is, essentially, God of War 2005. The OG. It isn’t exactly the same game, but it clearly took much of its design inspiration from the PS2 classic. It utilizes a very similar camera system; mostly fixed but will move and sweep across the environment to reveal these beautiful, lavish sets and backgrounds. The game goes deep into Indian mythology to tell it’s story, as GoW did with Greek mythology. There are murals in each level that recount much of this mythology in length, and trophies associated with listening to them all. While many of the bones are similar, the two areas Raji: An Ancient Epic and God of War differ greatly are their story and combat.
The story of Raji: An Ancient Epic centres on Raji, a circus performer whose brother is kidnapped by demons, forcing her on a journey fraught with danger and more demons in order to save him. She is aided by Gods on her journey, much like Kratos was in God of War, but unlike Kratos she didn’t murder her whole family. Although, she is an orphan and I’m not sure if the game explains what happened to her family, so I guess I can’t rule it out.
The combat in Raji is more methodical than GoW. That may be the best way I can put it. GoW is very combo heavy, but also button mash friendly, whereas Raji is not. Raji’s main weapon is a trident that can be attuned to three different elements; lightning, ice, and fire. Her attacks feel slow, especially compared to the enemies, which seem able to attack with far more frequency than Raji. This can lead to some frustration when dealing with multiple enemies. Prepare to dodge roll your ass off, should you attempt this Platinum.
Outside of combat the game feels good overall. Most of the trophies are progression based. There are a few collectibles, but the environments, while gorgeous, are somewhat linear, so finding them should not prove to be a challenge. The music! The music is great I almost forgot to mention it. I feel bad that I didn’t really get any footage of this game. The last thing I should mention is that the final boss is a significant spike in difficulty compared to the rest of the game, so be prepared for that. I think Raji: An Ancient Epic is a good game that is a fun quick Platinum to get, and I am excited for what the sequel will be. It was fortunate because I was really itching to play some old school God of War, and I found this to be a pretty good substitute. k love you byeee