Reventure is a non-linear 2D adventure with a LOT of personality.
What at first glance might appear to be a relatively straightforward “save the princess” quest is turned upside down when you get going. Boasting one hundred completely different endings, Reventure manages to be a fresh experience almost every time you play it.
Getting different endings is a quick process; it can take anywhere between five minutes and thirty seconds. They’re triggered from different choices or actions the player takes in their quest, such as attacking the wrong people or dying in different ways. It makes more sense to describe them as achievements, and Steam even treats them as such.
The world is filled with chests containing different equipment and tools, which allow you to travel to different areas you couldn’t get to without them. The more tools you’re carrying, the less jump height you have, which can also stop you from getting to new places. This means that deciding to pick up all the tools you can generally isn’t a good idea; some places can only be accessed when you’re not holding anything!
You can also collect hints, which are hidden in various places around the world, and can help give you an idea of how to get different endings if you’re struggling. These are generally quite vague though, and you may find yourself struggling to remember what areas have more potential routes and what tools you need for them if you’ve left the game to come back to later. If you’re serious about getting every single ending, it might be worth taking notes of what you plan to do next.
It’s also worth mentioning how simple the controls are; you only have to worry about moving, jumping, and using your tools (which only takes a button press), which allows you to explore the world at ease, and trial-and-error your way through the different endings without worrying about any complicated mechanics.
The player’s sprite changes over the course of their different attempts of the game; usually matching how the last attempt ended, such as a reddened sprite from burning to death. Sometimes, if the player’s character is well and truly defeated, you’ll continue the game as a new one with a different name (no progress is lost).
The game’s brilliant writing is definitely a huge part of what makes it enjoyable; the beginnings and endings are all narrated and they have a great sense of humour. Both the writing and the world itself are also filled with different pop-culture references to discover, some more obvious than others.
Whether it’s the game making fun of how you died, or letting you know what happened to your character after he accidentally stabbed someone, Reventure is bound to make you smile, and it’s these funny moments that will have you coming back for more to see what all the possibilities are. Reventure is an adventure you won’t forget.
4/5 stars.
