Ravenlok puts one action-adventure RPG foot in fantastical fairytale realms with its quirky characters and stunning level design, with another rooted in video game influences such as The Legend of Zelda games and beyond. The game's Alice in Wonderland inspirations might appear obvious with its white rabbit NPCs, Queen of Hearts style nemesis, and card-shaped minions. However, some fans of Ravenlok might wonder how much Lewis Carroll's timeless fairytale inspired the game, as there were other influences that other players may also recognize that may be less easily spotted.
In a recent interview with Game ZXC, Director Vanessa Chia spoke more about Ravenlok's Alice in Wonderland fairytale inspirations alongside the influence of renowned games like the Zelda series. Chia also discussed the role of other popular games like Lego Star Wars and how its namesake protagonist came to be.
Ravenlok’s Alice in Wonderland Fairytale Inspirations
Since its release, Ravenlok has enjoyed a lot of success through Xbox Game Pass as the third installment in Cococucumber's Voxel art-style trilogy following Riverbond and Echo Generation. When asked what players have been enjoying most about Ravenlok, Chia explained part of the appeal is many players see it as "an Alice in Wonderland-inspired game" that "captures people's imagination" in addition to its unique art style. Chia also mentioned that the team wanted to explore fantasy and fairytales in games as a genre direction change from EchoGeneration's sci-fi and supernatural horror. Chia explained Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland also acted as a "great starting point" for the creative process.
Alice in Wonderland , or the works of Lewis Carroll, which include also his poems, are really wonderful for us. Because, for me especially, I look at the text, and it just brings up all these images in my mind. This is something where we can take the work and also kind of reinterpret it in a way that we envision, so it was really a great starting point for us there.
Ravenlok is clearly a game inspired by Alice in Wonderland with inclusions like Toppy, the top-hated white rabbit. However, Ravenlok puts a unique, creative spin on its fantasy world. For instance, its incredible tea party level is stacked almost sky-high with various tea cups and pots, and Queen Dreda effectively reverse-transforms from a powerful, flying butterfly-style boss to a giant, ferocious caterpillar with razor-sharp teeth. Therefore, Ravenlok leans into the popularity of Alice and Wonderland while simultaneously turning it on its head like Alice falling down the rabbit hole.
Ravenlok’s Video Game Influences From Zelda To Lego Star Wars
Although Ravenlok's combat style is purposefully limited to four abilities, its weapons are comparable to Link's classic sword and shield combo in the Zelda game series. Chia said the comparison between Ravenlok and Zelda is "fair" and added the team did look at Zelda where "the inspiration does come through a little bit." Chia also identified Zelda Twilight Princess as an influence and named some other, possibly unexpected, inspirations, such as NieR Automata, most notably in Ravenlok's boss fights. Chia said the team also looked at Lego Star Wars games in creating a family-friendly video game experience.
Chia also mentioned Ravenlok's protagonist having a "classic hero journey" with Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away acting as a narrative reference point alongside Alice in Wonderland, as Ravenlok follows the heroine's growth of abilities. Overall, there is a lot more to Ravenlok than perhaps meets the eye, even beyond its stunning visuals. All of these influences, be they classic fairytales or major video games, come together for a fun experience, one that is greater than the sum of its parts. It's well worth checking out, especially for those looking for a short, imaginative adventure on Xbox Game Pass.
Ravenlok is available to play now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.