Ravencoast Studio Update

I finally got around to finishing the new redesign for Ravencoast.com. So far, I like it! It's simple and you don't have to scroll any pages as all the content fits on one screen! I've also added all the still relevant posts from the old site to this blog.

I plan on updating this blog regularly with information regarding my new project once It's good enough to be shown. So stay tuned and check out the main site.

Grave Spirit Review by the Freehare

The Freehare recently did a nice, detailed review of Grave Spirit. It's an interesting read if you enjoyed Grave Spirit.

Grave Spirit wins "Game of the Year"

And Misao awards in six other categories including Best Complete Game and Best Atmosphere. For people that don't know what the Misaos are, they are like the Oscars of the indie gaming/rpgmaker community or so I'm told!

Anyway, these awards were held months ago but I didn't follow them closely so wasn't aware of them. Congrats to all the winners and the nominees! Also thanks to everyone that voted for me and enjoyed Grave Spirit. It feels great to be appreciated for my efforts.

Grave Spirit Guide

Sorry about the lack of updates recently but I've been busy even though I'm on spring break. I finally did get something done tonight. Its been a long time coming but I finally finished the guide for Grave Spirit. Even though the majority of the people have already played through the game, this could encourage those that found it tough to make it through.

The guide is not complete as it doesn't include the location of all the tablets and the gold coins but it has everything covering the main game. And I know you guys want to know more about my new and last project. Very soon...

Grave Spirit Released!

Grave Spirit is finally DONE and can be downloaded from the Grave Spirit page. Enjoy the game!

I want to thank everyone that helped me on this project. Brandon Abley for composing a great soundtrack, DE for helping me with character sprites and animation, Malad for designing the launch website, Kylaar for coding and designing the manual, all the beta testers, and all the people that motivated me to finish this.

I'm very pleased that I've stuck through and completed it. 2.5 yrs is a long time to concentrate on one concept! I'll be taking a break from rpgmaker, I think. See ya guys!

Grave Spirit Preview

In the past two years of development, Grave Spirit has changed and evolved in every aspect possible. What began as a story driven rpg filled with long cut scenes, Chrono Cross music, and ripped graphics, in its final phase, has become an adventure game with a prime focus on simple design.

The Facts

-Made using the RM2K3 program
-Original Graphics using Panoramas and Chipsets
-Original Soundtrack by Brandon Abley
-Original Battle and Menu Systems
-Large world featuring long boss battles, exploration and puzzle solving
-Subtle and emotional story

The Story

Grave Spirit tells the tale of a young, dying wanderer on a journey to change his cursed fate. The cause for his withering nature is not known. The game begins with him completing a long and strenuous journey past deep valleys and lakes to reach the Skull Lands. Legends speak here of a mighty fortress at the end of this land, where in lies the power to heal every curse and illness known to man. Upon reaching the land, he finds a shrine where he speaks to a mysterious spirit that dwells there. The spirit, which calls itself Bilial, tells him what he must do in order to reach the fabled fortress. And with that, the nameless wanderer begins his faithful journey...

Exploring Skull Lands

Grave Spirit can simply be broken into two different areas, one which focuses on exploration and puzzle solving, and the other which involves doing battle with the games four different bosses. The exploration and puzzles is what really brings out the heart of Grave Spirit, for it is really an adventure game.


The world of Skull Lands is big, featuring many dark and mysterious locations, from the grotto in the beginning to a large stone fortress by a lake. The areas, though varied, are mostly variations of natural locations. By the end of the game, the player will have crept through a man made cave, climbed up a long stretch, swam beyond a deep lake all the while solving many puzzles and dealing with the four guardians of the land.

The Battles

After learning of what he must do, the wanderer begins his journey where he'll encounter various hazards, the most of which includes the spiritual guardians of the land. There are no regular enemies in the game, only the four boss battles that take place through out the course of the game. Though this will disappoint a few people, it allows me to really concentrate on making the four battles as epic and fun as I possibly can. The four battles will also be long and very different from the other. There are one or two encounters that can possibly take up to 30 minutes to finish or even more if the player isn't sure of their plan of attack. Some people will be skeptic about rm2k3's collision detection capabilities, but I can safely say, that this problem won't hinder the battles in Grave Spirit.


Each of the battles in GS will test something different, from slow paced method oriented battles to fast, over the top chases more akin to Fzero. There are only two battle commands, pressing X allows you to swing your stick while holding it down causes you to rush at your enemy with the stick in hand. Using the two in proper coordination will yield success.

So What Now...?

Well, Grave Spirit has been progressing very nicely. At one point, it was ready for release in September last year. If I had released it then, according to my normal plan, it would've probably met my expectations back then. I was happy with everything but the length, with the game clocking at 2-3 hrs. Since then I've delayed the game to Early 2006. In that time, I've scrapped an entire area and the first two bosses. But more than that, I've created a huge new area and finished 3 of the 4 long bosses. The game is now longer, harder and more polished. Brandon has joined in and is currently completing the original soundtrack of the game. His music is beautiful and I can't wait for you to hear it. This will be as disappointing to you as it is for me, but the game's final release date is now on June 5th. I know most people were expecting the game in the next month or so but with other things in life, it will have to wait just a little longer. I still expect to finish this game by next month but will take the extra time polishing it up and perhaps adding little details. I've spent two years on it on and off and want to make sure it is as good as I can make it. Don't worry; this is the absolute final release date...