Raji: An Ancient Epic

Raji: An Ancient Epic is an Indian action-adventure video game developed by Nodding Heads Games based in Pune, Maharashtra, India. It was first released as a timed exclusive for Nintendo Switch on 18 August 2020, and released on 15 October 2020 for Microsoft Windows via the Steam client and the Epic Games Store,[3] PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.[4]

Raji: An Ancient Epic
Developer(s)Nodding Heads Games
Publisher(s)Super.com
Designer(s)Avichal Singh[1]
Programmer(s)
  • Paras Chaudhary
  • Dipam Bora[1]
Artist(s)
  • Shruti Ghosh
  • Ian Maude
  • Shreyas Pai[2][1]
Composer(s)Linus Tzelos[1]
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
ReleaseNintendo Switch
  • WW: 18 August 2020
Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • WW: 15 October 2020
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

The game incorporates Hindu and Balinese mythology and takes inspiration from tales such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Graphically, the game is designed in the style of Pahari paintings, and the in-game architecture is modeled after that of medieval Rajasthan.[5]

Plot

Raji is a orphaned but brave circus performer. Her only family is her younger brother, Golu, a story teller. On the day of Raksha Bandan, when she and Golu are performing at the carnival where they work, they are attacked by an army of Gadasura demons, who start wrecking havoc on the land. The demons knock Raji out and take Golu with them. As she wakes up and finds her brother missing, Raji goes on a journey to get him back. Meanwhile, watching her are the Hindu deities, Goddess Durga and Lord Vishu. Goddess Durga supports her young devotee while Lord Vishnu has some doubts about her. Raji races through the Ruins, and upon reaching a temple of Goddess Durga, gets a divine trishul (trident) from her, which she uses to battle and kill the demons while unlocking mythical stories and secrets of her own pasts.

The mastermind behind Golu's abduction and the demon invasion is revealed to be the demon lord Mahabalasura. He was once one of the Mystics, knowledgeble people who had great spiritual power. He was made an outcast by his people because of his dark heart. So, to gain power, he did penance to please Lord Brahma, who granted him the boon of immortality and a powerful trishul. Using these gifts, he reunited his new people, the demons, and started spreading chaos and destruction on Earth. When Bhoomi Devi (Mother Earth) urged him to stop this, he killed her with the very weapon Brahma gave him. This angered Lord Shiva, who imprisoned him. After years of captivity, Mahabalasura was free and began plotting his revenge on the gods and humanity.

Raji follows the demons who took Golu and many other children to the Fortress of Jaidhar. She is also gifted a divine bow by Lord Vishnu, who starts finding her capable. Upon reaching the fort, the demon Chieftain sends Golu to Mahabalasura via a magic portal before Raji can save him. Raji kills the Chieftain and saves the other children. Golu reaches Mahabalsura's realm where the demon lord puts him under his control.

Raji, who is mortally wounded after the fortress falls, is put on a boat by the Mystics and sent to Hiranyanagri, a heavenly and technologically advanced city of Lord Vishnu, which has been taken over by demons under Rangda, a powerful demon queen, who has put the city's guards under her spell and poisoned it's waters. Raji races through the city, killing Rangda's minions and repairing the damage they did. She is also gifted a divine sword and shield by the two deities watching her, while being haunted by horrifying visions of Golu. Raji finally vanquishes Rangda and then is taken on Mayura, a giant beautiful white peacock by a Mystic, to his land to stop Mahabalasura.

As she reaches the Land of the Mystics, Raji finds many of them turned to stone by Mahabalasura. After fighting through the demon hordes and calming the Naga, the giant serpent demigod and guardian of the land, she finally confronts Mahabalasura, who forces the Mystic chief to give him an ancient scroll, which is an important part of his plan. Both foes attack each other and are wounded. Raji, near death, is revived by the Mystics and reunites with her brother as Mahabalasura escapes. Now, even with Golu safe, Raji must still continue her journey since she serves a much greater purpose. It is revealed that Mahabalasura wants to destroy the gods as revenge for his captivity. His plan is to open the gates of heaven, allowing him to invade the realm of the Gods and destroy them. The scroll he took from the Mystic chief contained the incantation to open the gates. Raji has been chosen as the warrior who will destroy the demon lord and restore the cosmic balance.

Raji reaches the Thar Desert, where Mahabalasura has gone to set his plans in motion. There, she receives her last weapon from the Gods : The Sudarshan Chakra, Lord Vishnu's most powerful weapon. After dispatching the last horde of Mahablasura's minions, she finally confronts and battles him, using the Chakra. Almost defeated, the demon lord tricks Raji by distracting her with several copies of himself. While Raji fights the clones, the demon lord starts saying the chant to open the gate. He is then joined by Golu who, still under his control, recites the chant as well, thus opening the gate, which is why he was abducted as the chant required a person of pure heart to work. Now, his plans successful, Mahabalasura procedes to assault the Gods' realm, leaving the now useless Golu to be once again reunited with Raji, as the fate of both the Gods and humanity is left ambiguous.

Development

Raji: An Ancient Epic is the first game developed by Nodding Heads Games based in Pune, Maharashtra, India. The game was developed by a team of thirteen people.[6] A six-man team at Nodding Heads Games began development on Raji: An Ancient Epic in January 2017.[7][8] The developers cited Bastion and Journey as being major influences on the game, and God of War, Ico, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, and Dark Souls as other influences.[9][10] Nodding Heads Games attempted to secure funding for the game through Kickstarter with a funding goal of £120,000 in 2017. The campaign raised over £66,000 but fell short of its funding goal.[11][12] A twenty-minute demo of the game was made available as a free download on 8 November 2017 alongside the Kickstarter, and was also playable at the Indian Games Expo 2017 and the 2017 Nasscom Game Developer Conference.[13]

Despite securing funding through the Unreal Dev Grants program, a $5 million fund supporting developers working with Unreal Engine 4, developer Shruti Ghosh had to sell her apartment to sustain the team till they found a publisher.[14]

Raji was included in the Square Enix Collective in October 2017.[15] The game was developed for Microsoft Windows. Nodding Heads Games co-founder and lead designer Avichal Singh stated in November 2017 that they also planned to release the game on consoles. He stated that they had begun "the dev kit conversation" with Microsoft but had not yet approached Sony or Nintendo. He added, "It's a matter of constraints we follow to make sure the game is running on these platforms because they have technical constraints. As long as they can keep to that we will be good. Unreal Engine 4 makes life a bit easier. You have direct porting options as well."[16]

Nodding Heads Games announced a partnership with game publisher Super.com in March 2019.[17] The game was demoed at the annual India Game Developer Conference in Hyderabad, Telangana, in October 2019.[6] A new demo of the game was made available through Steam on 23 March 2020.[18] An Xbox One demo of the game was released in July 2020 as part of the Xbox Summer Game Fest.[19]

Reception

The game was released for Nintendo Switch as a timed exclusive on 18 August 2020.[23] It was released on 15 October 2020 for Microsoft Windows via the Steam client and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.[24]

On the review aggregator Metacritic, the Nintendo Switch version of Raji: An Ancient Epic received a score of 69 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[20]

Players appreciated the game for its original soundtrack which blends well with the game's theme and setting. The game was also praised for its unique way of telling the history and mythology of the Indian subcontinent. However, criticism was directed towards its dated combat mechanics and its abrupt and unsatisfying ending.

It was nominated for best debut game at The Game Awards 2020 but lost to Phasmophobia. This was the first time that an Indian game had been nominated for an award at the show.[25][26]

Awards
Award Date of ceremony Category Result Ref.
The Game Awards 2020 December 10, 2020 Best Debut Game Nominated [27]

References
  1. "Press Kit". Raji The Game. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  2. "Team". noddingheadsgames. Retrieved 2020-10-30.
  3. "Raji: An Ancient Epic on Steam". Steam. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  4. "5 Upcoming Xbox One Games To Keep On Your Radar". GameSpot. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  5. https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP5729-CUSA20607_00-RAJIANANCIENTEPI
  6. "Raji: An Ancient Epic – Enter the Realm of Indian Mythology". Substance 3D - Magazine. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  7. "'Raji: An Ancient Epic' by Nodding Heads Games is set to usher in fresh Indian flavours". AnimationXpress. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  8. Suckley, Matt (17 November 2017). "Indie developers in India are channeling their history into exciting new games". PC Gamer. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  9. "Raji: An Ancient Epic channels Hindu mythology for a change". Destructoid. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  10. Nellore, Sujayendra Krishna. "An Interview With The Makers Of Raji: An Ancient Epic". www.stumagz.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  11. Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (29 November 2017). "Raji and the rise of Indian gamedev". Eurogamer. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  12. "Raji: An Ancient Epic - Action Adventure in Ancient India (Canceled)". Kickstarter. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  13. Wood, Austin (30 November 2017). "Try the demo for mythological action RPG Raji: An Ancient Epic". PC Gamer. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  14. "Raji: An Ancient Epic – The story behind the 'Made in India' game everyone is waiting for". The Indian Express. 2020-10-14. Retrieved 2020-10-30.
  15. "Raji: An Ancient Epic is an Action-Adventure Game Set in Ancient India and That Has a New Gameplay Trailer". DualShockers. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  16. "How God of War Influenced India's Raji: An Ancient Epic". NDTV Gadgets 360. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  17. Garst, Aron (25 March 2019). "'Raji: An Ancient Epic' Mixes Tight Combat, Gorgeous Visuals and Indian Culture". Variety. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  18. "Raji: An Ancient Epic - Play our new demo with the Steam Game Festival!". Steam News. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  19. "Ancient India Based Action-Adventure Game RAJI: AN ANCIENT EPIC Releases Demo On Xbox One". GameTyrant. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  20. "Raji: An Ancient Epic for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  21. "Raji: An Ancient Epic for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  22. "Raji: An Ancient Epic for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  23. August 2020, Austin Wood 18. "All the Switch games that got a surprise release today". gamesradar. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  24. "https://twitter.com/rajithegame/status/1316786214586941440". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-10-16. External link in |title= (help)
  25. "India's First Game Awards Nominee, Raji: An Ancient Epic, Can Mature Our Gaming Industry". News18. 2020-12-11.
  26. "The Game Awards 2020: Indian game 'Raji' nominated for best debut game". Firstpost. 2020-11-20.
  27. Parthsarthy, Shwetang (November 19, 2020). "The Game Awards: Ghost of Tsushima, Animal Crossing, TLOU 2 and More Nominated for GOTY". Essentially Sports. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
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