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One of the biggest benefits of all that power in the hardware is giving developers the ability to make games that are Xbox Series X|S Optimized. This means that they’ve taken full advantage of the unique capabilities of Xbox Series X|S, both for new titles built natively using the Xbox Series X|S development environment as well as previously released titles that have been rebuilt specifically for the console.
In our Inside Xbox Series X|S Optimized series, these creators will share the behind-the-scenes accounts of how they’re optimizing their titles for Xbox Series X|S and what that means for the future of gaming. Today, we’ll be chatting with Martin Gauvreau, Lead Programmer and Director at Cococucumber about optimizing Ravenlok for Xbox Series X|S.
Q: What excites you most about developing and bringing Ravenlok to life on this generation of hardware?
A: One of the most exciting things for us was to bring to life the magical world of Ravenlok at 4K resolution and 60fps on the Xbox Series X and at 1440p resolution and 60fps on Xbox Series S. This allows our signature voxel art style to look sharp, and players are treated to visuals with much higher levels of detail and immersion than on previous gen hardware. At 60fps, Ravenlok runs very smoothly so the overall experience is not only visually stunning, but also responsive during real-time combat.
Q: In addition to benefiting from the power and performance of Xbox Series X|S for quicker load times etc. what Xbox Series X|S features were you most excited to explore leveraging in the development of Ravenlok?
A: Since Ravenlok is set in a stylized fairy tale world, our goal was to fully immerse the player in the stunning environments, charming characters, and heartfelt story. We were excited about being able to push our levels beyond our previous capabilities with the new power and performance while staying above the target frame rate and load times. As the structure of Ravenlok is designed to be a series of levels that connect to each other, we leveraged the SSD technology in the Xbox Series X|S to create seamless transitions between levels. We know that no one likes loading times, so we are glad to provide players a more continuous and immersive experience.
Q: How will these enhancements impact a player’s experience with Ravenlok?
A: Players love it! For Ravenlok, we are careful to hit certain benchmarks for the frame rate on the current gen, Xbox Series X|S, as well as previous gen consoles like Xbox One X, Xbox One S and Xbox One. On the Xbox Series X, players are plunged into the vibrant and detailed environments in full 4K resolution. On both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, the gameplay feels smooth at 60fps and with virtually no load times between levels, they can fully experience the fantastical world and enjoy the game at its highest visual quality.
Q: What’s it like to have over half a million people playing Ravenlok?
A: It’s a dream come true for us to have so many people playing Ravenlok on Game Pass. With over 500,000 players in six weeks, this is an incredible milestone and we’re grateful to all Ravenlok players and fans on Xbox. Thank you for playing Ravenlok, we hope that you enjoy your adventure!
Q: Why did your team choose to focus on higher resolution and frame rates as enhancement areas for Ravenlok?
A: Even though Ravenlok has a very nostalgic feel with its fairytale setting and voxel art style, we wanted to make sure that it is also balanced with a modern gameplay experience and fast, responsive combat. With 4K resolution, players can see all the details that we have crafted into the environment and the high frame rate makes it a joy to play. Epic boss fights are a huge part of the combat experience in Ravenlok, and being able to defeat a towering boss at smooth 60fps feels extremely satisfying.
Q: How do you expect fans of Ravenlok will respond to playing it on Xbox Series X|S with these enhancements? A: A lot of what we do on the tech and optimization side is often invisible — when it works, and works well, the player should not notice it at all. We hope that fans will be fully immersed in the world of Ravenlok, following their curiosity to explore all the corners of the world and going on an incredible adventure. This has always been our goal for Ravenlok and we hope that the enhancements like higher resolution and frame rates on the Xbox Series X|S serves this well.
Q: What is it like developing on Xbox Series X|S?
A: The tech and features in the Xbox Series X|S open up a lot of possibilities during game development, but they also demand that we rethink some of our previous approaches to make full use of the console’s capabilities. We are always learning and trying new ideas, so it’s incredibly rewarding to see our vision for Ravenlok come to life in ways that weren’t possible before.
Since Ravenlok is the final title in our Voxel Trilogy [also including Echo Generation and Riverbond], we have improved our pipeline to work with the Xbox Series X|S. This has saved us considerable time during production and QA, allowing us to focus on making the game better instead of fighting with technical limitations.
Q: What does Smart Delivery mean for your game and how you’re bringing Ravenlok to fans?
A: Since Ravenlok supports all generations of consoles from Xbox One to Xbox Series X, we can really leverage Smart Delivery to deliver the best available version of the game to the player. If a player started Ravenlok on the Xbox One and later decides to switch to playing on the Xbox Series X, they can continue playing without having to buy any additional copies of the game, while keeping their save game and achievements. We love that fans can have this experience and not be limited in getting hands on with the best version of Ravenlok.
Q: What does Xbox Series X|S development enable in current or future projects that you could not have achieved with the previous generation of consoles?
A: As game developers, we are continually pushing the boundaries of what we are capable of in terms of performance and features, but also through our creativity. With the Xbox Series X|S, we can create larger, more detailed and dynamic game worlds, implement more advanced AI, and deliver smoother gameplay with higher frame rates to fulfill the vision that we have for our game. Looking into the future, we are excited for the trajectory and to continue to innovate and bring even more immersive, creative, and fun games to our fans!
Ravenlok
Cococucumber
$24.99
$22.49
Upon encountering a mystical mirror, Ravenlok is whisked away to a whimsical world plagued by the sinister darkness of a tyrannical queen. Destiny awaits all in an unforgettable and heartfelt adventure.
THRILLING ACTION ADVENTURE
Battles against fearsome beasts and formidable monsters using real-time combat. Wield your sword and shield, and use the magical skills bestowed to you, along with an arsenal of bombs, to vanquish foes in epic boss encounters!
ENCHANTED WORLD
Meet curious creatures and help them with their troubles to fight back against the encroaching darkness. Discover the whimsical Mushroom Forest, tackle puzzles in the Mask Mansion and unravel the mysteries of the Labyrinth in a wonderful world turned upside down!
GRAND FINALE
By the creators of critically-acclaimed adventure “Echo Generation”, this enchanting fairytale marks the grand finale of the Cococucumber Voxel Trilogy. Immerse in a delightful and captivating indie game filled with heart.