'Graven' is a Hexen-inspired retro FPS, and you should watch the trailer

Graven Flamethrower
Graven Flamethrower (Image credit: 3D Realms)

Ah, remember the good old days? Specifically, those of the 80s through to the 90s. No social media degrading the fabric of society, no pandemic, no taxes to pay (at least if you were a kid). A simpler time, where games were blockier, you know, low-poly, and we were less concerned with the fidelity of ray-traced reflections. T'was all about the joy of it. Remember that?

Remember games like Hexen, Quake, and Unreal Tournament 99? Pepperidge farm remembers. And hey, 3D Realms certainly remembers, which is why they're making Graven, a retro-styled shooter that leans on the past with a bit of modern flair.

Graven is a medieval-style FPS where you'll use magic, melee weapons, crossbows, and other apocryphal weaponry to cut a swath through legions of demons, monsters, and other beasties. Graven is wrapped in a gothic late 90s aesthetic millennials may strangely appealing. Chuck Jones of Duke Nukem and Half-Life fame is involved with the project, working on bringing Graven's gritty characters to life.

A faithful priest of the Orthogonal order, exiled unto death for a crime in defense of another, you live again in a small boat, adrift in a swamp. A stranger ferries you to solid ground and bestows upon you vague instructions, along with a mysterious staff and book. Go forth, pious priest, alleviate suffering, uncover deceptions, and smash the eldritch perversions encroaching upon reality itself.

Graven is launching in 2021 for practically every platform out there, including Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Windows PC. And we think it looks pretty rad.

Jez Corden
Executive Editor

Jez Corden is the Executive Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by tea. Follow on Twitter (X) and Threads, and listen to his XB2 Podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!