Scandinavian folklore has proven to be a great place for video games to gain inspiration over recent years. 2018's God of War weaved Norse mythology into its continuation of the story of Kratos, while The Banner Saga used this framework to build one of the most impressive RPG narratives of the last decade. The latest game to make use of this influence is Roki.
Developed by Polygon Treehouse, Roki comes in the form of a classic adventure game. The player takes on the role of Tove, a young girl looking to rescue her missing brother Lars from a mysterious monster. Along the way Tove will meet a host of different creatures, including trolls, tomten, and even the Yule Cat.
Roki stands out from other adventure games, though, in part thanks to its beautiful art direction. Taking cues from the likes of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, the game has a fluid cel shaded style that makes the characters blend perfectly into their surroundings, from their footprints in the snow through to their interactions with items.
It's not just a fresh coat of paint that makes Roki successful, though. Roki is just as challenging as other adventure games, but structures itself in a way that breaks up the usual grind of nefarious puzzles and item gathering. This is particularly clear in Roki's strong standalone segments, including one that sees the player escaping from a giant spider, or with a great late game moment where the player uses two characters simultaneously to solve puzzles.
A lot of this success also falls into the way in which Roki stays true to the logic of its world. Video games often make their puzzles immersion-breaking, but Roki's connection to the fairy tales of old stops this from happening; after all, being cunning is a proven method of success above and beyond the strength of fantastic beasts in such stories. It does still struggle with adventure game tropes at times, becoming reliant on the collection of tiny items that could easily be missed, but overall it hits home well.
When it comes to Roki's game world, it is a wonderful adaptation of Scandinavian folklore. In spite of its indie roots, Roki has an epic nature that takes the player to poisoned ponds, snowy mountaintops, and deep underground caves. There is a strangeness to its magic and to its mythical creatures that feels akin to Kentucky Route Zero, unapologetic to its roots and all the stronger for it.
This is all tied into a story that is deep, personal, and engaging. Although there's little by way of mechanical threat in the game, at the same time Tove's journey is intense and Lars' fate always feels in the balance. Along the way, this is used to slowly reveal their complex family history and a deeper mythology at the same time.
Both Tove and Lars are interesting and loveable characters, but the supporting cast also helps build Roki as an overall work. The powerful guardians that Tove meets are complex godlike entities, while its assortment of trolls and other creatures all have something to add. Most of the villains have sympathetic moments, too, with the main antagonist almost having a justification for their actions.
Across the board, Roki therefore has a cohesion that propels it above most other indie adventure games. This can make or break even the most well-funded of game projects, and the fact that Roki's gameplay, story, and art style all interlink so effortlessly means that it is a joy to play and unravel. It may still have its exasperating moments, but these are so few and far between that it is an easy game to recommend.
Roki releases 23 July 2020 for PC. Screen Rant was provided with a PC download code for the purposes of this review.