History VideoGame / TheRaven

The Raven (or The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief) is a thrilling episodic [[PointAndClickGame point and click]] crime adventure game set in the early 1960s, which pays homage to the classic Creator/AgathaChristie mystery adventures.

Released in 2013 by The Adventure Company, the three part game (''Legacy of a Master Thief'', ''Ancestry of Lies'' and finally, ''A Murder of Ravens'') is available for download on the games official website or Steam.

The central plot of the games circles around a legendary thief known as The Raven, who has supposedly return after he was apparently shot and killed many years ago while attempting to escape during a robbery, and has now set his eyes on two priceless jewels known as The Eyes of the Sphinx. But the real mystery is not only who The Raven really is, but even if this "Raven" is the original.

* [[spoiler: TheButlerDidIt]]: Played with. The plot involves first a jewel theft and next [[spoiler: a murder]], both apparently committed by the shadowy Raven, later identified as [[spoiler: the butler, Mr. Inch]]. [[spoiler: Except not only was it ''not'' Inch who killed the baroness, Inch is eventually revealed not to be the Raven at all.]]

* TheExoticDetective: More like detectives, since all three detectives are from different countries. Constable Zellner is Swiss, Inspector Legrand is French and Constable Oliver is British.

* FatIdiot: Played with with Constable Oliver. Then again... [[spoiler: See ProperlyParanoid below.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: At the beginning, Zellner makes a few comments about his theater group, and has an innocent conversation with Matt about acting - that it's more than just acting like the role you're playing, but ''becoming'' the role entirely. [[spoiler: This may tip off a player right away that he's not who he claims to be.]]
** The heart medication Zellner's daughter insists that he takes, which is the first item in the player's inventory yet has no apparent use in gameplay. [[spoiler: His daughter turns out to be undercover as Ms. Mayers, and [[BookEnds at the very end]] Zellner uses the medicine to tip Legrand off that he was The Raven all along.]]
** During a conversation between [[spoiler: Zellner and Patricia]] the latter says that they are engaged, [[spoiler: the more observant listener will notice Zellner sounds rather too shocked by the admission of someone who he's only recently met. At the end of the final episode when it's revelled that they are actually father and daughter working undercover, it makes sense since Patricia had not informed him of the engagement.]]
** When threatening [[spoiler: Adil, Mr. Inch says that one of the "necessary" things he would kill for it revenge. The whole scheme turns out to be his own revenge against the Raven.]]
* FriendlyEnemy: The Raven's {{Calling Card}}s to Legrand were casual and often friendly, a style [[spoiler: Mr. Inch twists to convince Legrand that he's the real one.]] During the plot, but before TheReveal, [[spoiler: Zellner - who is the true Raven - shows genuine concern for Legrand pushing himself and his career over the edge to hunt him down. In [[TheStinger his final letter]], he beseeches Legrand to let the Raven die and focus on doing good work where its needed elsewhere.]]

* HannibalLecture: [[spoiler: Mr. Inch]] is very fond of these. He seems to be outright enjoying himself [[spoiler: while attempting to convince Gebhardt to kill himself.]]

* LongLostRelative: [[spoiler: Lady Westamcott reveals to Zellner that her companion's son, Matthew Miller, unbeknownst to either Matthew or his mother Mary that he is her grandson. During the war, Lady Westmacott's only (estranged) son married Mary, had Matthew but broke up when Matthew was 7 years old. The employment of her son's ex-wife and helping fund her grandson's education is her way of making amends.]]
* [[spoiler: MadDoctor: Dr Gebhardt kills the Baroness because she knew he had her sister killed, and the when Zellner discovers evidence of his guilt he tries to kill him too.]]
* NeverMyFault: [[spoiler: Gebhardt claims that the Jewish woman he initially saved from the Nazi's deserved to be killed by them because she cheated on him, though they don't seem to have been in an actual relationship. Both Inch and Adil peg this as a poor attempt to ignore his own guilt. Inch himself blames the Raven for his brother's death back when they were both Raven's henchmen, but the Raven himself later claims that it was Inch's own monstrous nature that put them into that situation.]]

* [[spoiler: OutlawCouple: Adil and "Patricia Mayers".]]
* ProperlyParanoid: [[spoiler: Constable Robert Oliver never trusts Zellner. While he comes off as oafish and not too sly, he was right all along to suspect the Swiss policeman considering Zellner is actually the true Raven. Mitigated however, as he fails to uncover Inch as the Raven's impersonator and he [[CluelessDeputy always blindly endorses Inspector Legrand's viewpoints]].]]

* [[HeKnowsTooMuch She Knew Too Much]]: [[spoiler: Dr Gebhardt's motive for killing the Baroness was because he had her sister turned over to the Nazis, and she recognized him from a photograph.]]

* [[spoiler: [[BookSafe Trunk Space:]] The Baroness steamer trunk has a hidden safe.]]

* WorthyOpponent: Legrand has a great deal of respect for the thief he's been trying to catch for years, though he's also quick to suspect that the Raven has turned to thuggery in his obsession. [[spoiler: Given TheReveal, it's clear that the Raven has an immense respect for Legrand as well, given Zellner's genuine praises and concern for him during the plot.]]

* LockedRoomMystery: Halfway through the first episode, [[spoiler: The Baroness is found murdered on the bed of her cabin room on the S.S. Linda, which has been locked from the inside]]. Then after Zellner investigates the crime he discovers that [[spoiler: the Baroness wasn't actually dead when they discovered her, but was only unconscious. She had been in fact drugged and a balloon filled with fake blood placed under the bed sheets beforehand, so when she entered the room (locking it after she entered) and collapsed on the bed, the balloon burst, giving the illusion of being shoot. Then during the on-going chaos (due to them finding a stowaway and Zellner suddenly collapsing) and with the sound of the alarm to cover the noise, murderer actually shot her while no one was looking.]]
* [[spoiler: LongLostRelative: Lady Westamcott reveals to Zellner that her companion's son, Matthew Miller, unbeknownst to either Matthew or his mother Mary that he is her grandson. During the war, Lady Westmacott's only (estranged) son married Mary, had Matthew but broke up when Matthew was 7 years old. The employment of her son's ex-wife and helping fund her grandson's education is her way of making amends.]]

* Socialite: Patricia Mayers is this, while also coming off as a SpoiledBitch, IdleRich, LonelyRichKid, and/or Airhead depending who she's talking to. [[spoiler: Although that's just a cover story, one of her favourites, for her criminal activities.]]

* Socialite: Patricia Mayers is this, [[spoiler: although that's just a cover story, one of her favourites, for her criminal activities.]]

* [[spoiler: OutlawCouple: Adil and Miss Mayers aka Patrica.]]

* TheAlcoholic: The Baroness. She even has a large steamer trunk and converted into a travelling bar.

* CoolTrain: The first part of the game is set on board the Orient Express.

* LockedRoomMystery: Halfway through the first episode, [[spoiler: The Baroness is found murdered on her bed in her locked cabin room on the S.S. Linda]], and as Zellner investigates the crime he discovers that [[spoiler: the Baroness wasn't actually dead when they discovered her, but was only unconscious. She had been in fact drugged and a balloon filled with fake blood placed under the sheets before had, so when she entered the room (locking it after she entered) and collapsed on the bed, the balloon burst, giving the illusion of being shoot.]]

* [[spoiler: LongLostRelative: Lady Westamcott reveals to Zellner that her companion's son, Matthew Miller, is unbeknownst to either Matthew or his mother that he is her grandson. During the war, Lady Westmacott's only (estranged) son married Ms Miller, had Matthew and broke up some time after. The employment of her son's ex-wife and helping fund her grandson's education is her way of making amends.]]

* UndyingLoyalty: When Zellner first meets Lady Westmacott, her companion Miss Miller is very much against someone bothering her. Miss Miller later explains her loyalty is done to her employer coming into her and her son's life during hard times.

* LockedRoomMystery: Halfway through the first episode, [[spoiler: The Baroness is found murdered on her bed in her locked cabin room on the cruise liner heading to Egypt]], and as Zellner investigates the crime he discovers that [[spoiler: the Baroness wasn't actually dead when they discovered her, but was only unconscious. She had been in fact drugged and a balloon filled with fake blood placed under the sheets before had, so when she entered the room (locking it as she did) and collapsed on the bed, the balloon burst, giving the illusion of being shoot.]]

* TheReveal: [[spoiler: Inch is not the Raven at all, "Constable Zellner" is the Raven, Patricia is the Raven's daughter and Adil is her fiance. The three of them were also playing ''literally everyone'' from the start.]]

Released in 2013 by The Adventure Company, the three part game (Legacy of a Master Thief, Ancestry of Lies and finally, A Murder of Ravens) is available for download on the games official website or Steam.

* [[spoiler: LongLostRelative]]: [[spoiler: Lady Westamcott reveals to Zellner that she is the grandmother of her companions son. During the war, Lady Westmacott's only (estranged) son married her companion, had a child and broke up some time after. The employment of her son's ex-wife and helping fund her grandson's education is her way of making amends.]]

The Raven (or The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief) is a thrilling three part [[PointAndClickGame point and click]] crime adventure game set in the early 1960s, which pays homage to the classic Creator/AgathaChristie mystery adventures.

Released in 2013 by The Adventure Company, the three part game is available for download on the games official website or Steam.

* [[HeKnowsTooMuch She Knew Too Much]]: [[spoiler: Dr Gebhardt's motive for killing the Baroness was because he had her sister turned over to the Nazis, and she recognized him from a photograph.]]

* WhamEpisode: Halfway through ''Ancestry of Lies'', Zellner discovers that "The Raven" is in fact [[spoiler:Mr Inch, the Baroness's butler and his accomplice is Adil, the stowaway from the S.S. Linda.]] And that's not the wham that happens in the second game. [[spoiler: During the end of the game, which take place in a flashback showing Adil's journey on the train to the cruise ship, once on the ship, he enters into a cabin which is revealed to be occupied by Miss Mayers, revealing that she is his lover and is also possibly working for Inch as well.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:->''"[[MacGuffinTitle Who is The Raven?]]"'']]

* GrandDame: The Baroness Von Trebitz.

->''"[[MacGuffinTitle Who is The Raven?]]"''

* InsultOfEndearment: The Raven calls Inspector Legrand "Nico" in his letters and Legrand himself states that the Raven is the only person who addresses him like so. [[spoiler: The Raven impersonator appropriates this trick in order to fool Legrand into thinking that he is the original Raven.]]

* PunnyName: [[spoiler: The villain's name is Alfred Inch. Shorten Alfred to Alf, and you get Alf Inch - Cockney rhyming slang for steal (Half Inch/'alf inch = Pinch).]]

* ProperlyParanoid: [[spoiler: Constable Robert Oliver never trusts Zellner. While he comes off as oafish and not too sly, he was right all along to suspect the Swiss policeman considering Zellner is actually the true Raven. Mitigated however, as he failed to uncover Inch as the Raven's impersonator and he [[CluelessDeputy always blindly endorsed Inspector Legrand's viewpoints]].]]

* WhamEpisode: Halfway through ''Ancestry of Lies'', Zellner discovers that "The Raven" is in fact[[spoiler: Mr Inch, the Baroness's butler and his accomplice is Adil, the stowaway from the S.S. Linda.]] And that's not the wham that happens in the second game. [[spoiler: During the end of the game, which take place in a flashback showing Adil's journey on the train to the cruise ship, once on the ship, he enters into a cabin which is revealed to be occupied by Miss Mayers, revealing that she is his lover and is also possibly working for Inch as well.]]
* TheReveal: [[spoiler: Inch is not the Raven at all, "Constable Zellner" is the Raven, Patricia is the Ravens daughter and Adil is her fiance. The three of them were also playing ''literally everyone'' from the start.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: At the beginning, Zellner makes a few comments about his theater group, and has an innocent conversation with Matt about acting - that it's more than just acting like the role you're playing, but ''becoming'' the role entirely. [[spoiler: This may tip off a GenreSavvy player right away that he's not who he claims to be.]]

* TheReveal: [[spoiler: Inch is not the Raven at all, "Constable Zellner" is the Raven, Patricia is the Ravens daughter and Adil is her fiance.]]

* FriendlyEnemy: The Raven's {{Calling Card}}s to Legrand were casual and often friendly, a style [[spoiler: Mr. Inch twists to convince Legrand that he's the real one.]] During the plot, but before TheReveal, [[spoiler: Zellner - who is the true Raven - shows genuine concern for Legrand pushing himself and his career over the edge to him down. In [[TheStinger his final letter]], he beseeches Legrand to let the Raven die and focus on doing good work where its needed elsewhere.]]

* HannibalLecture: [[spoiler: Mr. Inch]] is very fond of these. He seems to be outright enjoying himself [[spoiler: while attempting to convince Gebhardt to kill himself.]

* [[spoiler: MadDoctor: Dr Gebhardt kills the Baroness because she knew he had killed people she knew (possibly relatives of hers) and the when Zellner discovers evidence of his guilt, he tries to kill him too.]]
* [[HeKnowsTooMuch She Knew Too Much]]: [[spoiler: Dr Gebhardt's motive for killing the Baroness was because he had killed people she had known.]]

* TheReveal: [[spoiler: Inch is not the Raven at all, "Constable Zellner" is the Raven, Patricia is the Ravens daughter and Adil is her fiance.]]