10 Greatest Raven Software Games of All Time

When it comes to making video games, some developers are lucky to get the chance to work on such iconic IPs as Star Trek or Star Wars. Raven Software must’ve had a leprechaun working for them because they got to make games for those franchises and more.

As one of the many studios owned by Activision, Raven Software has been a major contributor to the Call of Duty franchise. However, so many players seem to forget that Raven Software’s eclectic library of video games branches all the way back to the 90s. So, it’s only fair to give them their due and show why Raven Software is one of Activision’s most accomplished studios.

While Raven Software has worked with other studios on a number of Call of Duty projects, they will not be counted. This list will only cover games Raven Software has fully developed.

10 Quake 4

The Underrated Sequel

The Quake series is hailed for being one of the best-looking shooters from id Software. The first game showcased true 3D models in an open arena with power-ups and guns. The sequels continued to expand until Quake 4 was handed over to Raven Software. Though Quake 4 is often ridiculed for its slow pacing, heavy focus on story, combat changes, and bland turret sections, it’s an overlooked game.

You’re a soldier fighting in the war against the Strogg, a race of cyborg aliens. Though the beginning levels feel like a dull slog, Quake 4 gets better once you reach the later levels, especially the iconic horror sequence where the player is turned into a Strogg. The enemy variety is great, the gunplay is still satisfying, and the design and animations on the weapons are beautiful. Quake 4 may not be perfect, but you can feel that the developers were dedicated to it.

9 Heretic

DOOM Meets Fantasy

Made from the same engine as DOOM, Heretic was considered a clone with fantasy elements mixed in. Ironic, considering that most First-Person Shooters were labeled as DOOM Clones before the genre was officially named. What sets Heretic apart from the rest is that you weren’t a soldier fighting aliens or demons—you were an elf using magic and artifacts against monsters straight out of the realm of fantasy.

Raven Software took the DOOM Engine a step further with new additions. For starters, your character wasn’t bogged down to just looking left and right, you had the freedom to look up and down. The game also gives players an inventory option, meaning instead of losing a power-up you saw several rooms ago, it’d be added for use whenever the player chooses. It may sound simple by modern standards, but for 1994, this was groundbreaking stuff.

8 Hexen: Beyond Heretic

Bigger & Tougher

As a continuation to Raven Software’s Heretic, Hexen switches up the genre by allowing players to pick between three different characters to play: a Fighter, a Mage, or a Cleric. Each features varying stats, one favoring melee combat while the other uses ranged attacks, but this is only one of several innovations Hexen offers.

Hexen’s level design showcased more detailed environments, with traps and even breakable glass, which you can bet was mind-blowing at the time. Your character can even jump, which was also another new feature for shooters in the ’90s. For an FPS fantasy adventure, Hexen’s combat remains fun, and it helps with its impressive roster of enemies. The drawback is that the game is not without difficulty as you navigate levels trying to find what you need to progress. Sure, getting lost is part of the fun with these old games, but it can still get frustrating.

7 X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Better Than the Actual Movie

We’re all familiar with movie-licensed games. They usually never work, but when they do, they’re amazing! Raven Software not only broke the mold by making an incredible Marvel game, but they managed to one-up the film it was based on. The story loosely s the movie, which was for the better. It allowed for a more interesting experience as you battle all kinds of mutants with Wolverine’s claws.

That’s the other thing. The game is M-rated, and it earns that rating as you literally tear through foes with violent and gory outcomes. Another neat feature is that when you take damage, you see the wounds on Wolverine’s body, but when his healing factor triggers, his body repairs itself—a nice attention to detail. The movie may be forgettable, but its video game adaptation most certainly is not.

6 Marvel Ultimate Alliance

The TRUE Avengers Game

Before there was an MCU, there was Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Doctor Doom has joined forces with several villains and launched an attack. With the world in danger, Nick Fury sends out the call for every available hero. It’s all hands-on-deck for what is one of the best games for fans who love playing as Marvel heroes and villains, with over 23 playable characters.

The combat might get tedious after a while, but Ultimate Alliance was a huge benchmark in Marvel gaming. Create your own dream team of superheroes as you mix and match a squad of four characters, all with their own range of attacks and superpowers. In a massive story that takes players across many iconic locations from the comics, you’ll be facing boss battles with the villains of the Marvel Universe while also undertaking missions and side quests.

5 X-Men Legends

Marvel Mutant Mayhem

So, compared to the Avengers, do the X-Men games still stack up? Well, how many video games do you know where collecting comic books can boost your superhero’s stats? Magneto and the Brotherhood of Mutants are plotting something big that could spell doom for humanity, and the only ones who can stop them are the X-Men.

With over fifteen heroes to pick from, you’re free to choose any mutant you wish in teams of four. X-Men Legends is an action RPG where you gain experience points and level up your mutant powers and abilities. Best of all, you don’t have to play alone. The game supports co-op for up to four players. Just don’t spend too much time arguing over who gets which X-Men.

4 X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse

Heroes & Villains Assemble

A new threat has arisen. Apocalypse and his four Horsemen have kidnapped Professor X and are plotting to usher in the Age of Apocalypse. With a new foe that threatens the future of humans and mutants alike, the only way the X-Men have any hope of victory is by working together with Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants.

X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse takes everything that made the first game great and expands on it with a new roster of mutants and a greater antagonist. Featuring up to eighteen playable characters, it’s a team-up between heroes and villains in what might be Raven Software’s best Marvel game. If you’re a hardcore X-Men fan, then Rise of Apocalypse is a must-play.

3 Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force

Welcome To The Hazard Team

Set in the world of Star Trek, Elite Force is often praised as one of the all-time best games in the franchise. The USS Voyager suffers heavy damage after a battle with an unidentified ship, leaving them stranded in space. As a member of Hazard Team, it falls on you to ensure the Voyager’s safety and investigate the source behind the attack.

With a large arsenal of Star Trek-themed weapons, Elite Force’s combat looks, sounds, and still feels great. Even if you know nothing about Star Trek, the gunplay and missions are still fun. However, if you are a fan, you’ll fall in love with the amount of polish and detail it shows. From the heads-up display to the numerous references as you battle aliens and visit familiar locations that feel lifted from the show.

2 Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast

The Force Is Strong with This One

You’re not a chosen one. You’re Kyle Katarn, a mercenary and former Jedi who’s cut ties with the Force. However, when Kyle discovers remnants of the Empire are experimenting with the Force to make an army of Dark Jedi, he’ll have to regain his link to the Force and reclaim his lightsaber.

Set in the Legends timeline, Jedi Outcast most certainly stands out for having one of the best Star Wars video game plots. Kyle Katarn is an awesome character, and it’s a shame he’s mostly confined to the Jedi Knight continuity. Despite some frustrating puzzles and level design, the game remains a blast to play. You’ll be battling stormtroopers and Dark Side users while switching between guns and lightsaber combat across recognizable locations from the movies.

Honorable Mentions: Soldier of Fortune, Singularity, and Wolfenstein (2009). All games have redeeming qualities that make them deserving of attention.

1 Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy

An Elegant Game for a More Civilized Generation

As a sequel to Jedi Outcast, Jedi Academy puts you in the role of a Padawan, a young Jedi training in Luke Skywalker’s academy to learn the ways of the force, with Kyle Katarn as your teacher. However, when a cult of Dark Jedi starts causing havoc across the galaxy, it falls on you to finish your training and foil their wicked plans.

With a balance between third-person combat and first-person gunplay, this is one of the best games in the Star Wars library. Despite its age, the lightsaber fights have yet to be matched. Unlike modern Star Wars games, Jedi Academy isn’t afraid to show your character amputate or stab opponents with a lightsaber, as it’s supposed to do. You also get a variety of Force powers to level up, guns and explosives to use, and you even have the option to customize both your character and your lightsaber.