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Shuva Raha

Staff Bio
Avatar gamrgrl

Hi, and Namaste from New Delhi, India!

In 1983, my father brought home a ZX Spectrum and cassettes of Maze Chase and Horace Goes Skiing. I was almost seven, my brother was four. We spent countless breathless hours evading capture by the four monsters on our brand new colour television (though, given our tropical upbringing, the skiing was very awkward).

Then came our laptop, a Bondwell 286 with a monochrome screen, and floppies of DigDug, Pac-Man, Professional Write, and Wishbringer. The last – a text adventure – baffled us. But with a dogged perseverance now lost in the mists of time, endless walk left, search tree, open door later, we figured it out. Life has been virtually crazy since.

I must admit, we were spoiled by the heydays of adventure games. The Quest for Glory titles, Monkey Island, Gabriel Knight – affectionately embraced classics now, were the games du jour, and disciples fell to their knees at the mention of the word Sierra. In the absence of forums and walkthroughs (how did we ever manage without the ‘net?!), we took MONTHS to complete each game, bleary-eyed with pixel-hunting, confounded by inventories jam-packed with items like ‘snot’ and ‘grog’, blissfully immersed in lives that bore no resemblance to our real ones.

Till someone shouted action. Actually, a lot of people must have. The ice age (or the meteor, take your pick) hit and suddenly, adventure games were the new dinosaurs. But when one door shuts, another opens (if it doesn’t, use the crowbar). The dark night ended with the advent of RPGs, and I was back in business, trawling through endless realms chasing fantastic monsters and running mundane errands. And yet, I missed my first love.

The resurgence of adventure games brings me both relief and joy. The classic formats, of course. But I have a new interest too - the ‘casual adventures’ that are blazing a trail of glory through audiences that earlier stayed away, finding the genre boring, tedious and unapproachable. I find this development super-exciting, because these fun-blends are taking adventure games mainstream at an unprecedented rate, stripping off the cloak of pseudo-exclusivity and blowing the lid off the myth that intelligent = uncool. That revelation was long overdue.

I joined AdventureGamers in 2010. I was browsing the site, and sent Jack a note, and he wrote back. It’s been a pretty epic adventure, worthy of a (short) review of its own. I’d rate it 4.5/5. Half-star knocked off for me making a hash of my deadlines.

In my spare time, I serve as Head - New Initiatives, Energy & Infrastructure at the Confederation of Indian Industry at New Delhi. Founded in 1895, CII works with industry, government and civil society to drive India’s socioeconomic development. My work covers renewables, hydrocarbons, e-mobility, and sustainability in core infra such as roads, railways, shipping, civil aviation and Smart Cities.

Overall, I have 20 years’ experience in energy policy advocacy, stakeholder interactions, and project, client, team, communication and brand management. I also have in-depth knowledge of websites, intranets, content management and social media.

Yeah. TMI.

Online:
http://gamrgrl.com
https://twitter.com/ShuvaRaha
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ShuvaRaha/

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Articles by Shuva Raha:


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Nordlicht review Article

Nordlicht review

This charming, poignant little father-daughter adventure is a delight to look at and reflect on, even if its limited gameplay prevents it from reaching greater heights.

Review score - 3 Read the review » Nov 24, 2020
Preston Sterling and the Legend of Excalibur review Article

Preston Sterling and the Legend of Excalibur review

This ultra-short series debut from Animation Arts plays more like an abbreviated intro cut far too short than standalone, Indy-style adventure.

Review score - 1.5 Read the review » Jul 23, 2018
Black Mirror review Article

Black Mirror review

The gothic horror series reboot is steeped in gloomy atmosphere but is cursed by clumsy controls and poor 3D implementation.

Review score - 2.5 Read the review » Dec 1, 2017
Syberia 3 review Article

Syberia 3 review

The long-awaited series revival breaks what wasn't broken before, suffering from disappointing design and mechanical failures alike.

Review score - 1.5 Read the review » May 8, 2017
Yesterday Origins review Article

Yesterday Origins review

Much like its multiple timelines, Pendulo's solid but uneven prequel/sequel takes a few steps forward, a couple steps back.

Review score - 3.5 Read the review » Jan 20, 2017
Desire review Article

Désiré review

This uncomfortably provocative adventure aims to shock and awe, but its overbearing execution leaves a lot to be desired.

Review score - 1.5 Read the review » Sep 7, 2016
Lost Horizon 2 review Article

Lost Horizon 2 review

The sequel is another beautiful globe-trotting adventure, but is so rushed and restricted that it ends up a journey of lost potential.

Review score - 2.5 Read the review » Jun 3, 2016
Bulb Boy review Article

Bulb Boy review

This short and charmingly surreal horror game is a glowing example of traditional adventure elements mixed with nail-biting physics-based challenges.

Review score - 4.5 Read the review » Dec 7, 2015
Anna’s Quest review Article

Anna’s Quest review

The now-complete fantasy adventure by Daedalic isn't too much or too little to bear, it's juuuust right in all the important ways.

Review score - 4.5 Read the review » Jul 17, 2015
Nicolas Eymerich, The Inquisitor: Book II - The Village review Article

Nicolas Eymerich The Inquisitor: Book II - The Village review

Bigger but not better, the second installment is plagued by both technical issues and poor design choices.

Review score - 2 Read the review » May 15, 2015
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 review Article

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 review

The epic fantasy sequel is pregnant with quests and quips and stunning production values, if not quite delivering the same story quality as its esteemed predecessor.

Review score - 4 Read the review » Mar 19, 2015
Randal’s Monday review Article

Randal’s Monday review

Its looks slick and gags abound, but this raunchy Groundhog Day-style adventure isn't much more fun than a week's worth of Mondays.

Review score - 2.5 Read the review » Feb 4, 2015
Gabriel Knight: 20th Anniversary Edition preview Article

Gabriel Knight: 20th Anniversary Edition hands-on archived preview

A whole new generation of gamers will soon inherit Sins of the Fathers, now magnified in Jane Jensen's slick remake.

Whispering Willows review Article

Whispering Willows review

This supernatural mystery soars in story and production values, but is dragged down to earth by its plodding gameplay.

Review score - 2.5 Read the review » Sep 22, 2014
Shadows on the Vatican - Act II review Article

Shadows on the Vatican: Act II - Wrath review

The second installment returns with a vengeance, dramatically raising the stakes of this religio-political thriller.

Review score - 4 Read the review » May 7, 2014

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