Risen

Getting Physics fatal errors on booting, tried to install last version of physics by myself, still not good. I probably could fix it if I spend more time to read up no it, but I don't wont too... on to the next game we go.

interesting predecessor to Skyrim and to a lesser extent The Witcher, but the combat system is horribly unbalanced ..... a 2% increase in your character's dmg ability seems to translate into a 500% increase in the enemies dmg & hitpoint abilities [normal setting] ..... I like a challenge but wowee ... plus the movement BECOMES restrictive in battle .... sidestepping is ... well, prepare to be hit ..... really wanted like this one; will probably play some more but I'm sure something else will grab my attention

so, i was a big gothic fan back then, grew up with it, was super glad when risen came out after the horrible gothic 3 & 4, but back then i lost every motivation when it would've been time to get to the endboss. now, well over 10 years later, i thought to myself "modern games are so bad, i dislike them so much, i think i should've appreciated risen more, back then - i'll give the series a second try." and i lost motivation again, around the same progress point, for the same reasons, which i then remembered. chapters 1+2 are very fun, that's why i don't give only 1 star. i cleared the game for real, i collected all permanent buff potion plants (and so on), spending 96h. the whole game feels as if it was set up to become way bigger, but somehow the devs lost their motivation halfway through. once you arrive in chapter 3, you'll notice a difference in progress, a difference in treasure chest lockpick combinations, a difference in loot (e.g. there's barely a lvl3-chest without a open-lock-scroll inside so that you don't need to reproduce them and thus in return the devs didn't have to make up content where you'd get more - and blank scrolls are a truly rare material, as if they'd been forgotten). i also came to realize that i could've gotten through most of the game without spending a single skillpoint. around the end of chapter 2, you get so thick mana "+MAX MANA" rings & amulets, that, along with the 20 perma buff plants (which, lets face it, you put 2 into DEX-pots, 8 into MaxMana-pots and 10 into STR-pots, so you can already use every item ingame (given that you make use of amulets/rings for the useless bow) and will end up with 170-240 mana), you don't need skillpoints for anything but axe-combat lvl4 and fireball lvl10. doing so you'll swing the mightiest weapon ingame on max skill, but use it probably almost only for the endboss, because everything else dies in fire(balls). frost doesn't deal dmg, missiles are too needy. save your lifetime, skip this game.

I can already see how PB fanboys will downvote my review right into Beliar ream, as if doing that makes mediocre game any better. If you're new to Gothic and other games from Piranha Bytes, I'd suggest to start with Gothic 1, continue with Gothic 2 NOTR, Archolos (free mod +100 hours of playing) and then, if you developed much unconditional love to PB, try their worst selection: Gothic 3, Risen and step-kid Arcania what are my complaints? why such low rating? - old annoying mechanics carried over, I can't take it no more: screen shaking like in older Gothics, can't find free bed without being lectured and booted by peasants (and can't have own bed, like in Gothic 3), annoying weather (constant storms, flickers) - visually unpleasing. bad LOD, everything blurred to the point of nausea. together with storms, being wandering in a swamp in green mist, I can't recall any other game with such ugly visuals. probably Witcher 1. I'll take old choppy Gothic 1's looks over this travesty. - combat resembles Gothic 3 (in its stupidity and complexity), going melee is suicidal. as in every PB game it screws you with auto-lock on enemy. when you fight 4 critters they tend to surround you. 1 critter moves aside, game catches it and 3 remaining critters can freely attack you from behind. dodge needs double tap on direction key (folks, you don't mind doing double tap with a stick, right?) parry needs you to tap your shield key right when enemy attacks you. that's a mockery because if you're late you will be kicked in the nuts and will suffer big health loss. but if you keep shield weapon pressed and attack when there's an opening, you'll be fine. archery and magic aren't viable for controller (no aim assist) and that's a drawback since Gothic 3. G1 and G2 had nice system where you can stick projectiles and magic. - questing, world is tiny and on rails. you have no freedom and have to spend the beginning in bogs, fighting tough enemies or you won't progress in the game.

This game is FULL of gamebreaking bugs. As a hardcore Gothic fan, I have to say that this game is not worth a penny. Even in this final version there's A LOT of bugs, even gamebreaking ones. After 20 hours of gameplay I start to think about quitting before finishing. Not comparable with Gothic 1 and 2, in any way.