Risen

Just finished playing this, and with the exception of the final fight, it's pretty awesome. The environment in which the game is set is massive. I spent 6 days (of 24hrs) playing this. Modern games may have the gloss and the graphics, but this game reminded me of when games were fun and exciting! Recommended.

I really wanted to enjoy this game, I found it beautiful and it was the first game of its type I had played in a long time. But I found the best part to be running around the town talking to everyone and solving the quests, whenever I ventured out into the world I was horribly bored. The combat especially is horrendous. You can take advantage of it and defeat monsters you shouldn't but mostly get killed by critters because you can't be arsed. There are good games out there - Gothic II, etc. This isn't one of them.

Best of the Risen series without a doubt. I've completed this game about 3 or 4 times now and had a blast. Great music, world to explore and personally i lked the combat. It also has Lena Headey from GOT doing the voice for Patty! Recommened.

Risen is one of those RPGs where everything is created with attention to the detail. The lore and the quests are a positive example for other newer dull RPGs because of their realistic nature and creative structure. I rarely review a game, but Risen caught my attention being distinctive from other games of the same genre apart from Gothic I and II that were made by the same developer, Piranha Bytes. It is basically a Gothic game, but with a better design and a bug-free experience. For me, this is the only Piranha Bytes game that managed to create a truly original and interesting setting along with Gothic I. It has an open-world right from the start and the protagonist is just a guy who wants to survive the dangers of the Sicily like island he wrecked where a really fascinating Inquisition is also present. The guild-based progression system from Gothic I and II returns. Also the NPCs with daily routines and the exceptional voice acting are some of the main aspects that help the atmosphere to be a unique and realistic one. The graphics are simple and beautiful along with the atmospheric soundtrack. You can join one of the three guilds, each one with its own story, skills and outfits. You can train your character to fight with different types of weapons. Also the magic-skill system is very well designed and it is easy and enjoyable to use. You can also craft potions and weapons, but you need to be careful on which skills are you spending your learning points which are acquired by leveling up because almost every choice in this game is meaningful and permanent. The first hours in Risen can be quite difficult, but the experience is rewarding and after the beginning everything becomes easier without the engaging quests to disappear. If you haven't played Risen yet, you should give it a try because it will give you a sense of rewarding and accomplishment which will remain in your memory for a long time. (Nvidia PhysX needs to be installed manually)

The title Risen is chosen very well, as with this game, Piranha Bytes has risen from the ashes that publisher JoWood made of the Gothic series. Seriously though, this is a great game for fans of the old Gothic titles (1 & 2), It follows the same scheme: The unnamed hero is thrown into a rough and dirty fantasy world and rises from a wimp without skills to the saviour of the world. All the while he rises through the ranks of different factions and has blunt but often rather humorous dialogues with NPCs. While this formula works yet again and while the smaller, more detailed world is very pretty and fun to explore, the game does not quite reach the heights of the Gothic series IMO. Why? Because of the later acts of the game. The beginning is absolutely fantastic. You get to know the factions and there is something new and exciting around every corner. However, later in the game you spend a lot of time in caves and dungeons as you collect things (be that some mystical shard or pieces of an armour). Going back to places you already know barely holds new quests or dialogue from NPCs. Gothic 2 handled that one better and got the maximum out of the fact that PB games are structured into chapters. Nonetheless, Risen is an extremely fun RPG which will keep you entertained for hours. Just be prepared for a tough difficulty level (another trademark of PB games).