I bought Risen several years ago in a Steam sale. The first time I played I was stunned by the world detail, but put off by the combat and sub-par dialogue. I got frustrated and quit. I've repeated this process since then, several times, and never made it far enough into the game to find it really enjoyable. When I saw this release on GOG, I decided, what the hell, and installed it yet again, dialed the difficulty to "easy" and prepared for the same disappointing experience. But this time, instead of trying to railroad my way through the first act, I went a different direction and had fun with it. I played combat defensively, letting fights drag out while I noticed nuances in enemy combat style, mastered blocking and dodging, and spent more time poking around and exploring (and dying), hitting the F8 key every few minutes to quick-save. And I'm having a great time. The world only gets more interesting as the game progresses, and though the character models (especially faces) are dated, everything still looks stunning in a nostalgic kind of way. The dialogue also gets better as you meet more people. The voice acting is decent, especially from major characters, largely due to the caliber of talent in the pool. (Andy Serkis, John Rhys-Davies, Lena Headey... look up Risen on IMDB for more info.) I will likely buy the GOG release for the soundtrack. If you are on the fence and enjoy these types of games, $10 is a great deal for the whole package.
Amnesia is decent, but honestly I think the Penumbra games are better. The one thing I really dislike about Amnesia is that I feel the "scares" happen too often and in rapid succession. Sometimes I really just want to play the game without having to figure out how to dodge the next boogeyman. I remember Penumbra being much more subtle: when you encountered a Big Scary in Penumbra it was more "oh god no!" instead of "sigh, not again...". Also, Penumbra relied more on atmosphere and psychology for effect, whereas Amnesia relies on props and effects. The "insanity meter", while an interesting mechanic, triggers much too quickly and its relationship to light seems inconsistent at best. To date I've finished the two core Penumbra games, but after several attempts, still haven't made it past the first few "levels" in Amnesia. Amnesia's story, setting, and voice acting are quite polished though, and should I find myself with an abundance of time on my hands perhaps I will give it another go.
It freaked me out as a kid, and now its going to freak me out as an adult. One of the best atmospheric games I've played.
I have a theory that the level of anticipation, or expectation afforded to a game in many ways determines our perception of it when we finally get to play it. When I purchased "The Witcher", it was a $20 bargain bin deal on Steam, and I hadn't heard much about it. It looked pretty good, but I was generally skeptical and frankly, didn't expect too much beyond a decent kill-and-collect RPG. I was very wrong. "The Witcher" has every element that makes an RPG great: genuine characters, compelling plots, rich atmosphere, moral choices, strategic combat, a challenging alchemy system, powerful magics, and an epic music score. There are many fine nuances as well. Research is required in order to effectively combat, and harvest vital ingredients from, fallen foes. Complex formulas can be obtained that will greatly enhance combat and magical prowess. Characters may be swayed by bribes or gifts, depending on their preferences. Weapons and combat stances are combined in different ways in different combat scenarios for maximum effectiveness, adding a refreshing strategy element to the traditional click-and-slash combat systems of similar RPGs. "The Witcher" is a rewarding experience--I highly recommend it.
I picked this game up a while ago and wasn't expecting much from it. I finished the game in a few days and enjoyed every minute of it! It has good pacing and enough challenges to keep the player interested.
I was 17 when Baldur's Gate was released. I spent countless nights forging my way through the intricate plot, lands, and heroes of the Sword Coast. I had built a party that was a serious force of nature, and by the time I neared the end of the game, I was convinced I would be undefeatable. But like all tales of hubris, mine ended badly. It was not the myriad of foes, the powers of their magiks, or the gleaming edges of their swords that thwarted me. In the end, it was my own computer, which, running that paragon of operating systems, Windows 98, experienced a cataclysmic crash during the Final Fight. My games were unrecoverable; I had no backups. I have not played Baldur's Gate since... until now. GOG has given me a chance to redeem myself. I will take the challenge anew, begin the long journey from Candlekeep, and make sure that my backups are many and frequent. Thank you GOG. You do this old quester a great kindness.
