Risen

Seems game is very good:

Risen - Review Flood #1
by Gorath, 02:08

Piranha Bytes' RPG Risen, this time for their new publisher Deep Silver, will be released in most countries on PC and XBox 360 later this week. Only the XBox version in NA has been delayed to Q1/10. Naturally, reviews are popping up everywhere. The following articles are in German, with one notable exception.

* Let's start with the print mags. GameStar uploaded a site-seeing tour split into 4 videos. Their review, not online yet, rewards Risen with 87%. "Risen is no unofficial Gothic 4. Risen is the return of Gothic 2. [...] The best Gothic so far [...]"
* PC Games says something similar: "[...] the title is exactly what Gothic fans expect." - 86%
* 360Live gives the console version an 8.3/10. Their 2nd opinion 7.8/10. They praise the captivating gameplay but criticise the outdated graphics and the small font size.
* According to GamePro Risen deserves 80%. "A fine RPG with lots of details, but also with a few quirks blurring the fun."
* GamesAktuell thinks "Risen has become a very good RPG [...], only suffering from minor weaknesses." - 9/10
* And now online press. DemoNews offers positive first impressions without a rating.
* Gameswelt likes Risen. "At the end of the day Risen does a lot [of things] right and few wrong." They like the usual Gothic formula and criticise a thin story, a couple of logic holes and minor technical glitches like sporadic clipping errors, incorrect camera position and frame rate drops in the city. - 82%
* Xboxdynasty gets the credit for the first roasting of the XBox 360 conversion. They say the game has some interesting points, but the visuals don't reach current gen niveau, which impacts the fun. "[The] graphics clearly kill the atmosphere and the mood of the game." - 6.1/10
* And finally an English article. World of Risen published a translation of their detailed Risen review. Clever as they are, the fan site left out the rating part. The piece is relatively spoiler-free and very informative. Especially the page about the technical stuff.

First retail copies have surfaced in Benelux, Russia and the US.

On a sidenote, we've made a couple of changes to our forums. We've opened forums for Risen, Dragon Age: Origins, Drakensang: The River of Time and the indie game Tactica: Maiden of Faith. If you feel like chatting about the listed games, you know where to find fresh forums in need of traffic. ;)
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http://www.rpgwatch.com/#13328
 
Let's start with the print mags. GameStar uploaded a site-seeing tour split into 4 videos. Their review, not online yet, rewards Risen with 87%. "Risen is no unofficial Gothic 4. Risen is the return of Gothic 2. [...] The best Gothic so far [...]"
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This means the world to me :)

Just two more days! TWO DAYS!!! Aaaaargh!!!!
 
Lycanthrope said:
This means the world to me :)

Just two more days! TWO DAYS!!! Aaaaargh!!!!
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So spill the beans how is the game!!! Remember to get some sun as well while playing the game. I find moving your desk to a sunny part of the room the best of both worlds. :)
 
Game is great. It really feels like gothic 2. Runs very well, no stutters like gothic 3.

The reviews seem to be mixed. PC version is being praised while the xbox 36o version is getting very bad marks. PC version was done by Piranha Bytes(developers of the gothic series) and xbox 360 version was ported by another company.

PC version averages 81 at metacritic (87 for users) while xbox 360 gets 57(47 for users)

Here are some reviews:

Risen - Review Flood #3
by Gorath, 21:36

Today's articles show a couple of trends. English reviews are very critical of the XBox 360 conversion, but they often neither put it into the context of the PC version nor do they mention for how many hours the game was played. German scores for the PC version are still overwhelmingly positive. The conversion is generally assessed as an equally good game, significantly held back by ugly graphics and an overall bad technical performance. Tests in other languages are somewhere in between.
It's easy to form a view on Risen for PC due the demo released yesterday. The XBox 360 situation on the other hand is less clear. Are the German testers too uncritical? Or are the early English reviews rush jobs by unmotivated, badly paid reviewers? Hard to say without first hand experience.

Videogameszone.de posted a gallery with screenshots highlighting the visual differences between both version.
PC Games.de offers tuning tips in German.

* Golem.de thinks Risen is a risk-free buy for Gothic fans.
* GameStar put their print article online.
* Spanish site MeriStation gives 8/10.
* DemoNews added a score: 86%
* GameZ.nl and Babelfish find strength and weaknesses, but still say: "be you a devotee of traditional RPG with fantasy-setting or Gothic-games in particular, then this a must is absolutely. " - 81%
* GamersGlobal.de rates Risen with an enthusiastic 8.5/10. "Risen does so much right that minor inconsitencies carry no wight."
* SpazioGames.it gives Risen an 8.0, I think for the PC version. It could also be a combined score though.
* Spanish site 3DJuegos reviewed both versions. 6.7/10 for PC, 6.5/10 on XBox 360.
* The highly critical 4Players.de doesn't like Risen (PC) and hates the conversion. 74% resp. 64%. Too bad a Deep Silver representative said they only received their review sample two days ago.
* Resolution Magazine writes about both version, but gives only one score. The author's 6/10 is worth a read. "Risen’s a brave, self-assured game that I’m sure a lot of people are going to really dig. [...]I’m not so taken, but my increasingly frazzled mind through endless streams of instant-gratification blockbusters might have something to do with that. Or maybe I’m just losing patience with minor flaws. Or maybe I’m just weird."
* Eurogamer.net reviews the XBox 360 version, also lists the PC platform and dishes out a 4/10. People in the comments thread are not amused. As you might remember Eurogamer.de gave 8/10 and 7/10.
* StrategyInformer strives for a balanced conclusion: "Lacking in polish and attention to detail, Risen still stands up as an absorbing and hugely playable RPG title. The PC version is inarguably superior to its console counterpart, this Xbox 360 iteration feeling somewhat unfinished and unrefined. Yet, for a sophomore console effort, Piranha Bytes has done a solid enough job in adapting an intricate role-player for Xbox 360, which bodes well should the dev decide to bring future releases to the platform." - 6.3/10
* GamingXP.de added an article on the XBox 360 game. They mention the usual technical issues. - 80%
* videogamer thinks "The issue is enjoyment. If Piranha Bytes hadn't designed Risen while giving accessibility the finger, then it would have had a chance of being a slow burning but absorbing RPG. As it is though, it's impossible to recommend. You're better off playing through Bethesda's Oblivion, even if it's for the 50th time." - "5 - Frustrating" (XBox)
* AllAboutTheGames says "It's a real rough diamond, it takes someone with enough patience to look past the jagged edges to see the real jewel at the core." - 3/5 (XBox)
* incgamers' conclusion is a real surprise: "If you've played Fable II to and are looking for an RPG distraction to tide you over until Fable 3 comes out, you could do worse than Risen. I'd just wait until the first price drop before picking it up." - 6.4/10 (XBox)
* RealGamer reaches a new low: 3/10. (XBox) Here's the most funny paragraph: "The thing that annoys me most about Risen is the brazen way it steals ideas from so many better sources and pretends that they are in some way original. After half an hour an experienced RPG-er will likely be suffering from severe gamer deja-vu: chests are hidden and opened exactly as they are in Fable, the item collection and filing is practically the same as in Monster Hunter, dialogue and character interactions are a very poor copy of the system used by Bethesda, the setting has been done a hundred times before and the whole thing ends up feeling like a collection of leftovers."
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http://www.rpgwatch.com/#13359
 
CrzWaco said:
So spill the beans how is the game!!! Remember to get some sun as well while playing the game. I find moving your desk to a sunny part of the room the best of both worlds. :)
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haha :) I love it :D

It's everything I wanted and more :3 It's challenging, it has depth, there's oodles of places to explore, the characters are interesting (Mendoza FTW!) and I really can't help but think it's simply an incredible game :)

GET IT!
 
Just checked the Screenshots its nice will check some game play videos before I take the plunge.
 
RPG_Fan said:
Review out for Risen at Eurogamer. Gave it a 4/10. Ouch.
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I have no idea how they managed to give it 4/10. I've encountered one minor glitch where if I enter one building straight on, I end up on the roof :p But if you strafe in, it's fine. There's one or two dialogue issues where the text doesn't exactly match the voice-over as well. My only other gripe is that I wish the world was much bigger, that there were more cities and towns to visit, but that's it.

How someone can take everything inside this game, the intricacies, the graphics (which I find incredibly attractive on PC), the depth of completion and, at least what I consider to be interesting characters and give it a 4 is beyond me. I think the reviewer simply has a personal gripe with the game.

Screenshots of the 360 look like crud though, so I can understand low reviews for it, but for the PC version to get 4/10? Rubbish. Gameplay is excellent, story is enjoyable, characters are fun and interesting to talk to, voice-overs were done well, even though you can tell some voices were used for multiple characters. Minor glitches and a smaller world than what I would've preferred are my only issues, and even then, at worst I'd give it an 8/10.

It's an interesting, fun, challenging and entirely enjoyable game. Yes, opinions will differ, but FOUR? I can't help thinking that reviewer found the game too complicated/difficult/whatever, wanted to get back to smoking his socks and rushed through it or... something. It just doesn't make sense to me, not even from the most neutral and unbiased stances even though, face it, I'm biased :p
 
RPG_Fan said:
Review out for Risen at Eurogamer. Gave it a 4/10. Ouch.
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The english version of euro gamer only reviewed the xbox 360 version. Also reviewer has no clue. He mentioned that you need to bash the a button for combat, that is why combat was difficult for him. Risen just like the gothic games is not a button bashing game, you need to block and wait for your opportunity and then attack. I also found it hilarious that complains that there's no fast travel. Have gamers and reviewers really gotten that lazy?? Also the leveling system is just different does every games leveling system need to be easy?

German version of euro gamer gave the pc version 8/10 and the xbox 360 7/10.
 
More reviews:

Risen - Review Flood #4
by Gorath, 14:36

Things are slowing down over the weekend. Only 11 Risen reviews today. Surprisingly several sites are quite fond of the XBox 360 version.

* GamerSyndrome tested both versions. "My final judgment on Risen is – a true masterpiece and one of the few games that deserve wasting your money on. Especially if you like action RPG’s and great stories." - 4.5/5
* VGSensation likes the XBox 360 port: "Once you get over how 'old-school' this game really is, it's an enjoyable game [...]. If you need a breath of fresh air or just a game that game pass hours and hours and hours of immersive gameplay, Risen is your 2009 choice." "Visually the game is just about par [...] though this takes nothing away from the core gameplay." - 84%
* Spanish site VandalOnline gives the XBox version even 8.5/10. They call the visuals solid and mention a couple of minor bugs. "Accessible to the inexperienced player, it will be deep for the veteran and enormously attractive for both as soon as the first passages in the game are [traversed]."
* Wonderwallweb's short article is less generous: "Risen is a big disappointment, it feels half finished and therefore quite broken, if you can persevere then there is a decent RPG underneath, however I get the feeling that only the hardcore may find this out." - 5.8/10 (XBox)
* GameCaptain.de says "Newbies will get an immensely entertaining RPG, which lacks the big story but compensates it by a tremendously intense atmosphere and original quests." - 89% (PC)
* French Clubic.com thinks Risen is "bon" and explains in colourful language "Le titre de Pyranha Bytes oscille entre grande liberté et fort dirigisme, entre réalisme et fantaisie, entre influence des choix sur la suite des événements et séquences fortement scriptées, sans jamais prendre franchement parti." They conclude (transl.) "Risen is a demanding title which requires to progress intelligently and with patience in its immersiv and interactive universe." Interesting article. (PC)
* Everything for Gamers rates it 8.2/10 (PC I think)
* GameOn.co.uk considers Risen a complete failure. It seems though that the author misunderstood a couple of things and especially the "pick up a stick and mash the A button until their dead" battles and the "infuriating" levelling system asked a bit too much of her. - 4/10 (XBox)
* GamesExtreme is neither enthusiastic nor disappointed: 7.5/10 "Despite those annoying bugs and some short comings, Risen is a pretty solid RPG that deserves at least a place on your shelf." (XBox)
* Areagames.de taunts that Risen shipwrecks. "Risen is a creative and technical declaration of bankruptcy." They criticise the total lack of innovation, the technically hopelessly outdated XBox version and an overall lack of production value. But: "Risen offers all strength & weaknesses of Gothic". (paraphrased) - 6/10 (XBox), 7/10 (PC)
* And finally GamesRadar / PC Zone UK writes Risen is "awesome". "All in all, there’s little to find fault with here unless you have a grudge against the Gothic series, or the occasionally crap voiceovers inherent to such games. Risen is a solid, engrossing and beautifully presented RPG that’s well worth your time and money." - 9/10 (PC)
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http://www.rpgwatch.com/#13376
 
Sounds almost like the one guy in nag that complains about inconsistent difficult levels in batman.
 
It's official, my biggest gripe with this game is that I want more cities and towns and NPCs to visit and talk to and stuff... I want waaaaay more quests and stuff too... I WANT MORE!!! >.<'
 
Well I'll definately be buying Batman. Uncharted 2, Risen, Assasins Creed 2 and most of all Biohock 2....cant wait
 
Lycanthrope said:
It's official, my biggest gripe with this game is that I want more cities and towns and NPCs to visit and talk to and stuff... I want waaaaay more quests and stuff too... I WANT MORE!!! >.<'
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I want a screenshot :p
 
wolf097 said:
Well I'll definately be buying Batman. Uncharted 2, Risen, Assasins Creed 2 and most of all Biohock 2....cant wait
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Sweet another gamer hey but wait... what about dragon age you can't let that one slip :D
 
I like the game, just it is a bit buggy... I am in the monastery doing my basic training, and trying to investigate the murder but I stole and item and now I cant complete jack :(
 
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