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What’s the Verdict on Risen?

huntsman1899

Literate
Joined
Feb 20, 2019
Messages
43
Been eyeing Risen and wanted to get the codex option on it. Is it worth a play? Does it encourage exploration with rewarding loot or is everything leveled to the player? Do you have to do the quests or can you play somewhat freely?
 

agris

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Apr 16, 2004
Messages
6,764
Coming from G1 -> G2 -> Risen, Risen isn't quite as good but feels like "more of the same". I haven't played G3 or any of the other abominations, but I think they're much further afield in terms of gameplay and mechanics than R1.

R1's finale is rightfully decried as awful though. It's downright terrible. I felt like I was playing a different game, a game inspired by nintendo or ski-ball magnates. It was quite disappointing given that the timing-based combat formula for the games is so compelling.
 

Master

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 19, 2016
Messages
1,160
Did you play Gothic?
Its like that, but in a bold move set on a tropical island. Which is a pretty unique setting for an rpg.
PB amazingly struck it gold three times, which you cant say for almost any other dev, let alone an rpg one...
 

Murk

Arcane
Joined
Jan 17, 2008
Messages
13,459
Gothic 2: HD revisit.

It's great, and has some really good voice acting + character moments, great exploration, combat is very fun, and yeah the end game kind of goes poop but that's a staple of the PB games at this point.

Really fun dungeons though with good traps + interaction aside form murder-looting.

Archery is easy mode, just like in G2.
 

huntsman1899

Literate
Joined
Feb 20, 2019
Messages
43
Is it possible to play as sort of a freelance treasure hunter/dungeon raider? Or is the loot all level scaled and dungeons off limits until you get the appropriate quest?
 

huntsman1899

Literate
Joined
Feb 20, 2019
Messages
43
What I'm really in search of is that Might and Magic and Morrowind experience of being able to go anywhere, raid dungeons for powerful artifacts using fun utility spells to solve dungeon obstacles. Preferably a first person rpg (I know Risen is third person but I"m running out of options). No level scaled loot, no barriers that require boring errand running for NPCs. Just pure adventuring and raiding. Starting to Might and Magic and Morrowind (and Daggerfall) are all there is.
 

Gord

Arcane
Joined
Feb 16, 2011
Messages
7,049
Well, it's not really this kind of experience, imho.

It's in line with Gothic 1/2. Very much worth playing if you like that kind of stuff, but the ending is indeed pretty meh.
Still somewhat different from MW or M&M - then again thhose are not that much alike either, so...
 

Barbalos

Savant
Joined
Jun 14, 2018
Messages
200
The loot isn't level scaled in Risen, it's all hand-placed AFAIK. You can run around doing what you want to, and there are lots of side-quests you can just not do if you don't want to. Obviously you'd be weaker that way but it'll still be doable. Different areas are sometimes gated behind main quest stuff though. It's much more focused and guided than Might and Magic or Morrowind for sure.
 

huntsman1899

Literate
Joined
Feb 20, 2019
Messages
43
Well, it's not really this kind of experience, imho.

It's in line with Gothic 1/2. Very much worth playing if you like that kind of stuff, but the ending is indeed pretty meh.
Still somewhat different from MW or M&M - then again thhose are not that much alike either, so...

No they are different in a lot of ways, but alike in that they offer the player the freedom to roam and raid looking for powerful weapons and armor in dungeons that aren't locked behind quests (for the most part) using fun utility spells. That's what I'm after. Wish there was more like it out there...
 

Gord

Arcane
Joined
Feb 16, 2011
Messages
7,049
You can roam around and much of the world is open right away, too (some places and dungeons will be locked behind quests, though).
But obviously a high-level creature will quickly rape your low-level ass in the early stages of the game.
And initially almost every enemy is a high-level creature to you. That's not because they get a bonus or malus depending on level difference, it's simply because you are super weak at the start.
As for equipment - most armor is given to you according to faction rank, which in turn depends on progress in the MQ and faction quests - that's typical for PB games.
Weapons you can find in the world, assuming you manage to evade the monsters around them, but it might be that you can't use them until you become stronger, I don't fully remember.
 

Reader

Scholar
Joined
Jan 28, 2018
Messages
191
What I'm really in search of is that Might and Magic and Morrowind experience
Preferably a first person rpg
Bard's Tale Trilogy is the first that comes to mind. Remaster is very good.
Maybe Realms of Arkania.
And i know only one modern game like Might and Magic -The Quest. But there is only one char. No party. You can choose a class though. Some like it, some not.
 

Sòren

Arcane
Joined
Aug 18, 2009
Messages
2,350
it's much easier than Gothic 1/2, it's lacking the whole "survival in a very hostile environment" part - at least to the extent that made the Gothic games interesting. exploration is not as good - most of the content is bound is to the main quest - and harbor town can't compete with old camp or khorinis. i never finished any gothic game, because i get bored after reaching a certain power level (the only piranha bytes game i finished is ELEX), but i think i lost interest in risen far before reaching that point.
but yeah, it's kinda fun (questing in harbor town, bandit camp and monastery) and it has some nice dungeon puzzles. play it, if you got nothing better to do at the moment.
 

Sòren

Arcane
Joined
Aug 18, 2009
Messages
2,350
What I'm really in search of is that Might and Magic and Morrowind experience of being able to go anywhere, raid dungeons for powerful artifacts using fun utility spells to solve dungeon obstacles. Preferably a first person rpg (I know Risen is third person but I"m running out of options). No level scaled loot, no barriers that require boring errand running for NPCs. Just pure adventuring and raiding. Starting to Might and Magic and Morrowind (and Daggerfall) are all there is.

nope, wouldn't say that risen is the right game for you. i think you can count the dungeons that aren't bound to main quests on one hand. the skyrim mod "Enderal" is pretty good in this regard tho.
 

toro

Arcane
Vatnik
Joined
Apr 14, 2009
Messages
14,031
Risen is the closest thing to Gothic 1/2. Also unfinished ... however definitely worth one play-through.
 

huntsman1899

Literate
Joined
Feb 20, 2019
Messages
43
What I'm really in search of is that Might and Magic and Morrowind experience of being able to go anywhere, raid dungeons for powerful artifacts using fun utility spells to solve dungeon obstacles. Preferably a first person rpg (I know Risen is third person but I"m running out of options). No level scaled loot, no barriers that require boring errand running for NPCs. Just pure adventuring and raiding. Starting to Might and Magic and Morrowind (and Daggerfall) are all there is.

nope, wouldn't say that risen is the right game for you. i think you can count the dungeons that aren't bound to main quests on one hand. the skyrim mod "Enderal" is pretty good in this regard tho.

Interesting I was curious about this one. So the dungeons are open to explore and reward exploration with valuable loot? Do they also feature good role playing and problem solving to bypass obstacles? How big is the game?
 

huntsman1899

Literate
Joined
Feb 20, 2019
Messages
43
I was looking at some of the first person D&D games (ravenloft, etc) and Realms of Arkania games. Would these scratch this specific itch?
 

Sòren

Arcane
Joined
Aug 18, 2009
Messages
2,350
Interesting I was curious about this one. So the dungeons are open to explore and reward exploration with valuable loot? Do they also feature good role playing and problem solving to bypass obstacles? How big is the game?

yep, there are very few dungeons that aren't open for exploration and they are much better designed than in skyrim, there are dozens of them too. loot placement is not perfect, but you won't notice that until late in the game. but yes, exploration is rewarding.
they changed the level up system from skyrim to experienced based with limited skill points and added some perks, it's nothing special, but not bad. there are some non combat skills, but the most important ones are for crafting.
problem solving - not so much. a few levers and switches here and there. you won't have to use any special abilities or magic in most cases.
pretty big. huge map and about 120 hours of content (or even more).
 

It Wanted to Purge

Guest
Risen for me was a mysterial adventure with blooms to grab, I eliminated the whole camp after I won in the arena, coz they to me they seemed a weak bunch after that.
 

huntsman1899

Literate
Joined
Feb 20, 2019
Messages
43
Interesting I was curious about this one. So the dungeons are open to explore and reward exploration with valuable loot? Do they also feature good role playing and problem solving to bypass obstacles? How big is the game?

yep, there are very few dungeons that aren't open for exploration and they are much better designed than in skyrim, there are dozens of them too. loot placement is not perfect, but you won't notice that until late in the game. but yes, exploration is rewarding.
they changed the level up system from skyrim to experienced based with limited skill points and added some perks, it's nothing special, but not bad. there are some non combat skills, but the most important ones are for crafting.
problem solving - not so much. a few levers and switches here and there. you won't have to use any special abilities or magic in most cases.
pretty big. huge map and about 120 hours of content (or even more).

Good info. Appreciate it. Really wish there were more RPGs that required thought and items and spells and unique abilities to pass obstacles and reach special places...
 

anvi

Prophet
Village Idiot
Joined
Oct 12, 2016
Messages
7,530
Location
Kelethin
I hate it. I hated all the Gothic games too. You can't be a mage because the games are too low budget for that. So you do the hack dodge hack dodge dance, all in a gimpy clunky German sort of way, and in a really generic fantasy world with no interesting locations. I can live with pretty much anything as long as the combat is good, but bad combat = no point. If you disagree strongly, you will love this game and all the sequels and all the Gothics, and the Elder Scrolls series will probably make your balls explode.
 

anvi

Prophet
Village Idiot
Joined
Oct 12, 2016
Messages
7,530
Location
Kelethin
I know, but yeah it really sucks. It is like just run backwards and shoot fireball.
 

It Wanted to Purge

Guest
nah it's an ok game compared to some, i prefer risen to witcher 3 for example. It's not pretentious rolling. you can roll in risen, but it's funny.
 

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