Review Review Extravaganza: Risen

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: Piranha Bytes; Risen

A couple of Risen reviews surfaced, although they refer to the console version.
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Game Critics keep a critical eye, <a href="http://www.gamecritics.com/brad-gallaway/risen-review">which translates to 8/10.</a>
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<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;">I could go on, but over the course of this review I've already described a litany of qualities that should win over players who appreciate mature RPG experiences with quality commensurate to the amount of time spent in them. However, there's no getting around the fact that first impressions will likely turn a lot of potential adventurers off. Clearly, another few months polishing rough edges would have been a worthy investment. That said, I'm not the kind of player who's blinded by low polygon counts and low-res textures. It didn't take long for me to appreciate the true value of Risen, and I have a feeling that those (like me) more concerned with options, abilities, and events instead of how shiny something looks will likely agree.
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He's not turned off by shit graphics. A fact that allowed them to get right to the true values of Risen.
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<a href="http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/122000-risen-a-half-baked-rpg-experience/">PopMatters doesn't like it, 4/10.</a>
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<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;">Tiresome sums up a lot of my feelings about Risen. There’s some genuine, classic RPG fun to be had here, and once you commit the time and energy to get your character going, the Pavlovian need to grind for XP and gold kicks in. But with its clunky combat, endless wandering back and forth, and dull storytelling, I don’t think that it’s worth the time or effort.
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Not worth the effort.
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And finally <a href="http://xbox360.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r36172.htm">GameZone scores it 7/10.</a>
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<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;">Risen was a pretty good looking game on the PC, but the aesthetic quality was greatly diminished in the porting to the Xbox 360. The textures are pretty muddy, and the character models are lacking. The whole game has taken a real polish hit in the transition, including the framerate, which gets pretty laggy especially in towns.
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The game’s sound effects fare much better than the graphics. The music sounds great and adds an excellent ambiance to the game, and the voice acting is spot on.
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Risen is a solid game brought down by a shoddy port to consoles. While there’s still a lot of fun to be had with the deep missions that foster exploration, the game’s technical presentation is subpar and there are some gameplay issues as a result of the move to the Xbox 360.
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So the bottomline seems to be that the console port doesn't quite live up to the PC version. Couldn't care less.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/97255-risen-reviews.html">The Gate to the Codex</A>

 

[TzapaSuckere]

I am so sick of all this shitholes talking shit about Risen. 4/10? 7/10? Then go play piece of crap DaO and give him 9/10.

endless wandering back and forth

It is quite hard to play it whitout markers on the map, Whoa?

 

[I.C. Wiener]

I liked Risen, and I would say that 7/10 is accurate, and andyhing above 8/10 would probably be overrating it. The game was pretty generic and not spectacularly well done or creative in any department, but kept me entertained enough to beat it.

 

[Sceptic]

It didn't take long for me to appreciate the true value of Risen, and I have a feeling that those (like me) more concerned with options, abilities, and events instead of how shiny something looks will likely agree.

I thought this breed of reviewers went extinct 10 years ago. I'm impressed

There’s some genuine, classic RPG fun to be had here, and once you commit the time and energy to get your character going, the Pavlovian need to grind for XP and gold kicks in. But with its clunky combat, endless wandering back and forth, and dull storytelling, I don’t think that it’s worth the time or effort.

Unfortunately the morons are still around. So this guy is telling us that grinding for XP and gold is one of the good things about Risen? Yeah I'm sure I trust his opinion on RPGs.

Risen is a solid game brought down by a shoddy port to consoles. While there’s still a lot of fun to be had with the deep missions that foster exploration, the game’s technical presentation is subpar and there are some gameplay issues as a result of the move to the Xbox 360.

Then buy it and play it on a PC, the primary development platform, and be done with it.

 

[Felix]

I liked Risen, and I would say that 7/10 is accurate, and andyhing above 8/10 would probably be overrating it. The game was pretty generic and not spectacularly well done or creative in any department, but kept me entertained enough to beat it.

They're always overrate "next-gen" games anyway, some more for Risen isn't hurt.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

endless wandering back and forth

It is quite hard to play it whitout markers on the map, Whoa?

Markers on map wouldn't reduce wandering back and forth (Thoguh I didn't notice this problem myself)

 

[Murk]

Are there no teleporter stones in the 360 version? As soon as you hit chapter 2, which can be done as soon as you pick a faction, you get access to the teleporter stones which take you to the 3 main areas - and shortly thereafter you start finding teleporter stones to each of the ruins.

I don't know what running back and forth he means otherwise... unless he meant in town.

 

[bhlaab]

Then buy it and play it on a PC, the primary development platform, and be done with it.

But he's reviewing the Xbox version

 

[Raghar]

Clunky combat?

I remember circling around an enemy for 5 minutes to avoid being killed by a single blow. Also running from two lizardmen and getting one stray wolf behind was cruel. Melee combat was something Risen did properly.

 

[Paula Tormeson IV]

It didn't take long for me to appreciate the true value of Risen, and I have a feeling that those (like me) more concerned with options, abilities, and events instead of how shiny something looks will likely agree.

I thought this breed of reviewers went extinct 10 years ago. I'm impressed :inclie:

He still writes like a faggot (which admittedly is difficult to avoid in polite English).

I wish everyone could read Finnish reviews: not just old Pelit reviews, but virtually everything I encounter these days is superbly written sarcastic poetry that's impossible to translate into English. Lots of word-play so confident you wonder if Joyce mightn't have had something to learn from the Finnish game reviewers. (Their time-lines didn't harmonize...)

 

[Felix]

The controls are easy and smooth enough unless you're retarded.

Clunky combat?

I remember circling around an enemy for 5 minutes to avoid being killed by a single blow. Also running from two lizardmen and getting one stray wolf behind was cruel. Melee combat was something Risen did properly.

No. Even Oblibion did it better.

No, moron.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Clunky combat?

I remember circling around an enemy for 5 minutes to avoid being killed by a single blow. Also running from two lizardmen and getting one stray wolf behind was cruel. Melee combat was something Risen did properly.

A combat system that allows you to strafe around an enemy for five minutes isn't quite done right.

 

[ksjav]

Fuck off, Risen has the best combat system in an aRPG.. evar
Not that it motivated me to keep playing after chapter 3.

Also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvWQr55LwRE

 

[MetalCraze]

Stats-affected action gameplay always sucks but Risen would be the better example because unlike in certain other games the character actually swings the weapon when you click the button.

 

[Kraszu]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM8O07SbULY
Is this considered as the best combat system?

Looks good, timing based system have bet gameplay, would be better if the mobs would try to attack you from diferent angles forcing you to control position, and where they are.

I hate press zxxlmbzx combos, learning to do combos fast is one of the most tedious thing in games.

 

[Black_Willow]

You all either mad or Risen's developers!
It all makes sense now...

Youa re dumb

 

[Darth Roxor]

Obviously, Risen's combat system sucks because it doesn't have regenerating HP and a cover system.

 

[Micmu]

Risen is quite good for what it is..ehm...a worthy Gothic 1/2 successor.
Unfortunately, it comes with the same flaw as gothics. Insanely shit last part. I think it's even worse than idiotic last chapter of G2.
Combat is good. Not the best but not the utter shit that came with "Gothic" 3.

It's worth playing. I must say this was the first game I played on my new machine and graphics are really pretty. I never had the privilege of playing Gothic/2 on maximum settings, now I did.

 

[MetalCraze]

Risen is actually the first PB game where they've managed to make controls and combat comfortable (and get rid of the majority of bugs before the release)
And yeah it looks gorgeous, just like all PB games.

 

[hoochimama]

I don't think that with such shitty controls, Risen was targeted primary to PC audience

Weren't gothic1&2 also intended for consoles?

I think Risen's combat system could certainly use some more layers of polish but it was much easier to jump into than the gothics' . A lock-on mechanic for melee combat is probably the way to go to eventually achieve good melee combat.

 

[catfood]

Yea, Gothic was originally intended as a console game but they suddenly decided to release it as a PC exclusive.

 

[Darth Roxor]

That's because PB are true patriots. Some of the last on the scene too

 

[Kraszu]

I don't think that with such shitty controls, Risen was targeted primary to PC audience

Weren't gothic1&2 also intended for consoles?

I think Risen's combat system could certainly use some more layers of polish but it was much easier to jump into than the gothics' . A lock-on mechanic for melee combat is probably the way to go to eventually achieve good melee combat.

What is good about lock-on mechanism? I rather aim myself. Meele combat should be about crowd control, and timings, precise aiming like in mount&blade is fine addition to it.

 

[Gobbo]

The power attacks ruined the combat of Risen.