Risen Demo

Gothic was one of the most legendary RPG series released on PC, mainly thanks to its great story-telling, gameplay mechanics and originality. However, the games usually suffered from a lot of technical difficulties at the time of their release, most of which were later solved through patches and fixes, put forward by the developers themselves, or by the dedicated fan base.

Risen is the product of Piranha Bytes, who are also responsible for developing all of the Gothic games and it basically features the same elements, but with a twists. Hence, a whole different universe is created for it, as well as new characters and locations for you to explore. Although it recommends itself as an entirely new game, much of its ancestors can be seen in the game as well, ranging from small similarities, to much more visible elements that bring back old memories.

Story-wise, the campaign takes place in a land called Faranga, where your character happens to find himself after surviving a shipwreck in the middle of the sea. Here, he learns that there are three factions that fight over who gets to explore the ancient catacombs that were recently discovered underneath the ground. As you might expect, you must join one of the factions over the course of the game, which is yet another chapter that closely resembles the Gothic series.

When it comes to the actual gameplay, Risen has been definitely improved and refined, especially if you happen to be aware of the tricky and frustrating combat system present in its predecessors. However, the basics are the same, since you still have to battle the creatures in real-time and advance your skills by spending the experience points into the desired attributes. Moreover, there are also a few professions that can be learned along the way, some of which help you become a master smith or a quick lock picker.

Visually, the game is certainly stunning, especially when it comes to the environments and the character animation quality. The special effects greatly improve the overall atmosphere, while the sounds and the voice acting have been nicely polished as well. Naturally, a lot of bugs were also present at the time of the release, but they are fixed by now and you can definitely enjoy the game in its entirety.

Risen proves to be quite the good RPG, especially since it brings the same elements together and might even cause a bit of nostalgia in older players. As a whole, the game is definitely worth the playthrough, if only to enjoy the story and the interesting events that are scattered throughout the land.