Xbox 360 gamers have enjoyed a nice selection of RPGs over the years, both Western and Japanese types. Risen most definitely falls into the Western category as it was developed by German based Piranha Bytes who made their name largely due to the Gothic series. The game takes place on the island Faranga which has a tropical like climate and also happens to be volcanic, which the game reminds you thanks to some crazy screen shaking every so often. As well as an active volcano, Farango also hosts human settlers, some strange animals and beasts and recently some ancient ruins which have appeared from the ground. Although the island might seem plausible, it is a fantasy game as the beasts you encounter come in a variety of strange profiles from Ogres to miniature Dinosaurs as well as wizards. After the dramatic introduction movie of a ship in a violent storm, the game starts with the player taking control of the main character who starts out with nothing which means it's scavenging time...
Gameplay:
The game doesn't offer much of a helping hand at the start, but it shouldn't take most gamers long to figure out what to do - get a weapon, search the beach and the dead bodies and follow the path. After spending a few minutes watching the same stiff animation of the character bend down and pick up about a dozen single gold coins, a few plants and other bits, it's not long before enemies start appearing. The hand to hand combat is a matter of pressing A to swing/attack and B to parry/block. At first it seems easy enough to dispose of a large bird which is attacking, but the combat system is something which holds the game back. You have the option to 'lock on' to your target with the right trigger, that means if the enemy sidesteps a little, the character will still remain focused on the enemy. I say sidestep a little, because it only works if the enemy moves a small amount, if they decide to do a complete side jump (not available to the players character) then they will be on your flank and should they choose to attack quick enough, there's little chance of being able to turn in time and defend. The lock on system also seems to lock on to whoever is closest, so if there are people around you or other enemies or even allies, its far too easy to lock on to them, losing the player valuable time. Another problem which is far too common is getting outnumbered and ganged upon. Enemies in the first hour of the game become too problematic because if there is more than one, fighting is hard as you can only lock on to them individually, so a flying moth can fly to your exposed side and attack you. Sourcing armour seems impossible until later on as well, so after three or four hits that's it. At times like these it feels like the game is against you, and getting flattened by some mutated hovering moths it's almost insulting, especially since they stay there fluttering over your dead body. Taking your character down the mage route doesn't necessarily solve the combat problems either, as fighting with weapons sometimes has to be done. The archery aspect didn't seem to warrant the time and money spent on equipment for the damage it does, plus once an arrow is gone, it can't be recovered, which is a shame and a chore.
The game borrows many elements found in most RPGs such as looting dead bodies, lock picking but also a few other quirks like gathering materials to forge your own sword at a blacksmiths. There is of course an abundance of quests/mini-quests to take part in whether it's helping a farmer kill some wolves or collecting protection money as well as the main storyline missions. To find quests, asking around towns or settlements is the way to go, unsurprisingly. Some people will simply answer back with an insult or a grumble but a number will have more to say which opens up dialogue options where you can get information or be given a task. A lot of locals will have an allegiance either to 'Don Esteban' or the Inquisition with plenty of bitching going on from both sides towards each other, but listen carefully as a lot of quests will rely on siding with one of them. The player can choose who to support and after trust is gained, they will be accepted which allows for further training. Items and such that are obtained can be used through one of the menus accessed through the D-pad along with the map, quest details and stats. Not a major complaint, but there are a lot of boxes and sub-menus which can make navigation a little tedious with an analogue stick.
The game world itself is a reasonable size, however fast travel is restricted to the use of magic stones in certain places. Exploring the island can be a delight at times, wandering through dense green vegetation to discover ruins or along the coastline to find an abandoned house with goodies inside. The island seems well designed in this way and it has a nice feel but it can change in an instant, unfortunately, if you happen to run into some of the native creatures. Again this is where it feels like the game has something against you, the odd enemy is expected, but in just a short distance several types of enemy can be found and within that there could be a pack of wolves, a few moths which means a large number of resources is required to get by and since there are so many, simply running through doesn't always work. Experience points are gained for quests and slaying enemies but don't expect instant boosts as they must be used to get your character trained in different skills.
Graphics:
The visuals in Risen are hit and miss, but sadly they miss the mark a lot of the time. The game doesn't look brilliant, certainly nothing which should be too taxing on the console; however you can be running along with nothing interactive in sight and be hit with shocking frame-rate problems. Some of the textures are terrible, but it's easy to be distracted thanks to some nice bloom effects from the lighting. Sometimes exploring caves, they were just too dark, even playing in a dark room with standard brightness. Don't be surprised if going to a bed in game and sleeping until morning is needed just to get some sunlight to see what's going on in the player's surroundings. Having seen the screenshots before the game's release, it was a little disappointing to find what was in the final version.
Audio:
As you explore the island, the game will play some soothing acoustic guitar background music which compliments the pleasant atmosphere nicely. There's nothing that really stands out about the soundtrack, but it fits well given the style of the game. The voice acting for the most part is solid, there is plenty of dialogue and it seems fairly straight to the point most of the time, although it seems many of the characters you speak to live seemingly dull lives as there isn't much emotion or excitement in their voices. The quality of the speech is good and there is an abundance of information to discover if you're committed to listening.
Longevity:
As with most games in the Role Playing genre, the time for completion can vary wildly depending on the players interest levels. Speaking to everyone and taking on all side quests, exploring ruins and buildings searching for items plus the main storyline would require a fair amount of hours plus the fact that the game is quite slow paced in the beginning, it seems like an epic game in terms of time.
Overall:
As an average RPG fan, fun moments in Risen came in doses and to get to them, it required some patience which includes saving lots, various boring missions and taking plenty of damage. The visuals don't seem like a big problem, regardless of the low textures in places as the game looks pretty enough for a fantasy tropical island. The story is solid even if it is nothing special, and there's plenty to explore to your hearts content. The combat though just makes things too frustrating, especially at the start before the player gets to specialise and start more advanced training. It's hard to recommend this to anyone but hardcore RPG fans, perhaps that's who the developers were targeting, but surely even they will be scratching their heads at what seem to be elementary flaws in a game which could have been much better.
