Risen 3: Titan Lords Update: “Back to the Roots” Means A Very Strong Tree, I’d Say…

Posted on August 6, 2014 by geelw

If this excellent video preview is any indication, fans of the first Gothic and Risen games will be pleased to see developer Piranha Bytes (and I love the way the announcer pronounces that in the video!) is taking Risen 3: Titan Lords back to the look and feel of those two games. This is another one of those games I’ve been dying to play because warts and all, I liked the Gothic games and Risen, warts and all. Granted, the pirate focus and the not so hot-looking PS3 version of Risen 2 was a bit disappointing to many fans. But it looks as if Deep Silver will have a nice little gem of a game when this ships out August 15, 2014 for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. I do hope this one’s in stock as a physical release, as I hate large games as download-only titles. Eh, I’ll poke my big head into a game shop around here and ask, as I don’t think Deep Silver will shoot over a review copy…

E3 2014: Risen 3: Titan Lords Trailer: One For The Fans Who Appreciate The ERPG…

Posted on June 14, 2014 by geelw

Here in the west, I’s bet most gamers only know developer Piranha Bytes’ Risen series from the two console ports, which weren’t great because on the visual front, they distilled a game made for a decent 3D card down into a somewhat mushy-looking mess with some interesting gameplay elements and quests of decent length and challenge. As with other European-made RPG series such as Two Worlds and to some extent the Gothic games, Risen seems to sell well enough overseas on PC to garner more installments and I believe the console versions of these games do well in Europe as well. Here in North America where some are a LOT more picky about visuals and take some elements of their games too seriously, the combination of so-so looks, comedy bits that may seem out of place and perhaps simplified for game pad control schemes seem to turn some gamers off, leaving these titles to find a more niche audience.

Now, I’m a fan of the Risen games on console, warts and all, but I can see why some aren’t exactly jumping off their seats at this announcement trailer. On the good side, at least Deep Silver isn’t calling this CGI trailer a “gameplay” trailer at all. Now, I want to see how this looks in action on whatever it’s coming to so I can pick it up and play it whenever it’s released. Which, by the way will be August 12, 2014 on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. The pirate theme from Risen 2 is gone and the more familiar “medieval” fantasy look is back, so that’s a fine start. Not that I don’t like the whole pirate themed RPG thing, mind you…

Risen Comes to GOG.com: Adventure (And Lots of Dying For The Impatient) Await!

Posted on April 3, 2014 by geelw

One of my favorite adventure/RPGs of the past few years is finally DRM-free and ready (once again) for its close-up. While the Xbox 360 version of Risen suffered from a terrible downgrade in visual quality, the gameplay was intriguing and challenging enough to keep me playing. Of course, the PC version is the way to go if you can run it smoothly with all the settings up, so here you go for a measly four bucks. While the game is shorter than developer Piranha Bytes’ Gothic games, there are a ton of things to do and places to go on that deadly island your character gets shipwrecked on. The solid sense of accomplishment you get from surviving those early encounters is bolstered even further as you take down enemies that previously caused you grief (and there are many right from the beginning of the game) and your character grows into a force to be reckoned with.

Anyway, I’ll shut up now and let you get to checking this one out. It’s a really nice surprise for fans of European made open world RPGs as well as quite the sleeper that should have gotten a lot more attention. As for Risen 2? Well, we’ll talk about that one later, as I still need to finish it one of these days and can’t say whether or not I like it just yet…

VGA 101: Xicat E3 2002 Games – A Few Canned Peaches May Have Been Prime Plums…

Posted on July 14, 2013 by geelw

From the vaults here, some of the canceled games Xicat Interactive had in the works for consoles, including Jane’s Attack Squadron for the Xbox and GameCube (!) and Gothic for the Xbox (!!). It’s really too bad neither of these made it to retail (I’d LOVE to get my paws on some Xbox debug code for either game), as it would have been really interesting to see how they played with a controller as opposed to a keyboard/mouse/flight stick setup. I’m one of those gamers who doesn’t care about tricking out a PC like a souped-up car or whether or not a game “needs” a certain type of control setup. If it’s fun to play and isn’t a glitch-filled mess, it’s a good game in my book. Well, we DID get Metal Dungeon, right? Little in-joke there, as that’s one was a like it or hate it JRPG (and most critics who played it hated it) that kind of played itself to some extent. Still, I did sink a good deal of time into that one as I HAD to see where it all ended up. Hey, not so good games need love, too!

Risen Teaser Trailer #2

Posted on October 2, 2009 by geelw

Hey wait… shouldn’t this one actually be Teaser Trailer # 1, given the content and “Coming in 5 days” tease at the end? Oops. Well, watch both trailers in reverse order then. Sorry ’bout that!

Risen is in stores NOW for PC. The Xbox 360 version is coming in 2010.

Risen Teaser Trailer #1

Posted on September 28, 2009 by geelw

Here’s a thrilling, nicely edited ad that has parts of the opening cinema. Makes you want to run out and buy this, huh? Trailer # 2 gets posted on Thursday, by the way. Risen ships out to retail shortly for an October 2, 2009 release. The Xbox 360 version is coming early next year and nope, there is no PS3 version as far as I’ve heard (unless that’s the reason for the delay… but I doubt it).

Risen PC Goes Gold, 360 Version Slips to 2010

Posted on September 19, 2009 by geelw

OK, that’s one down, department: Deep Silver has announced that the PC version of Risen has gone gold and will be hitting retail on October 2, 2009. The Xbox 360 version, however won’t arrive until sometime in 2010 (cue the sound of RPG fanboys ranting worldwide). While this might seem a bit of a letdown to fans expecting both versions simultaneously, it’s actually more of a positive sign in my book.

How so? Well, rather than stamping your foot as you type that angry e-mail or message board posting out to whomever, look at the delay this way: it gives Piranha Bytes ample time to make sure the 360 version is tweaked to perfection. Besides, the dev team can also use any constructive feedback from pro and fan reviews of the PC version to possibly add extra content (or possible patches) that PC version gets during the window from its launch to the 360 version’s release date.

It’s all about the perspective, folks…

Risen Box Art, Voice Cast Unearthed

Posted on August 13, 2009 by geelw

Did someone ask “Hey, where’s the Risen cover art? Well, here you go – in tasty Xbox 360 and PC flavors! Very nice indeed. Looks like Deep Silver’s big RPG is also getting some major talent in terms of vocal performances. I’m wiped out from spending all day at the Konami event, so here’s the beefy part of the press release all set for your reading pleasure: Continue reading →

Risen Hands-On (PC/Xbox 360)

Posted on August 8, 2009 by geelw

At Deep Silver’s recent press event, the second big game shown was Risen, a great looking third-person Action/RPG by Piranha Bytes, creators of the Gothic series. Kai Rosenkranz, the game’s composer (and Jack of All Trades) was on hand with playable PC and Xbox 360 builds of the game, presented in side by side format for comparison’s sake. While the PC version was running on a higher resolution monitor, both versions looked exactly the same in terms of details small and large. This was an impressive beginning to the presentation and it only got better. Continue reading →