The PC Version of Risen that was released back in 2009 heralded rave reviews from many; so when it was announced that the same game was set to release in 2010 for the Xbox360, I was very excited to give it a go. With high hopes and excitement, I eagerly volunteered to review the 360 version only to find myself highly disappointed. The details, graphics and storyline of Risen are beautiful. The concept was promising. The actual gameplay and technical aspects of the game – failed.
About the Game
The gameplay of Risen is a non-linear progression in where players can take on as many quests as they like, in whatever order and with NO time limit. Regardless of when you complete these quests, each will tie into the storyline in some way. Risen’s world also boasts the fact that there are no locked areas and where you go is your decision. Want to explore for a few hours rather than focus on the story-line? No problem. If there are story-dependent areas you come across, the developers of Risen took the approach of creating massive monsters to bar your way rather than invisible walls that have you bumping a few times against it like a fly at a window. (Try walking into the ocean, you’ll see a quick example of their humor and creative way of solving barrier problems.)
The story of Risen tells of an island inhabited by humans and creatures where the gods were cast out only to be replaced by ruins that rose from beneath the earth and unleashed a terror that now plagues the residents. The island inhabitants are unable to leave the island, which is under the thumb of the Inquisitors. Even if you could escape, the storms that surround the land would crush you.
Your character was a stowaway on board an Inquisition ship that was wrecked by a great storm. You awake to find yourself on a beach surrounded by bodies. Eventually, you come across Sara – another survivor. As you proceed inland, you begin to learn more about the struggles of the people – both from the creatures and amongst themselves. You will have a choice on which side you may fight on – each with their own agenda.
As the story progresses, we begin to unravel the secrets about Faranga – the raging storms that never move inland, the price humanity is truly paying after the banishing of the gods, and about the Volcano Keep and the Titan Lord, Ursegor. (Ursegor was once a human who had sought to control the power of the titans but ended up imprisoned in the Keep.)
The Factions
Don Esteban’s Bandits are a group of outlaws who had previously controlled the island but were ousted by the Inquisition. They are rebels and fight to regain what was once theirs.
The Inquisition are soldiers who came to the island in order to explore the mysteries of the rising ruins. They gained control of the island and are now the governing body.
The Mages (Monastery) were once the former protectors of the island. Now they are commanded by the Inquisition.
Gameplay:
First the good news.
Risen’s seamless environment was a bonus. Being able to just travel anywhere in Faranga without breaking away from the game to load a specific environment was awesome. I’m always looking at how easily a game is able to immerse a player and also on how they maintain that. Keeping the setting flowing was a definite thumbs up. And don’t be fooled – just because it is seamless doesn’t mean it is repetitious and all the same textures, creatures, brush, etc.
I also enjoyed the realistic movement through water as the developing team applied the laws of resistance to how a character should move through certain depths of water. It could be a little tedious when you are trying to just get through a certain area to search – but details are details and I have to admire this one.
Another notable liking was the constant things you could pick up and scavenge. Whether from chests, items laying about the ground, to the bodies of enemies after you’ve just wiped the floor with them – you could find a lot of interesting and useful items. But beware! Sure you can rob a person after you’ve knocked them out cold or killed them, but realize that they can do the same to you.
Something I was delighted with was the amount of stuff you can carry in your bag. How much you wonder? As much as you want! The infinite bag of holding isn’t something I expect in all games, but an extra enjoyment when I come across it.
Now for the bad news….
I so desperately hoped that this would be an RPG game I could just shower love on…unfortunately that is not the case. Although there were detailed features that I enjoyed, the amount that I did not enjoy killed the experience overall.
One of my major dislikes about the workings of the game was in regards to searching and picking up items – whether off the ground or from an enemy. I could have gotten past having to put away my weapon every time I picked something up, if that was all there was to it. My own personal preference would be to be able to keep my weapon out regardless of picking up an item, but that is not really the gripe; but rather, the fact that I had to keep my weapon sheathed in order to even “see” if there were items to pick up.
When you are in an area (which is pretty much all of Faranga) where you could get attacked by anyone or anything at anytime (especially if you are not paying attention to your surroundings 100% of the time) – having your weapon drawn is pretty much a must. It wouldn’t have been so bad except the “lag” of the controls…which brings me to another three complaints – the control response, the setup, and camera movement.
The control response is bad. It seemed the game would lag here and there to the point where you could be near half-dead before you were able to unsheathe your weapon, locate your enemy (which ties in with the camera issues) and hit back at your attacker. I found especially near the beginning when I was trying to talk to Sara (the survivor you find on the beach after the storm and shipwreck) that it would take several tries and several positions (to add to that frustration) before you could engage her to talk.
The setup of the controls was one I just could not get used to. I play a large variety of games in different genres and platforms with varying control setups and there are very few that get on my nerves so badly that I have to say something about it. The controls for fighting didn’t bother me so much, but the way you pulled up and searched through your inventory, pulled up your maps, quest information, and skills was just annoying, to put it simply.
My biggest issue, really, is the camera. The camera is insanely touchy. With just a small touch, your camera can just do a complete 180. I tried to go through the menu to adjust camera settings – but found that option lacking. Trying to navigate through tight areas or try to focus on an item was a task on its own; not to mention the constant shaking of the camera. I know that Faranga is a volcanic island and common sense says there would be some quakes, but I found it too much. I’ve never had an issue with motion sickness from games, but the combination of the touchy camera movement whipping back and forth and the sudden and long shaking of the screen replicating a quake…well, there were a couple of times I started feeling a little nauseous.
Although you can talk to numerous NPCs, the interaction was choppy – especially your first interaction with Sara. You get to overlook it, but with the details that can be found in Risen and in their cinema clips, I was expecting better. A bonus to this though, was the inclusion of not only choosing your character’s response, but having them follow through in their own tone and voice.
Review Conclusion:
If they were to do a second Risen, I would love to give it a go in hopes that the few issues I listed would be corrected. As said previously, the storyline, concept, and visuals were a complete joy, but was destroyed by the technical side and handling of game-play as translated to the XBox 360.
