![]() ![]() When a greater threat is eventually exposed and the story expands, you realize that you care about them and their fates. The local barmaid afraid to reveal her secrets, and a mother worried about her missing sons. The characters make an impression, such as the stubborn and manipulative Don. The upside to this slow start is that you get to know the world’s inhabitants. While island politics eventually play a large role in gameplay, there’s nothing initially compelling about the faction struggles, and it takes a while before the world opens up and the story takes hold. The downside is that the early hours are tedious and light on action. Risen’s first act drones on endlessly, sending you from one fetch quest to another (distribute these potions deliver this message find me some weeds) while confining you first to the swamp, then to the city, and then to the monastery. You are a nameless protagonist washed ashore on a remote island after a disaster at sea.Įventually, you find yourself in a dank swamp ruled by the infamous Don Esteban, a domineering rogue at odds with both the local monastery and the leadership of the island’s primary coastal town. ![]() Faranga can be truly beautiful, and it’s nice to know that your visual rewards are the fruits of your ingenuity (that, and your ability to spam the jump button as needed). Using a levitation scroll to access previously unassailable crooks and crannies has a certain zen-like quality, and looking out over the land and sea from the tops of mountains is simultaneously serene and empowering. Exploring Faranga only gets more interesting as your player-character gains access to magic. Backed by a dynamic weather system and surprisingly competent lighting effects, Risen sells Faranga surprisingly well. Usable, pickable plants are everywhere - a sprig of mint restores some mana, a green apple some health. Say, a pack of wolves attacking a group of gravemoths, or a clan of gnomes cooking meals and tending to their (stolen) homesteads. ![]()
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