Risen - First Details and Screenshots

[Danutz_plusplus]

I didn't see a thread on this, so I'll post it. (Sorry if it was posted before) I found this on World of Risen. Pretty sweet looking screenshots. Looks like Risen will rock.:D

@World of Risen (http://www.worldofrisen.de/news_126.htm)

Screenshots:
http://www.worldofrisen.de/gallery_pic469.htm
http://www.worldofrisen.de/gallery_pic470.htm
http://www.worldofrisen.de/gallery_pic471.htm

Hi-resolution:
http://www.worldofrisen.de/images/gallery/e67b9f141df88b99dbb2561617e0fbcc.jpg
http://www.worldofrisen.de/images/gallery/2fbfdc5c0d370a32cdc58a887a36e6b0.jpg
http://www.worldofrisen.de/images/gallery/b898520b2be2e56da4e2f7e648745961.jpg

[Powaz]

Yeah we kinda needed this kind of thread! :]

[Danutz_plusplus]

Yeah we kinda needed this kind of thread! :]

You ain't kiddin. Man does it look sweet. And in case people missed the hi-res ones:
http://www.worldofrisen.de/images/gallery/e67b9f141df88b99dbb2561617e0fbcc.jpg
http://www.worldofrisen.de/images/gallery/2fbfdc5c0d370a32cdc58a887a36e6b0.jpg
http://www.worldofrisen.de/images/gallery/b898520b2be2e56da4e2f7e648745961.jpg

I love the first one. Really atmospheric. :D

[Powaz]

I love all of 'em. Check the birds in the third one :]
The ashbeast look dangerous... But seriously I wait for the PC screenshots.

[Danutz_plusplus]

I love all of 'em. Check the birds in the third one :]
The ashbeast look dangerous... But seriously I wait for the PC screenshots.

Yeah, I guess PC screens should look even better. :D All we need now is the gameplay of Gothic 1 and 2 to go with those graphics, music of the calibre that was in G3 (thank god for Kai :D) and life is going to be great again. :D I never thought I'd be this excited about the first screens from Risen. :D

[Powaz]

Man, I was simply at shock when i came back home from school and checked WoR (as always...). And saw there are SCREENSHOTS! They look fantastic, but I kinda want to see other places like the beatch more :]
Still the swamp is fucking great... I imagine a muckmonters ripping a careless adventurer... :D

[Demonium]

Yeah, I guess PC screens should look even better. :D All we need now is the gameplay of Gothic 1 and 2 to go with those graphics, music of the calibre that was in G3 (thank god for Kai :D) and life is going to be great again. :D I never thought I'd be this excited about the first screens from Risen. :D

Very cool and i am also amazed. But...
You forgot one little thing that sounds important...upgrading our PCs...

Sorry but its hard for me to believe that Piranhas engine with those graphics can offer a stable frame rate...even with top PCs

[Powaz]

Sorry but its hard for me to believe that Piranhas engine with those graphics can offer a stable frame rate...even with top PCs

Well after the game is done it's gonna be ported and Piranhas will have lots of time for polishing and making the game bugfree. :]

[Danutz_plusplus]

Very cool and i am also amazed. But...
You forgot one little thing that sounds important...upgrading our PCs...

Sorry but its hard for me to believe that Piranhas engine with those graphics can offer a stable frame rate...even with top PCs

I don't think I'll need an upgrade anytime soon. (Intel Q6600, 8 gigs of ram, ati 4870 1 gig ram). :D At least I hope not. :p

[scarlak]

I love PB to bits so i don't want to be negative, however, i had hoped they would show off the PC version to their true fans before catering to their new market in the 360.
It does look nice for a 360 game but i want to see high textures and AA applied to the screens, i really really hope the PC version isnt 'dumbed down' to cater for the consoles - it always seems to be the case.
Anyway im happy information is being released, while something in me had hoped for a PC exclusive it probably isnt a viable option in the publishers eyes and that is understandable at a time where money is hard to come by.

PC news next DS, please? :D

[Demonium]

I don't think I'll need an upgrade anytime soon. (Intel Q6600, 8 gigs of ram, ati 4870 1 gig ram). :D At least I hope not. :p

So you already did that upgrade i was talking about...That means i was right :p

[SlamDunk]

This was certainly unexpected.

Well, hopefully Risen is being made with the PC as the main development platform...

Nice screens but they suffer from bloom-overdose.

[TheDoctor]

Holy kazoo, that's hot!

No info about a PS3 version? :(

[Powaz]

No info about a PS3 version? :(

Sorry no PS3 version planned. :(

[Onisuzume]

Looks.... like it'll have nce graphics...
Now for the gameplay...

[RobinHood 13.]

If you see the trailer, it reminds me more of G2 than G3.
Especially that temple, thingy, and the "risen" in the end.
Maybe it was the music that reminded me of, the menu music to gothic 2.

[Powaz]

http://upload.worldofplayers.de/files/ralien.png

Look! :eek:
Ralf said it's another figure, but we will learn more of it later.

[Danutz_plusplus]

So you already did that upgrade i was talking about...That means i was right :p

Yeah, that 4870 really hits the spot. A tad more powerful than the 260 from nvidia, but much more cheaper. :D

On-topic: All we need now is some gameplay, and we're all set. :D

[Bamfy]

Is that a character or what?
I like the fact that even the screenshots are bringing answers,but also questions.(questions not regarding the graphics of the game)

[Powaz]

I think it's one of those "gnomes".


* There will be other intelligent races, but no elves, dwarves or orcs (!). Only one of the races will be peaceful, most likely the gnomes.

[Don-Esteban]

@Danutz_plusplus:
Thank you for riding roughshod over our work.
Could you imagine, this board is part of a website full with news and content about Risen? For example this screenshots (since 10 am). Surprisingly.

I edited your post.

[rekinu]

The screenshots remind me of Jharkendar. The atmosphere seems to be the right one.
As Danutz said, just add the gameplay, the music and we'll be happy again :D

[Danutz_plusplus]

@Danutz_plusplus:
Thank you for riding roughshod over our work.
Could you imagine, this board is part of a website full with news and content about Risen? For example this screenshots (since 10 am). Surprisingly.

I edited your post.

Sorry, I didn't mean to do anything of that sort. I just found the news on rpgwatch, with whom I have no relationship whatsoever, except for being a member of that forum also, and I didn't check the news section on WorldofRisen (I always just jump to the forums).

After seeing that no thread about the new screenshots was created, I decided to make one, and provided 2 links, to where I spotted the news item and to the news items itself. I honestly don't see how I stepped over your work, but if I did I'm terribly sorry. :)

[TeLovesc]

well yea the graphics are satisfying ! i dont want some super-duper-ultra graphics so those seem more than good. I`m sure than in 2 months we`ll find out the release date and requirements . Just need to have some patience !

GO GO PB !!

[alyn26]

Awesome. I love the attention to details. hey I didn't know WoG members are still members here. xD

[Delicieuxz]

Very cool and i am also amazed. But...
You forgot one little thing that sounds important...upgrading our PCs...

Sorry but its hard for me to believe that Piranhas engine with those graphics can offer a stable frame rate...even with top PCs

There's nothing technically exceptional about the graphics in those screenshots. I'd imagine that if you can run Assassin's Creed smoothly then you should have zero issues with what you're seeing there. Remember, it's got to run on the 360, which means a modern gaming pc should have no trouble with it.

[RobinHood 13.]

There's nothing technically exceptional about the graphics in those screenshots. I'd imagine that if you can run Assassin's Creed smoothly then you should have zero issues with what you're seeing there. Remember, it's got to run on the 360, which means a modern gaming pc should have no trouble with it.

Depends. I guess they will tone down the graphics on the 360. They can make the graphic in a way that you can run it on normal computers with low graphics, and high graphics on high end computers, or pherhaps they will make some alterations we won't see on the pc, like more load points if there are any.
I didn't care about the load points in G2, they were rare so splitting G3 in three would probably be better, as it would be easier to implent changes as you progress.

[TheDoctor]

I noticed something in this picture:

http://www.worldofrisen.de/images/gallery/e67b9f141df88b99dbb2561617e0fbcc.jpg

There is a peculiar plant far down to the right. Maybe that's a pickable one?

Has Ralf said anything about another plant-system combined with alchemy?

[Argenguy]

Great pics. The game promises to look great and I bet that it will look better on PC than on 360.

[KingOvi]

The screens are Gold, great. Looks like this game will be a kick-a$$ one,
now I can wait in peace, thank you Piranha ;)

[Argenguy]

IMHO, I go for the artistic beauty rather than the latest tech in rendering, the game looks up to the date, I won't feel old or outdated when it comes out (provide it will be released in 2009), like it happened with Gothic 2. Also, if the gameworld won't be as nearly as big as Gothic 3 in size, better for me, less PC requeriments. I prefer a small but deep, immersive world, rather than a huge, empty one.

[emperorzorn]

IMHO, I go for the artistic beauty rather than the latest tech in rendering, the game looks up to the date, I won't feel old or outdated when it comes out (provide it will be released in 2009), like it happened with Gothic 2. Also, if the gameworld won't be as nearly as big as Gothic 3 in size, better for me, less PC requeriments. I prefer a small but deep, immersive world, rather than a huge, empty one.

The PBs recently said that the world of Risen had already surpassed the size of G2,
and that we can expect an even bigger area underground this time.

Looks like they will expand the game area in multiple dimensions,
including deep below the surface of the island - that sounds awesome :D

[Danutz_plusplus]

The PBs recently said that the world of Risen had already surpassed the size of G2,
and that we can expect an even bigger area underground this time.


Really? Because in the recent Q&A with Pixelrage (http://www.pixelrage.org/articles/Risen-QA-with-Ralf-Marczinczik-Feature-325,0.html), Ralf said it is just a bit bigger than G1. And G2 was roughly 2 or 3 times bigger than G1.

Pixel : What size is the gameworld going to be ? Is it a long and epic game ?
Ralf Marczinczik : A bit Bigger that Gothic one- but definetly not as big as Gothic 3. And yes - it´s quite an epic journey with long hours to play around...

[emperorzorn]

Really? Because in the recent Q&A with Pixelrage (http://www.pixelrage.org/articles/Risen-QA-with-Ralf-Marczinczik-Feature-325,0.html), Ralf said it is just a bit bigger than G1. And G2 was roughly 2 or 3 times bigger than G1.




1) Wie groß ist die Risen-Welt denn nun geworden, verglichen mit euren Vorgänger-Spielen G1/G2/G3?

"1) How big did the World of Risen turn out in the end, compared to your
previous games G1/G2/G3 ?"



1) Kleiner als G3, etwas größer als G2.

"1) Smaller than G3, a little bigger than G2."


This was posted on the 3rd of December 2008.

Dont trust Pixelrage.
Always trust the Emperor ! :p

[Kostaz]

Is there any date for the demo?

[Lazor]

Some news from the German Bug-me thread:

Michael Rϋve just made clear that teambox.com (the one who published the screenshots first) made a "pure speculation" regarding the release date (Q4). So, since it's sure that the game is gonna be released in 2009, and after Michael's statement I can make my own speculation which is Q2-Q3 2009. :D

[Powaz]

Yep, doberlec said that too.
Still I think Q4 is possible. It takes time to port a game to a console.

[Demonium]

I believe the game will be released in 12-15 months...(end of 2009 early 2010...)

I hope they will release the Xbox version and the PC version together and not the PC version first. Because if the game will be for Xbox, then it will have very few bugs. That means the PC version will be almost bug free...;)

The demo? Hm...Autumn/early winter of 2009.

[Danutz_plusplus]

I hope they will release the Xbox version and the PC version together and not the PC version first. Because if the game will be for Xbox, then it will have very few bugs. That means the PC version will be almost bug free...;)

The PC version and the Xbox versions of the game will be quite different. At least the graphics engine will. The only things that will be kept the same, or mostly the same, is the 3D content. Xbox games, and console games for that matter, have fewer bugs because they only have to work with one hardware configuration in mind, and not cater to dozens of types of processors, graphics cards, memories, etc.

[TeLovesc]

Yep . My guess is that the game will be released in 10-12 months and the demo will be available next summer

[Demonium]

The PC version and the Xbox versions of the game will be quite different. At least the graphics engine will. The only things that will be kept the same, or mostly the same, is the 3D content. Xbox games, and console games for that matter, have fewer bugs because they only have to work with one hardware configuration in mind, and not cater to dozens of types of processors, graphics cards, memories, etc.

Hm...never thought of that :p

[Maladiq]

Indeed beautiful, but the world doesn;t look like a new generation rendered one. A good thing i think, that means the accent is not put on thousands of useless polys and effects

[MladjanDJ]

Sorry, I didn't mean to do anything of that sort. I just found the news on rpgwatch, with whom I have no relationship whatsoever, except for being a member of that forum also, and I didn't check the news section on WorldofRisen (I always just jump to the forums).

After seeing that no thread about the new screenshots was created, I decided to make one, and provided 2 links, to where I spotted the news item and to the news items itself. I honestly don't see how I stepped over your work, but if I did I'm terribly sorry. :)
I guess he's just pissed because first screenshots were released somewhere else, instead of at World of Risen. It's kind of a backstabbing, being that WoR is so loyal to PB, and the fans who are posting here daly, find eagerly awaited screenshots at the site called teamxbox. Although, PC screenshots should find it's way here first, it is only right to do so.
If somebody say that it's not important where the screenshots first appear, you are wrong, it's of great importance for that site.

[AngelOfGothic]

The screenshots are nice i cant w8 to play it.

[vivaxardas]

I love them! I wanted them exactly like this! I am sick to death with all those shiny Oblivionesque games. Can't wait to play this game!

[Bruell]

Just what I thought it will be, another breathtaking environment to play a fantastic game.
PB just got it down with creating the most incredible, atmospheric worlds.
Seriously looking forward to playing this one.
:)

[Argenguy]

I love them! I wanted them exactly like this! I am sick to death with all those shiny Oblivionesque games. Can't wait to play this game!

And I don't know why people still love that game. Morrowind was awfull, but atleast it had that dark atmosphere, and not that fairytale-esque, shiny, happy-happy joy-joy, feeling of Oblivion. Also, Fallout 3 also looks too shiny for being a post nuclear, futurist game.

[foobar]

And I don't know why people still love that game.

In theory, diversity is a good thing. Not all roleplaying games must be the same or have the same kind of atmosphere. It's quite okay to have some shiny games, too. In Oblivion, it wasn't the look of the game that made it sterile to me. It was the strange AI, the lack of voice actors (all argonians sound exactly the same; nords and bretons, too, etc.), the huge but mostly empty and boring world and the quicktravel (but in a sad kind of way, the latter one actually made sense because why would you want to travel manually through *that* world?). It's the same with FO3. The world is just an empty place dotted with a few settlements where the action is - and a few not so challenging monsters, of course.

I don't know if you played Drakensang. For those who don't know it: It is a classic rpg (turnbased party combat) in the world of The Dark Eye which was supposed to be the german answer to Dungeons&Dragons. The world in which Drakensang takes place also has that kind of of fairy-tale atmosphere. But it is not sterile; if you let yourself get involved that atmosphere can be fascinating as well. And some places really have a more threatening flair, too. Imagine entering a swamp. The sun will be setting shortly and everything is bathed in a dim, red-orange light and long shadows reach out to you as heralds of the coming darkness. And then the Undead come for you. EDIT: Here, have a Screenshot (http://upload.worldofplayers.de/files2/screenshot_4.jpg).
But there are also some places which are heavily influenced by the work of 19th century german romanticist. Quite a good mix. Of course, the game has its flaws but I think the atmosphere definitely isn't among them.

Bottom line: If every RPG out there had a dark and depressing atmosphere, that would be boring, too. It's good to have a healthy mix, within one game as well as across games. Oblivion (and FO3 which is based on it) just is a bad example because they made a lot of things wrong in that game (at least I think so). Hence, I'm not sure if it's possible to pin the sterility of the game solely to its shiny and polished optical appearance.

[vivaxardas]

Oblivion (and FO3 which is based on it) just is a bad example because they made a lot of things wrong in that game (at least I think so). Hence, I'm not sure if it's possible to pin the sterility of the game solely to its shiny and polished optical appearance.

You are right, Oblivion is bad not just because of graphics. Unfortunately, it is a very popular and a very profitable game. So here in USA it became a paradigm of RPG, and developers make their games similar to it.
Personally for me, Oblivion type graphic is annoying. Sterile and unnatural, unlike anything we see in real life (color and light parameters I mean). May be it is good for kids, I do not know.
Risen, even though sky is unnaturally white (well, I hope in PC version it will have a natural color), looks really good. Very mysterious. It is a kind of place I would want to go. I hope to have the same feeling I had when I played Gothic for the first time. It was so freaking cool!

[foobar]

Risen, even though sky is unnaturally white

BTW: Ralf said in the german thread that this is because they're still working on the shaders. So it's not supposed to stay that way.

[emperorzorn]

And I don't know why people still love that game. Morrowind was awfull, but atleast it had that dark atmosphere, and not that fairytale-esque, shiny, happy-happy joy-joy, feeling of Oblivion. Also, Fallout 3 also looks too shiny for being a post nuclear, futurist game.

I love Fallout 3.

But Fallout 1+2 clearly put it to shame.
Its no match for the earlier installments in the Fallout saga.

Games seemed to have an emphasis on fun and gameplay
before 3d graphics emerged and introduced graphics as the main element
of what defines a game.

Why are Fallout 3 and Oblivion so much fun ?

Well, they are the most indepth games we get in a time where the market is
flooded with crappy and rushed games.
Companies like Bioware, Blizzard and Bethesda still put time and effort into
the games they are making.

;)

[foobar]

I love Fallout 3.
[...]
Why are Fallout 3 and Oblivion so much fun ?
[...]
Companies like Bioware, Blizzard and Bethesda still put time and effort into the games they are making.


Oooh. Where can I get that Fallout 3 you've played? My version only had a main quest of questionable quality, spiced with some logical flaws and one or two side quests in each of the settlements. They didn't even bother with making guild quest lines as in Oblivion (where the guild quests where almost as good or even better as the main quest - especially the Dark Brotherhood quests). For a time, it wasn't even sure if they'd make a construction set so that the community could add some value to this game (as it did with Oblivion).

;)

[Powaz]

Why are Fallout 3 and Oblivion so much fun ?


I think using these words in one sentence is a crime :rolleyes:


Thus making it one of the most overrated games of all time. The original, unmodded Oblivion was, without a doubt, nothing out of the ordinary and should never have achieved the level of praise that it did - although I can understand how some people might have gotten entangled within the hype. Not only was the plot unoriginal and predictable, but the the very game seemed rather humorous and one-sided.

There was almost no real "role-playing" to speak of unless one initiated it themselves -that is to say, played a character a certain way even though the game might allow for more options- as every character could do everything without penalty or restriction. Why the hell would the thieves, who have very strict policy against murder and dislike the Dark Brotherhood, accept a member, if not the leader, of the assassins' guild -the aforementioned Dark Brotherhood- into their ranks? Why would the easily recognizable Arena Champion be allowed to waltz around in Dark Brotherhood amour or walk away from the scene of a murder without someone recognizing him or her? Why would a serial-killer be allowed to join the personal bodyguard of the new Emperor? Such questions are never answered, but instead we are supposed to rationalize that everyone is incredibly ignorant and incapable of passing along news and information (a function that even usermade modules have been able to implement without much trouble).

The level-scaling also detracted from the role-playing experience as everything and everyone was tied to your hero - I say hero because there was no "evil" option in the main quest, only the normal "you need to save the world" rigmarole. Oh sure, it's nice that your level one mage can kill a few things without being decapitated, but does that really need to extend to "bosses" and other high-level NPCs? For instance, read this description and see if it describes the kind of person a first-level charatar should be able to defeat: "The King of Worms, Mannimarco, is a powerful necromancer in Tamriel and the archenemy of the Mages' Guild. He was originally an Altmer and a Psijic, and a contemporary of Vanus Galerion. At some point Mannimarco broke away from the Psijic order (as well as Galerion, who went on to found the Mages Guild) to further practice his necromancy, and this is the point at which he actually first styled himself "King of Worms". From Scourge Barrow in the Dragontail Mountains, he has cleverly played all the political games and powers for millenia. His influences have even reached Summerset Isle, the homeland of the Altmer. The Sload, the necromantic slug-like creatures living in the Thrassian Reef, worship him as a god." Come on, are you really saying that a game that lets you kill some of the most powerful opponents, such as the aforementioned "King of Worms," at level one, with a rusty iron dagger no less, deserves an almost-perfect score?! Doesn't that ruin the entire world for you?

Another thing that bothered me was the focus on combat. Sure, we all like a little sword-swinging now and then, but does every encounter need to end with a bloody corpse or two? Why cannot the player decide if they want to kill the bandits or aid them, why cannot we choose to help the blackmailers by enticing more men to their lair? I guess you enjoy reading what you supposedly decided, but I think that any self proclaimed "role playing game" should at least try to let the player control the outcome once and awhile. Off the top of my head, although I will admit it has been some time since I played a non-modded version of Oblivion, I cannot come up with more than a handful of quests that actually let you significantly alter the outcome and even those are weak compared to any of the really great RPGs. Oh, but I was forgetting, there is that little mini-game you can play to influence people! I guess Todd Howard was not joking when he said "fantasy, for us, is a knight on horseback running around and killing things." Oh yeah, and did I mention the game will not even let you use items if they are flagged as "owned" - talk about breaking immersion and role-playing...

Talking about combat, it was not that great either - but I guess you could have predicted by now that I would have some detracting comment to spew out. All it really comes down to is sniping people from a distance, blowing people up with magic spells, or a combination of blocking and stabbing/blunting. I guess I must have high standards or something, but is that really a boring system of what? I mean, it may be entertaining for the first hour or so, but after that... well let's just say it looses some of its appeal. Of course spears, crossbows, and throwing weapons are not making an appearance in this game, I guess they were either too much work or too hard for Bethesda to manage after they spent all that time perfecting the gallons of blood that are seemingly kept inside everything you stab.

The AI is atrocious, although it is still better than some I have seen, and is more entertaining than formidable in most combat situations. Making guards fight each other, and anyone who started to help either one, is commonplace and easy to accomplish; while NPCs who are engaged in a task will often stand, or sit, still for you while you go on your murderous way. Oh yes, don't let me forget the mudcrabs - who would ever do that, their being such an critical talking-point in the world of Oblivion! Todd Howard says, "I'd say the "Radiant AI" system, and the NPC life. It's something no one has ever tried on this scale, and we're just starting to see how powerful it is, and how we can translate those NPC behaviors into meaningful gameplay." Yep, that "Radiant AI" is sure great - and, no, of course Bethesda, id est our "old friend" Todd Howard, wasn't exaggerating what it would be like before the game came out. Too bad I've seen much, much older games have more convincing worlds, maybe next time they'll get it right though.

Skills were, in keeping with Bethesda tradition, more dumbed down than the last game! Yes, your ax is a blunt weapon and one feat shall govern both daggers and greatswords! Isn't that logical! Oh yeah, we've also made it so anyone can take any skill and you really need X, Y, and Zed - so forget about making unique characters because they'll all end up similar due to our defective, simplistic system! Even things that showed promise, such as the ability to invest in shops, were squandered by Bethesda and turned into boring, idiotic experiences. But I guess you get what you pay for when you buy a game that was designed for, as Gavin Carter puts it, "...casual gamers who are neither 'hardcore' nor 'RPG geeks'."

Although there is more I could criticize, I think that I will let you have some time to defend Oblivion while i get something to eat. In conclusion, Oblivion was not a "bad" game, but neither was it a "good" one - and certainly not a one that should have been given "100%" by most reviewers. Now, if you are playing a modded game, things are different, but the original was nothing to laud.

I understand that for some people Oblivion was very fun, but I couldn't play it cuz all the time i knew that everything is wrong. The Imperial Province is a jungle not a forest... :rolleyes:

I really hope Risen won't follow any Oblivion kind of game.

[Rashnu]

Guys, why do I have the feeling, your recent postings have nothing to do with the subject at hand? :dnuhr:

Please come back to topic. Otherwise, I might move the thread to the Peanuts section @WoG.com - or at least part of it get moved.

[Godcrusher]

Well, i like 'em. A bit to 'tropical' for my taste but what the heck.

[UR1Z13L]

all this flora is gonna take a toll on my machine :d

[Bruell]

I do not tink It's going to be to tropical, as far as I gathered, there will be a variation of landscapes.

Until this one gets to the shelves, you might want to buy a new Computer anyway.

I also think since the screen shots are a bit preliminary looking, there are going to be adjustments to the density of the foliage. Personally I'd like to see lots of heavy foliage even if it means I have to upgrade to more RAMh