Support NeoGAF

[Moff]

Piranha Bytes, the creators of Gothic and Risen, return to their origins with a new, classic RPG. Risen 3: Titan Lords pulls the player in to a hand-crafted role-playing world full of rugged charm where every decision changes the course of the story. Risen 3: Titan Lords is set for release in August 2014 for the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system as well as Windows PC.

The key element of the cult Gothic series as well as Risen is the vivid world and the freedom to explore it. The world of Risen 3: Titan Lords will be diverse, authentic and full of life, providing the player with an authentic, classic RPG experience.

Platforms: PC (Windows), Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Release date: August 12 US, August 14 EU Boxed Versions, August 15 EU Steam
The boxed PC Versions are completely DRM free, but only available in Europe.

Facts & Features:

• Freely explore a huge open world, playing different parts of the game in the order you wish and shape your unique adventure and character; take on quests at your leisure, each which will have different ways to tackle them and with different outcomes.
• Discover quests and characters as you traverse this world in a variety of ways from swimming to climbing; quaint medieval-style towns to deep into the dank dark of mines, to the supernatural shadow world, there is much waiting to be explored.
• Risen 3 - Titan Lords is made for players looking for a more classic experience, that hearkens back to the day when games refused to hold your hand and left your path and destiny up to you.
• Enhanced combat: Featuring a revamped fighting system, with new animation systems in place that add nuance to the fights.
• Crystal magic has returned, bringing with it devastating new combat abilities; Wield elements such as lightning, fire and ice to obliterate your foes, or make use of a multitude of additional magical skills to aid you in exploration - the choice is yours.
• Choose to ally yourself with one of three distinct guilds, each offering unique skills, armories and quests allowing you to approach your adventure in very different ways. Discover additional factions that exist to bend the balance of political power in the world, each with their own agenda for you to uncover. Be careful which characters you trust – some might ally with you with the intent of fulfilling their own sinister plans.

Story:

The world of Risen 3 is abandoned by all gods and suffers from the Titan Wars when a new threat rises from the soil. A young warrior is attacked from the shadows and deprived of his soul. He sets off to reclaim what is lost amidst the darkness that is spreading throughout the world. The banned Mages could be powerful allies on his quest. To get their help, he needs to find the Mage sanctuary on Taranis, also known as the Island of Thunder. Protected by the Guardians, the Mages search the mines of Taranis for crystals loaded with magic energy. Will the player join the Guardians to get in contact with the Mages? Or will he choose one of the other guilds in Risen 3 to reach his goals?

The magic is back:
Magic was banned in the world of Risen 2, but finally it is unleashed again. Magic has always played a prominent role in Piranha Bytes Games. Not only being very strong in combat, but magic allows you to influence NPCs, the world, makes you fly, lets you open locks and many other things. While everyone can cast all schools of magic with consumables, each faction in Risen 3 can master one school of magic.

The Factions:
As usual in Piranja Bytes games, you can join one of several opposing factions, each with their own goals, equipment, quests, NPCs and storylines.
Factions Trailer

Demon Hunters:

Their magic is

Spoiler

Rune magic which consists of mostly summoning spells.

German let's play for the demon hunters

The Demon Hunters are revealed to be a collection of dark knights, bound to an ancient pact, and fitted with the best equipment, weapons and armor, that man can make. In the open-world game, the Demon Hunters faction wants to restore the Bay of Iron and its massive citadel to their former glory.

Guardians:

Their magic is

Spoiler

crystal magic, which consists of mostly classic spells like fireballs, lightning etc.

German Let's play for the guardians

Exiled to an extensive abbey in the mountains of Taranis, the old circle of wise men continue their experiments to create an enchanted weapon that can defeat the enemy Titans and set an end to the everlasting conflict. Armed with a private army of former soldiers, the Guardians Guild offers players training in the powerful magical arts and provide increased combat expertise if you choose to advance in the ranks. Players can gain access to exclusive armor from this proud order, and boost an array of magical spells to the limit.

Pirates:

Their magic is

Spoiler

voodoo, as known from Risen 2.

Not much is known, yet, about this faction. Possibly the player starts out as a pirate, similar to the start in Risen 2.

Media:

The "back to the roots" trailer gives an excellent impression on the features of the game
The Risen 3 CGI Trailer
Deep Silver streaming about 1 hour of direct gameplay
Deep Silver streaming another hour of direct gameplay
Third Deep Silver stream
Fourth Deep Silver stream
(German) HD Video with many (early game spoilers) cut scenes and a little combat

Reviews:
game-over.com 92%

-For every reason I play RPGs (big decisions, interesting characters, fun gameplay, immersive exploration), Risen 3 hits every sweet spot.

Hookedgamers 8.9

-Risen 3: Titan Lords oozes atmosphere and serves as a reminder that this type of roleplaying game is absolutely timeless. All you need is great gameplay, a decent storyline and a rich, varied open world in which every time you turn in a new direction a new adventure awaits.

PC Gamer US (83%)

-Combat quibbles and muddy graphics do little to spoil the fun of this enjoyable RPG.

savingcontent.com 4/5

-Risen 3: Titan Lords is full of weirdness, minor flaws, and combat that can be cheesed. But there’s so much to this world to explore and an endless number of quests that’ll make your head spin.

Strategyinformer 8/10

-Despite still having a few issues Risen 3: Titan Lords is a vast improvement on Risen 2.

Cramgaming 8/10

-If you’re a fan of action role playing games, then there’s a lot to like about Risen 3 which offers some pleasant and open ended adventuring.

Gamespot 7/10

-Risen 3 has the potential to sweep you away, provided all that driftwood doesn't keep you at shore.

TPreview 7/10

-Overall Risen 3 is an entertaining RPG. It doesn’t innovate or set any new standards, but it is fun and much more challenging than the standard fare.

Gameinformer 7/10

-While Risen 3 doesn’t have great combat or an enthralling story, there’s a lot of content to delve into for those hungry for an open-world action/RPG, and that might be enough to entice fans to give it a try.

Eurogamer 6/10

-It's just a shame that such a fundamental feature as combat takes the shine off what could have been the sequel to make Risen popular beyond its small audience of devotees.

IGN 5.2

-It's fun to fight in Risen 3: Titan Lords, but other important elements of the experience fall far short of acceptable.

Escapist 2/5

-Bloated in the mission department, threadbare everywhere else, Risen 3: Titan Lords is cobbled together from rehashed material, and the series' many flaws are enhanced a hundredfold in the process.

Day One DLC:
Fog Island: A stranded Inquisiton raiding party is searching for new territory in a world where madness seems to spread. Help them unveil the deadly secret found on this island.
Uprising of the little guys:Goblins and Gnomes are fighting for supremacy on the Isle of Thieves. Save the Gnomes and their culture from impending annihilation.
Adventure Garb: The Adventure Garb not only protects you from the elements, it also helps you to defy the unkown dangers found in the unkown wilderness or shady harbour taverns.


Versions of the game:

The Standard "First Editions" for PC, XBOX360 and PS3 include all day one DLC
The DRM- Free Boxed PC Version of the game is only available in Europe. Everyone else needs to get it on Steam.

The PC "Collector's Edtion" includes:

• Steelbook with Risen 3 First Edition (DRM-free) including Soundtrack
• Art-Box without any Age Restriction Logos
• Colored Manual
• Risen-Universe-Almanach (Hardcover)
• 9 Art-Cards
• Poster (Double Sided)
• Risen 3 Map

The "Limited Shadow Lord Edition" includes a CE Version of the game, plus:

• Shadow Lord-Figurine (ca. 19 cm, handpainted)
• Risen 3 – Medal (Metal)
• Numbered certificate of authenticity
• Papercraft Gnome
• Risen 1 & 2 (DRM-free) including Soundtracks in Art-Digi-Pack

System Requirements

Minimum:
OS: Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8
Processor: 2.4 GHz Dual Core Processor
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: Radeon HD 3850 or GeForce 9600 GT, VRAM 512MB
DirectX: Version 9.0c
Hard Drive: 8 GB available space
Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c Compatible

Recommended:
OS: Windows 7 (64-bit), Windows 8 (64-bit)
Processor: Intel Core i5 at 2.5 GHz or better or AMD Phenom II x4 940 at 3.0 GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 470 or AMD Radeon HD 5850, VRAM 512MB
Hard Drive: 8 GB available space
Sound Card:

 

[eznark]

Awesome, had no idea this was out next week.

 

[Corleth the Fey]

Excellent work. I'm really looking forward to this next week. This is looking much improved over Risen 2.

 

[SlasherJPC]

Great job OP. I'm currently playing this on steam! Not much longer now till release.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Spent a whole lotta time with Risen 1. This is giving me the same feel and hopefully scratches the same exploration itch.

 

[Corleth the Fey]

Great job OP. I'm currently playing this on steam! Not much longer now till release.

Ya lucky bugger!

 

[JohnGrimm]

Looking forward to the impressions and the performance thread(s). If all seems good, I'll get it the week after launch.

 

[jesu]

I enjoyed the first 2 on the 360, even with the crap graphics and awful framerate.
Is there any 360 footage out there yet?

 

[FACE]

I hope this is more Gothic 2 than Risen 2.

 

[blackjaw]

How is this compared to Risen 2? More polished?

I liked the concept and story but Risen 2 was a pile of garbage in my opinion.

 

[Corleth the Fey]

I enjoyed the first 2 on the 360, even with the crap graphics and awful framerate.
Is there any 360 footage out there yet?

I haven't seen any last gen footage. Having seen the PC version in streams at max detail - it does look like Piranha Bytes have a game that could look decent on consoles. If they port it well.

They are doing the console versions themselves this time. I don't know if that's good or bad. At least it's them this time. No one else to blame!

 

[Gothos]

I got a feeling this might be an awesome RPG. Hope I'm right

 

[CouldBeWorse]

It's weird that it's not on the new systems. Do they have a port planned? I love the idea of this and I hope it's a lot better than Bound by Flame, which is the last mid-tier Euro RPG that I played.

Do these games tend to perform better on 360?

 

[Corpekata]

Do we know when the embargo ends?

 

[Begaria]

I totally forgot this was coming. I should really power through Risen 2 (PC version) at some point. It has been sittin' on my Steam account for awhile now.

 

[RoadDogg]

I was just debating if I should try Risen 1 or 2 as they have been unplayed in my Steam account for a long time now. Are either worth it?

 

[Corpekata]

I was just debating if I should try Risen 1 or 2 as they have been unplayed in my Steam account for a long time now. Are either worth it?

Risen 1 is for sure. A lot of people disliked Risen 2 and while I didn't loathe it I probably would not outright recommend it either.

 

[Corleth the Fey]

It's weird that it's not on the new systems. Do they have a port planned? I love the idea of this and I hope it's a lot better than Bound by Flame, which is the last mid-tier Euro RPG that I played.

Do these games tend to perform better on 360?

I originally played Risen 2 on 360. Having now moved over to the blue team, I wanted the sequel on PS3. I wondered similarly to you, so I ended up picking up a super cheap 2nd hand copy of Risen 2 on PS3 to compare.

It seemed almost exactly the same. So I'm confident that it will be same for Risen 3.

PC version will be best, but I enjoy the thrill of the trophy hunt. Will pick up the PC version for a replay at a later date.

 

[Sentenza]

Eh, I'll buy it, hoping it will be closer to the first (which I loved) than the sequel, design-wise.
Risen 2 was a massive disappointment compared to the predecessor, but I enjoyed it anyway to some degree, so this third one feels ALMOST as a safe bet for me.

 

[RoadDogg]

Risen 1 is for sure. A lot of people disliked Risen 2 and while I didn't loathe it I probably would not outright recommend it either.

Thanks! Installing the first one now.

Edit: Risen 1 apparently has a common issue that makes it not run on Windows 7. I see a few fixes but they are too involved for me to bother with. I will just try Risen 2 instead.

Edit 2: Risen 2 apparently doesn't work either. So much for that I guess.

 

[v0mitg0d]

I've been playing this game for almost a week and really wish I could talk about it. There's a lot to discuss!

Also, for those interested: Risen 3’s embargo lifts August 12th at 6:00 a.m. PT. This includes written reviews, livestreams and YouTube/video coverage.

...more to come soon.

Edit: Playing on PC btw.

 

[Damaniel]

I'm a big fan of both the Risen and Gothic series, so I'll be picking this up on day one. It's amazing how little buzz there's been - I didn't even know this was in development until a couple weeks ago, and it will be out in just a few days...

 

[Moff]

How is this compared to Risen 2? More polished?

I liked the concept and story but Risen 2 was a pile of garbage in my opinion.

well they say its "back to the roots" (they used the same line for risen 1...)

if you ask me, its probably going to be a very polished and more gothic-like version of risen 2. but many elements from risen 2 will still be present, some of the overworld for instance will be aged versions of risen 2. similiar to that they did with some zones from gothic 1 in gothic 2.

but they say it will have more exploration and more freedom in the ways of solving quests, including consequences for your choices. which are basically the biggest flaws risen 2 had for me, so I am mildly optimistic that it will be a much better game than risen 2.

oh and personally, I still enjoyed risen 2 and even gothic 3, even if they clearly are piranha bytes worst games.

I am replaying risen 1 and 2 at the moment to give a perfectly qualified opinion on risen 3.

I've been playing this game for almost a week and really wish I could talk about it. There's a lot to discuss!

Also, for those interested: Risen 3’s embargo lifts August 12th at 6:00 a.m. PT. This includes written reviews, livestreams and YouTube/video coverage.

...more to come soon.

Edit: Playing on PC btw.

I'm eager to hear if its positive or negative. the game desperately needs some good publicity after risen 2.

 

[Denton]

You know I really like Deep Silver for publishing these games, but I wish they abandoned those scummy Day 1 DLC practices.

Anyway, I can't believe it comes out in a week, feels like I played Risen 2 few months ago.
So far I enjoyed every single Piranha game, so I am looking forward to this, although I need to finish up my New Vegas run, and then there is Divinity....god fucking dammit so many games and so little time.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Eh, I'll buy it, hoping it will be closer to the first (which I loved) than the sequel, design-wise.
Risen 2 was a massive disappointment compared to the predecessor, but I enjoyed it anyway to some degree, so this third one feels ALMOST as a safe bet for me.

I'm in the same boat. I remember you were one of the folks (like me) defending Risen 2 as an alright game in the OT a couple years back, but in retrospect I don't have any particularly strong feelings for Risen 2. It was, you know, okay. Combat was bad, exploration was still fun.

This one looks like it may split the difference between R1 and R2 and I don't know if that's the ideal outcome. The graphics engine and particularly the animation are very dated looking now, too. (Is Risen 3 guy still using the same run cycle Gothic guy used?)

That video suggested that we may see Gothic characters. Have they combined the two series' fictions now? Is Diego or Xardas going to appear or something? Is Arcania stricken from canon?

 

[syko de4d]

I hope it will be good. Played all PB games to the end and Risen3 looks definitve better than Gothic3 or Risen2. Maybe its even better than Risen1. But i cant imagine to get something on the lvl of g1/2 here, maybe with their next game

 

[Corleth the Fey]

Thanks! Installing the first one now.

Edit: Risen 1 apparently has a common issue that makes it not run on Windows 7. I see a few fixes but they are too involved for me to bother with. I will just try Risen 2 instead.

Edit 2: Risen 2 apparently doesn't work either. So much for that I guess.

I don't where you've read that. Risen 1 works perfectly fine on Windows 7 as does the sequel.

 

[Ceebs]

Yeah waiting on impressions. Risen 2 broke my fucking heart.

 

[Kevtones]

This is out next week?! Wtf!

 

[garath]

I'm going to need some impressions and a gameplay video or two. Risen has taken a long dark turn from the original Gothic series. I'd love to see it come back.

 

[Moff]

I'm going to need some impressions and a gameplay video or two. Risen has taken a long dark turn from the original Gothic series. I'd love to see it come back.

there are two about 1 hour long gameplay streams directly from the publisher deep silver, I have added them to the OP

Deep Silver streaming about 1 hour of direct gameplay
Deep Silver streaming another hour of direct gameplay

 

[garath]

there are two about 1 hour long gameplay streams directly from the publisher deep silver, I have added them to the OP

nice I'll have to watch those.

 

[Lulubop]

Will wait for some feedback from you guys, but I'm not to optimistic about this one.

 

[Dead Prince]

wait this is out next week? feels like Risen 2 just came out this year.

 

[MayMay]

Soooo excited for this game, just replayed the Gothic series and Risen 1 (I pretend Risen 2 never happened) - so I'm ready for this!!

 

[Tommyhawk]

I'm actually quite excited for this.
Risen 2 was garbage (although I did like the characters and dialogues) especially the absolutely shitty combat system.

But the previews for this one are giving me hope that we will get a game which will hopefully be a least on par with Risen 1 (but please without the awful last third of the game).

 

[Binabik15]

Oh, I always ment to start Risen again after losing my save to a dying hdd.

I have to support domestic products, I guess.

Spoiler

Buy Sierra's Desperados 1 from GOG/Steam/whatever

 

[Gillian Seed]

The art style looks really good. Imo

 

[Pyros_Eien]

I'll wait for the reviews and impressions, partly because who knows nowadays about games releasing without any publicity using an old franchise name(hi Sacred 3), and mostly because I couldn't buy the game any way, since for some reason we get a 3days delay on the steam release. But looks pretty alright so happy about that, should occupy me until Xillia 2 release/PoE new league and mini expansion/FFXIV free log in week+2.35.

 

[RoadDogg]

I don't where you've read that. Risen 1 works perfectly fine on Windows 7 as does the sequel.

One of the top posts on the Steam forum for Risen 1
http://steamcommunity.com/app/40300/discussions/0/46476691571092149/

I didn't bother looking at the 2nd forum, that one gave me some kind of exe failed to install error on the first attempt and would just auto close every time after.

 

[Corleth the Fey]

One of the top posts on the Steam forum for Risen 1
http://steamcommunity.com/app/40300/discussions/0/46476691571092149/

I didn't bother looking at the 2nd forum, that one gave me some kind of exe failed to install error on the first attempt and would just auto close every time after.

So did you get the error when you started it? Have you even downloaded it yet? That fix is pretty simple, but that's not for me to judge vis a vis you of course, I do work in IT.

Risen 1 started flawlessly for me on Win7 64bit from Steam. They seem to be edge cases, not the norm. You own a PC - that's part of the game. Possible incompatibility issues will occur.

You've already bought the game - it seems a shame not to try it. Many people - myself included - have taken great pleasure from it.

 

[Moff]

http://www.twitch.tv/deepsilver
official stream is on right now

 

[Clydefrog]

Inject the jankiness directly into my veins please!

 

[Sentenza]

I'm in the same boat. I remember you were one of the folks (like me) defending Risen 2 as an alright game in the OT a couple years back, but in retrospect I don't have any particularly strong feelings for Risen 2. It was, you know, okay. Combat was bad, exploration was still fun.

That's how I feel about it as well.
More specifically the combat was awful, exploration was decent (better than most RPGs these days, but not as good as Risen/Gothic 2), quest design was nice and I loved the pirate-themed focus of the setting.
Also, the story was nice enough, with some very likable/funny characters and dialogues.

 

[Gaz_RB]

Any word on the quality of this game? Was kind of let down with Risen 2.

 

[Serra]

Risen 2 combat was terrible which caused me never to finish it.
Risen 1 was pretty good.

 

[jblank83]

Risen 2 combat was terrible which caused me never to finish it.
Risen 1 was pretty good.

That's my main concern with Risen 3. I watched some videos and the combat seemed very clunky. Everything else is great, but I'm unsure of the combat.

 

[Sentenza]

I'm looking at those streaming right now and I have mixed feelings.
There are things that look taken straight from Risen 2, which is bad, but on the other hand I'm noticing a lot of improvements I didn't expect.
The environment in particular doesn't look half bad.

 

[Moff]

Third Deep Silver stream
(German) HD Video with many (early game spoilers) cut scenes and a little combat

 

[barit]

Already preordered on Steam. Even if many dislike Risen 2 i'm glad PB gives this series another shot. I want my Gothic nostalgia kick.