Drakensang - Review @ GamesRadar

GamesRadar posts an extremely short review of Radon Labs' cRPG, Drakensang:The Dark Eye, giving it a 7/10:

After playing so many D&D variants, it’s easy to forget what a beast its game systems really are. We just found ourselves typing something about what a complex, very, very German RPG Drakensang is, but, really, it’s not. What it reminded us of most was our first time playing The Witcher. Both feature worlds that seem generic until you dive in a bit deeper, both open with a couple of chapters so boring that they could replace diamond as the drilling industry’s tool of choice, and both improve right about the time you’re ready to uninstall.
In the case of Drakensang, it’s not the big dramatic moments that make the difference, so much as a lot of the smaller details coming together. You finally start getting fights that demand more than just having everyone steam in, swords clanking. The fiddly, frustrating character development system never stops being fiddly, but you start to realise the benefit of the extra control – especially with a full party.

More information.

fiddly, frustrating character development system never stops being fiddly

The character-development system in Drakensang is easy for a crpg-player.
Of cause you have to learn a bit (-> read the manual) if you are a crpg-newbie.

Now the reviewer - who seems to well know D&D - learns how "fiddly" character development for newbies of D&D actually is …

I dunno, I still find 7 rating too low. Drakensang is not a perfect game, but it is just different. I dont find it so much worse than Witcher or Oblivion, so IMO its worth an 8 rating at least. Maybe it is still US prejudice against systems less combat oriented than D&D.

I think that it might be more of a prejudice against developers that the reviewers don't have a cozy personal or financial relationship with.

If they think the character development system in this is "fidley" then they wouldn't want to play the older game based on "The Dark Eye" the "Realms of Arkania" games. They probably would just give up trying to customize their characters after a couple of hours of trying. I spent hours upon hours customizing my party in those games.

Originally Posted by doctor_kaz
I think that it might be more of a prejudice against developers that the reviewers don't have a cozy personal or financial relationship with.

Ha… nailed it!

I'm to the point now days where Gaming Industry magazine and web site reviewers can all go fall off the end of the earth, for all I care. I now make my game-purchasing decisions based solely on what players in these and other forums say… This is where you get the REAL reviews.

Originally Posted by CarcusRex
I now make my game-purchasing decisions based solely on what players in these and other forums say… This is where you get the REAL reviews.

I largely agree.

But I still buy printed magazines for early views on games, and especially for the software that comes with them ! Well, at least sometimes (Depending on the magazine).

Originally Posted by CarcusRex
I'm to the point now days where Gaming Industry magazine and web site reviewers can all go fall off the end of the earth, for all I care.

If you watched the news of the last 12 months … that's exactly what happens.

Originally Posted by CarcusRex
I'm to the point now days where Gaming Industry magazine and web site reviewers can all go fall off the end of the earth, for all I care.

What, ALL of us?

Yes, traitor!

Uhm… wait… Me too…

Hey! I think CarcusRex is in REAL trouble now…

If the same game came from a major publisher pumping millions into the sites, it would have gotten 9.5 OMIGOD BESTEST EVAR reviews from some sites - 2008 really showed us how badly things have gotten with the so-called 'majors', which consists of 3 central owners of ~25 sites that dominate too much.

Which is why places like here and GB are so important - more than ever!

I agree, I trust GB even when I disagree with someone's opinion, and here, we all have input and no-one gets anything 'financial' out of it, so we have nothing to lose by being totally honest!!

Originally Posted by txa1265
If the same game came from a major publisher pumping millions into the sites, it would have gotten 9.5 OMIGOD BESTEST EVAR reviews from some sites - 2008 really showed us how badly things have gotten with the so-called 'majors', which consists of 3 central owners of ~25 sites that dominate too much.

Which is why places like here and GB are so important - more than ever!

Yeah… sadly I think you are right. Its a bit disheartning. I tend to be still too naive, but I guess there is a lot of truth in it. *sigh*

Btw, whats GB?

GB = GameBanshee

Sadly, it won't get the attention it deserves. Though the quality shines throughout, it's been presented as a budget title, and it honestly gets better and better the more it's played.

By the way…(*minor SPOILER*):

Anyone ever able to take off that rotten stench you get when fighting the slimes? I'm stymied.

(*end spoiler*)

Eurogamer preview mith mixed impressions.

Originally Posted by Eurogamer
What this looks like, then, is the predictable, dependable workhorse of the RPG genre. The Volvo.

The "Rotten stench" discussion was moved to the DraSa forum.