Risen How it works for people who loved G2+NOTR and disliked G3?

I wonder how Risen compare with G2+NOTR for people that like me enjoyed a lot G2+NOTR but not G3.

I'm downloading the demo so I can get an idea by myself but I'm curious to have other feeling. Honestly I'm not interesting in G3 fan point of view even if they prefer G2+NOTR.

As far as I know the game feels like 'old, good' Gothics, not like G3. I'll tell more when I play but since everyone says it's old Gothic I don't see any reason to not believe them.

Well it doesn't have the same unforgiving difficulty level of Gothic 2+NotR, that's the impression I get from the demo, which I played on Normal difficulty. I think I'm going to play on Hard when I get the full game.

The game is great. If you liked g2, hated g3, you will have much much fun with Risen.

The demo download is awfully slow, I had time to download and play Majesty 2 demo. I almost cry when played it! Still get crushed hard in second level but Riven better be great so I not forget play it... still have Fallout 3 collector to play!

I didn't hate G3, just a major disappointment, try Hard (eventually) I'll remember that.

I have been playing Risen nearly two days. Let me explain you the Risen formula: Take Gothic 2 with its world design, quest structure, dynamic and non linear story, social structure, balanced difficulty and addictiveness; apply it with today's graphic standards; take the Gothic 3's user friendly interface, like item sorting and quickbar; last but not least change the combat into more dynamic and enjoyable style. You now have Risen in your hands.

So long story short, if you love Gothic 2 so much and were disappointed by Gothic 3, then this is your game. Don't lose any more second, just go to your nearest store and buy a copy of Risen. May the sleeping dragon watch over you.

I haven't played NOTR - woe is me - but I absolutely adored Gothic 2, I played it several times. It's my all-time favourite. Second is Drakensang. Now Risen… Based on what I've seen it may well be in my top 3, in fact I'm beginning to like it so much that I'm starting to wonder: will it outrun the other two?

I've been playing for several hours. I've been in the Bandit Camp, strolled around in the World somewhat and now I'm in Harbour City, and I must say the game is getting better by the hour. The diversity of the quests, the (balanced) difficulty, the combat (intelligence is required, I use sword and crossbow), the interaction (I thought the dialogue in G2(!) was sometimes too long, hence soporific). Risen certainly is addictive, it's funny, it's rewarding (there's much to explore).

Gothic 3, I thought, was very disappointing and, to me, it turned out to be a bit of a bore; speaking from memory: as soon as a place was cleared I rarely ever visited again, no need to. This is different in Risen, up till now I encountered enemies that were too strong or tasks that were too difficult at several places; I can deal with some but not all. This, I like. And it's just one of the things that reminds me of Gothic 2. To mention another thing: I'm not even halfway but I'm already looking forward to playing Risen for a second time. I had to make some choices, but I'm intrigued what will happen if I choose otherwise.

Atleast the first impression is MUCH better since it's not filled with bugs like Gothic 3. The game itself feels very much like Gothic 2. The combat is actual quite close to Gothic 2 (and 1), there is combos and you can dodge. But IMO I liked the combat in Gothic 3 (v1.7x) better, since there was more place for tactics. The first city (Harbor town) feels also much like Khorinis.

It's a good game, but I miss Gothic 3's beautiful visuals...

Omega said:

I haven't played NOTR - woe is me - but I absolutely adored Gothic 2, I played it several times. It's my all-time favourite.

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You've never played Gothic 2+NotR? I *strongly* suggest you get a copy of NotR or G2 Gold. If G2 is your favorite game, then you really must play NotR so you can experience the entire story as it was meant to be.

Omega said:

I haven't played NOTR - woe is me - but I absolutely adored Gothic 2, I played it several times. It's my all-time favourite.

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JDR beat me to it but seriously, seriously, get NotR. It's my favourite expansion ever and if you loved G2 so much without it, you'll explode with NotR. A must have.

Yes NOTR is great and improves significantly G2 itself even if its design is a problem for those who played G2 before because it's not a separate addon.

To come back to Risen I have to admit it has some charm, in fact it remind a bit more NOTR area than G2. Yes it isn't as rude than G2+NOTR was. I could perhaps try the Hard setting but the normal was fun anyway. I loved quote the come back of avoiding an assault by a large strafe and then slash the enemy by turning to it. It was even more cool to quote an opponent do it.

About bugs I got a problem with the last dialog before the demo ends but otherwise it was fun. The demo doesn't show the multiple choices shown by G2+NOTR beginning but other than that it is quite cool. I enjoyed a lot the two small undergrounds and also the cool trap. Now how deep and interesting are the fights will certainly be the main key of the full game fun, as it was for G2+NOTR. Short but good demo, I need the full game, hope I'll find both in shops, Risen and Majesty 2.

I'm perfectly calm. Inhale. As cool as a girl can be. Yes. And exhale.
Doing allright, I think. Inhale.
Dear JDR13, Dhruin and Dasale, if I understand you correctly NOTR - careful now, don't forget to exhale - is an - easy, easy does it! - it's an enjoyable, okay, rather enjoyable expansion.
Breathing in, mind your belly, Omega, belly breathing.
But 3 x darling, was it really necessary to twist my arm - mind your position, yoga position - did you really have to - exhale, exhale! - suggest that NOTR is vital for me, in fact for every single G2 fan?
Quietly, let the air flow. In, phphph, out. Okay.
Did you really have to suggest - OMG, losing it, losing control - you're basically saying 'Play NOTR and die'! and I have to see Naples as well! Whaaaaaaah! I want to have ihihihihit! Gimme, gimme, gimme, don't torture me like this.
"(…) as it was meant to be(…)", "favourite expansion ever", "improves significantly G2 itself". Grrh! Get out of my way, where can I get it, where can I buy, I must have the "must have".
I'll explode with NOTR, you say? No sir, I'll explode without NOTR, yes, that's what I say!
I say.
Yes.
…
But first
- inhale -
Risen.

Now you have played multiple time G2 it could be too late to try with NOTR because you'll have to replay again a significant part of G2 first chapter and even enhanced with NOTR you'll reach the really new stuff only after.

To come back to Risen ok I got my collector copy... and I wonder what's this time machine thing... alas I'm so sad to not have found Majesty 2, tears, not sure I'll overcome my sadness and play Riven, instead I'll probably get the steam english version.

NotR brings the magic of the first Gothic back into the more polished G2. The result is G2 Gold, basically the G2 Director's Cut. If you haven't played it you definitely should.

And yes, on today's 1-10 difficulty scale it's somewhere in the range of 9 to 12.

Difficulty of NOTR was awsome and gave me great experience. Too bad there are so few cRPGs hard as that one.

Off topic.

Okay. Gothic Universe was ordered this evening. Universe because it's cheapest (€14,49), even though some of the series was not needed and we'll end up with duplicates. Apart from NOTR, I'm also looking forward to getting the chance of playing G1; from the Gothic series I'm only familiar with G2 and G3.

Dasale said:

Now you have played multiple time G2 it could be too late to try with NOTR because you'll have to replay again a significant part of G2 first chapter and even enhanced with NOTR you'll reach the really new stuff only after.

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I doubt whether I still have the G2 saved files. One of the reasons to buy the PC I'm using right now was that I needed more space. So chances are I deleted all of the G2 files back then, at that time I had no alternative.

Thanks to all of you who have spoken so enthusiastically about NOTR. I'm truly excited about it.

You wouldn't be able to use G2 save files anyways. NotR is not an expansion pack, it's an add-on that changes quite a few things about G2, and adds a significant amount of new content.

That's what I loved so much about NotR - it was not only a classic expansion in the sense of adding a new landmass with extra content but the additions to vanilla G2 were extraordinary. I guess it would be a problem for anyone who had over-played G2 but finding whole new dialogue options in old quests and additional quests in old areas really fleshed the whole game out superbly. It really brought some of the old characters to greater life.

Konjad said:

Difficulty of NOTR was awsome and gave me great experience. Too bad there are so few cRPGs hard as that one.

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That's not fully true. The point was a lot more that the fight tactic was rather deep without to require extreme dexterity and rapidity.

When you replay G2+NOTR a second time then a third time, then you realized how not difficult it was in fact once you have learned a lot of the fights depth.

How many time I died the third time I replay G2+NOTR, very very few and even fewer in parts where G2+NOTR was the hardest for a newbie ie in first chapter and before level 10 and get a guild.

EDIT: And for the class management well I always disagree on this with the majority. It's more that G1 had a too easy approach and allowing learn all isn't that good. Also my first character was a mage that never push magic skills at highest points but also improved a lot close range fighting skills.

I replayed NotR several times and it's still not easy but hard. Sure, I don't die often because I try to survive and don't jump between several enemies. Fighting the orcs is hard, you can manage one or two with higher level but you'll die when fighting a group of them. In Gothic/Gothic 2 you could kill anything - including large groups - after several hours, in NotR you can't.