Risen Magazine Preview

RPGWatch is offering up a translated excerpt of Belgian magazine PC Gameplay's exclusive preview of Risen.
Certain dangerous areas will only become accessible after completing an important (main)quest, which will, like in Gothic 1 and 2, start a new chapter. So more story and player control, but won't this mean less freedom? Piranha Bytes says no because there is an elaborate quest structure with choices which may have huge consequences. You'll have to decide in the first few hours which group to join: the rebels or the inquisition? Depending on your choice you'll have a different story which a completely different ending. This however won't mean you'll not be able to get quests or trade with the other side. In the volcano stronghold you'll find not only inquisition troops but also clerics which are masters in magic and have their own plans for the excavations.
The side quests you can undertake can, like the main quests, be solved in different ways and can unlock different story elements.