Risen 3: Titan Lords Review
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Downloadable Content
Before offering my concluding thoughts, it's worth to briefly go over the downloadable content available for the title, as it was included in the review code and bundled with pre-ordered copies. Adventure Garb is pre-order drivel: An overpowered outfit that's placed in your inventory at the start of the game and stays competitive until the late sections of the game, so I can't recommend it to anyone. The other two pieces of downloadable content fare a bit better. Both Fog Island and Uprising of the Little Guys offer a new island with new quests to explore, though neither feels particularly interesting or necessary for the game experience. Fog Island is probably the best of the two because it provides a larger and more interesting environment to explore, while the other DLC just recycles Risen 2's Isle of Thieves and places a few uninspired stealth-focused quests on it. Unless you're jonesing for more Risen 3, give it a pass.
Concluding Thoughts
Risen 3 feels like a transitional title. It manages to smooth some of the rough edges of Risen 2, but makes mistakes of its own. Ultimately, it doesn't match the original Risen or the Gothic series. The focus and excellence of Piranha Bytes is gone, as is the feeling of genuine connection with the setting, which was the distinguishing feature of the German studio's early titles.
I have no doubt Piranha Bytes is already planning what to do with Risen 4, since the larger story arc isn't concluded yet. As I'm an eternal optimist, I can't help but hope that they'll get it right the next time and bring back the old Piranha magic.
For now, I'll enjoy Risen 3 for what it is: A decent game with very, very rough edges.
