Here, the game becomes truly interesting. It quickly becomes apparent that you will have to side with the local ruling Inquisition (and its zealous religious and military branches), or the Bandit King in Exile. While the bandits eke out a living in the swamp and the Inquisition rule from their monastery, to earn their favor you must aid their cause within the town itself. Thus, the first chapter relegates you mostly to the town, so that you can learn the ropes and level your character up, a little.
Pleasingly, Risen proves itself to be consistently dour in its presentation of human actions and morality. People may pretend that their pursuits (and thus the favors they ask of you) are noble, but almost every pious or earnest face is quickly shown to be a conniving, scheming one. The bandits want nothing but to exploit the local people as they once did, and while the Inquisition speaks of a great coming evil (that they must have the power to face, of course), their motives are quickly shown to be suspect. Even minor quest givers and acquaintances show their true colors, given time. This is a world in turmoil, a world sure of (and enduring) its own impending doom.
This is an incredibly welcome change from most RPGs, where your good, evil, and middling options often take “different” roads to the same destination. Refreshingly, Risen avoids this, by forcing you to choose between the Inquisition and the Bandits by the end of the first chapter. Your missions and goals from the point on are almost entirely different. Your main quest alters significantly, and all of the people on the island know you for what you are. You are no longer welcome in the camps of your faction’s enemies, and townspeople and farmers will praise you or curse you, depending on your allegiance.
This is all well and good, but Risen has its faults (aside from the bizarre, intense sexism). The combat is almost completely broken. Dodging and rolling are stiff and awkward, the forced third person perspective is clunky, and the lock-on mechanic is flighty and inaccurate. At higher levels, increased combat powers, magic, and other abilities will make combat easier, but it can still be frustrating and hard, especially against multiple assailants. It feels great to escape from a tough encounter with your lie, but it feels awful to die, knowing you should have won. It’s a feeling you’ll encounter all too often in Risen.
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