A feature of the series Risen The fact that she has no plot attitude to the series Gothic, Contrary to the expectations assigned to Piranha bytes, Peru (or rather, code and pixel) of which belong the first three «Gothic» games. At the same time Risen -This is in a sense our beloved Gothic on another scenario material. At least the first part of the series made just such an impression
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What impression a sequel will make on the players, we do not know yet. In the end, before the official release of the game there is still time. But we can share our own sensations from Risen 2: Dark Waters, the preview-version of which we had to feel like.
Break off me kraken!
The developers did not introduce ignorant players in the course of affairs that took place in the first part — not to anything. The slurred prologue tells of ancient gods, titans, inappropriately awakened in the thickness of the waters, and other creatures of Kthulhu in mild adaptation to the local pantheon. The choice of the character also will not be pampering us — in the best traditions Gothic. Our protagonist is a nameless one, a hero from the farangy, all the same pepper that we drove by the handle in the first part of the series. True, now he is a half-drunk lieutenant who is depressed due to forced inaction.
One against all and all against one. Three opponents — a common thing for the nameless superman of the «Gothic» model.
It is clear that from despondency and laziness we will save our ward. He will immediately get a dangerous task from the Inquisition, which is a stronghold of order and civilization as opposed to chaotic and always drunk pirates. However, both of them almost equally suffer from the wicked actions of the titani Mara (in the local interpretation she is by no means the goddess of love). Giant cracked, tentacled zombies and other creatures unpleasant in communication drown ships, fly into cities and generally behave not too friendly. Our one -eyed hero goes straight to the Corsarers’s lair, so that, under strict cover, find out where you can get a supermegagarpun capable of killing the unbelievable goddess and all its signs.
Translated, all this means that we have to spend a pleasant watch in the atmosphere of piracy and a sort of island romance. Rum, parrots and girls of mild behavior are adjacent to painted half -naked natives, voodoo magic and sinister ruins of ancient temples. Smells of Gybrash Tripwood, of course, yes the developers do not hide this. On the contrary, here and here, Easter does not even leave eggs, but, shells hinting at the acquaintance of the creators Risen 2 with epoch -making adventure from Lucasarts. Having stumbled into a dark corner on a bandit named Largo, it is easy to understand who the hint is for.
Ar-RGH! Or Yar-r!
At first, the plot seems quite linear. Side quests are mainly aimed at earnings of gold, without which the game is nowhere, because only a sonorous metal opens up our way to our skills. In the global sense, our first task is to rub the steel beard in confidence in the captain, whose daughter in the first part of a lot of blood spoiled us with her independent look and amazing figure. However, it is very soon clear that it will still have to stand on the plot forks. The Inquisition, under the flag of which we walked initially, managed to very seriously annoy the painted natives owning Voodoo. So serious that now the natives are ready to cooperate even with pirates, and even with Mara itself, to get rid of too annoying “blue uniforms”. This is where it will be necessary to choose with whom we are at the same time-either with shameless, but conditionally civilized slaveholders, or with savages in loincloths. So everything is in order with the branded non -linearity of «pirania» — it is in its rightful place.
Political correctness does not exceed the use of the words “monster” or “monster” in relation to such creatures. The formulation of an «alternatively peace -loving individual» will come to your aid.
Risen 2 generally reveals its secrets very gradually. The volumetric game world at first seems to be chamber due to an island organization. We left the small Calder port — we fell on a small piece of land in the ocean called Takarigua. What is there? A town belonging to the Inquisition, more in size, more reminiscent of a military camp, a pirate lair and a couple of caves. In the middle is not that impenetrable, but not too friendly jungle: well, you know, rebels, jaguars, ruins of mysterious temples. There is nowhere to turn around. So we do not unfold — we carry out several side quests, chatting with local residents and quite soon we set sail to pretend to be the shore on another island, where we are waiting for a slightly more significant “piece of work”. The sensation of the spatiality of the game world does not come out immediately, but when we manage to cover all its expanse, we understand: yes, there really is something to search.
Dwarf and lightning
The situation is the same with the political situation. We begin our way in the role of a devoted inquisition of a person, an agent who needs to work under the guise in order to save the world. Then the point of view of the pirates is added to the dogmas of the Inquisition — and it turns out that the pirate ranks are far from as homogeneous as one might think. Part of the knights of the anchor and Roma is ready to fight with Mara to the last, and some took and sold to the harmful goddess for everything for which the bad guys are usually sold to evil. A little later, we find that in addition to the pirates there are also wild tribes, who generally have their own truth. But there are still gnomes — one of them will play an important role surrounded by the main character. This principle of gradual layout of trump cards creates a truly amazing feeling of the depth of the world in which the player has to plunge.
Tasks of secondary importance are almost never built on the principle of «go and kill». We are sent to collect some nonsense, follow the bad guys, deliver the parcel, and settle the quarrel. That is, no second NPC in every second NPC. The minimum of dungeons forces us to spend most of the time outside: in land, in the sun, in the rain, in the forests — anywhere, but not in endless caves and crypts that have already become a real scourge of the genre. Even developers from Bethesda The «dungeon fever» and an epidemic of unmotivated murders could not avoid. And here Piranha bytes I was able.
It is not surprising that side quests in Risen 2 not only do not destroy the fragile atmosphere, but even on the contrary — strengthen it. All tasks have their own history, moreover, they affect dialogues with other characters subsequently. So, absolutely independently stumbled upon a treasure hunter who died in the color of the years in front of the gates of an abandoned temple, then we can boast of this feat in a conversation with several inhabitants of the pirate den.
It’s good that the hero knows how to read, even if he has to drive a finger along the lines, as in the first grade of primary school.
Absorbed with the mother of the mother
In all other respects Risen 2 It is just as little like the first part of the series, as well as Gothic. Literally everything was subjected to change. The system of talents, skills and characteristics was completely redesigned. Yes, what can we talk about if our character is born without mana? At all. Initially, he can only be a warrior who can exclusively swing cold weapons. But then interesting things begin.
The role system here is also as close as possible to pirate specifics. Instead of a health scale — «blood». Bubbles with restoring potions of the inhabitants of the islands replaces alcohol. The greatest success is Rum, which the local filibusters are remembered to the place and out of place. Gogg is much less valued and the “blood” restores a little, but it will also do.
Classes can exist only in the player’s inflamed imagination. Officially, our hero does not belong to any class. He just learns different tricks here and there. You can find your «professors» in completely unexpected places. Who would have thought that the only available useful action against a port prostitute is teaching tricks of eloquence!
For new knowledge, you should pay a ringing coin. And a lot. By the way, when we redeem an extra point in the skill piggy bank from the next roadside sage, we have to listen to a portion of very real instructions from the teacher in dialogue mode. It looks funny, especially when the lady of port behavior, the already mentioned lady of port behavior, tells the hero how to seduce men.
And now — on his kidneys, on the kidneys! Although in fact no one knows where this kidney crab is, hope dies the last.
Stay away from Voodoo!
Good, but what, in principle, you can learn? And is the magic really disappeared forever?
By no means. It’s just now the witchcraft of voodoo. It is different. Thanks to Wood, we can curse enemies in battle and cook potions. The ability to perform these complex operations is the characteristic «black magic». In addition to her, the list of basic parameters includes ownership of blades, the skill of handling firearms, protection and treachery, which is a fraction of both thieves’ skills and red -Binding skills.
Each characteristic, in turn, contains three talents. For insidiousness-schemes, for example, these are “dirty things”-all sorts of vile combat techniques with the participation of sand, coconuts, parrots and other improvised means;“Silver language”, thanks to which we convince the interlocutor to do what we are interested in;And, in fact, theft. That is, a craft of a pickpocket.
Along with parameters and talents, an important place in the scale of role values is occupied by skills. «Skill» in the game is really a lot. Moreover, traditional for the genre, parrying of blows and hacking of castles is adjacent to such exotic skills as creating voodoo dolls or training manual monkeys.
Glory accumulated in the process of passage helps to increase the characteristics, but again with a different, more romantic name. Having spent a certain number of points of glory, you can become “thicker”, feel more confident with the blade in your hands or delve into the secrets of black excitements. But with skills, the situation is more difficult: you can learn a new trick only by chatting with the teacher. Naturally, the level of development of a particular parameter directly affects the improvements available to us. If the hero is a naive guy, alien to treachery and cunning, about thieves’ things requiring a higher value of the corresponding characteristic, it will be possible to forget until we correct the situation.
You, of course, noticed a piece of the human skeleton above the door? Here are other guests, obviously, pay attention. And behave politely. For the power of pirate art is great!
The pipes are burning
Cannot say that the hero has to rely only on his own strength. In battle, his partners help him — the same beauty Patty, for example. True, we can very indirectly influence the actions of the allies. Invite you to join the performance of any task, ask to wait a bit, supply a bottle of grog from your own reserves-that’s all the interaction. But none of our assistants in battle will die forever. Maximum — will fall and lie down with a helpless carcass until the end of the battle.
And our nameless macho is very mortal. Unsuccessful throw of sand in the eye, coconut into the head or spear in the enemy’s stomach, coupled with an overly slow “click” mouse, can lead to death.
On the other hand, a protagonist can do a lot of things in a battle. The situation when we first shoot the enemy from the musket, then, when the bullets end, throw a spear into it and finish off with a saber, drinking our feet from time to time, is a common thing in realities Risen 2.
In fact, you can tell for a long time. About dialogues in the spirit of «Natives — cannibals? — They are rebels — is it not the same?». About food that can be chewed right in the process of battle, about the “crafting” system, wittyly inscribed in the basic role system. But instead, we will allow ourselves a little grunt. The little one. Graphics c Risen 2 — Not a fountain, let’s just say. Animation of crooked, textures shine through in some places. And even the rollers could be more old, taking care of the smoothness of gestures and the reliability of facial expressions.
Otherwise, a new brainchild Piranha bytes promises to be one of the most interesting RPG projects of this spring. Unless, of course, the game will come out in the spring, which remains only to hope.
