Game review
Risen
7.5 / 10
- Developer
- Piranha Bytes
- Publisher
- THQ Nordic
- Released
- 2 October 2009
- Platforms
- Windows
- Genre
- RPG
- Monetisation
- One-time purchase; a Dark Waters expansion DLC sold separately
- Players
- Single-player only
The short version
Risen is Piranha Bytes' open-world action RPG, published by THQ Nordic and released on 2 October 2009. Widely regarded as the true spiritual successor to the studio's acclaimed Gothic series, it sits at 84% positive ("Very Positive") across 3,428 English-language Steam reviews, holding strong at 86% across the most recent 100 reviews sampled. This review read the 100 most-helpful negative reviews alongside the 100 most recent English reviews.
This review found a remarkably stable, decade-spanning structural complaint: a genuinely strong first half of the game giving way to a weaker, fetch-quest-heavy final chapter. "The first 2 chapters are great, and screams spiritual successor to Gothic series. However, past Chapter 2, the game just turns awful," reads a 2021 review; "The last chapter sucks though," reads an almost identical assessment from July 2026. This review found reviewers making essentially the same structural observation across every year sampled from 2016 through 2026 — a stable, well-defined pacing collapse rather than a launch-era complaint that faded. Combat draws genuinely divided opinion, appearing in 53 of the 100 negative reviews read with mixed valence — some reviewers praise its weighty, Gothic-inspired feel while others call it "abysmal." Gothic itself is referenced favourably in 27 of the 100 negative reviews read, with several reviewers explicitly crediting Risen as the closest thing to a true successor since Piranha Bytes' original trilogy.
Biggest strengths
- Widely regarded by reviewers on both sides of the score as the true spiritual successor to the acclaimed Gothic series, with atmosphere and world design several reviewers call the studio's finest work
- A genuinely strong, immersive first half with an open, interconnected island that reviewers consistently praise for its sense of place and attention to detail
- Recent sentiment (86% positive) matches or exceeds the strong 84% lifetime figure, showing no decline in regard 15 years after release
Biggest weaknesses
- A remarkably stable, decade-spanning complaint concerns pacing: a strong first two-thirds giving way to a weaker, fetch-quest-heavy final chapter, described almost identically by reviewers writing a decade apart
- Combat draws genuinely divided opinion, mentioned in 53 of the 100 negative reviews read with reviewers split between praising its weight and calling it clumsy or unbalanced
- NPC characterisation and relationship depth draw specific criticism from some reviewers, who describe companions as underdeveloped relative to the strength of the world around them
Who it's for: Gothic and immersive open-world RPG fans who value atmosphere and exploration over combat polish — go in aware that the back third of the game is a well-documented step down from its strong opening.
Our recommendation: Widely considered Piranha Bytes' best work and an easy recommendation for the first two-thirds of its campaign — just temper expectations for the final chapter, which reviewers across a full decade describe almost identically as a step down.
7.5 / 10
Introduction
Risen is Piranha Bytes' open-world action RPG, published by THQ Nordic and released on 2 October 2009 at US$14.99, currently 75% off at US$3.74. Set on the volcanic island of Faranga, it follows a shipwrecked protagonist navigating factions, monsters and a growing magical threat, and is widely regarded as the true spiritual successor to Piranha Bytes' acclaimed Gothic series. It sits at 84% positive ("Very Positive") across 3,428 English-language Steam reviews. This review read the 100 most-helpful negative reviews of 553 total, plus a sample of the 100 most recent English reviews.
A decade of reviewers making the same observation
The single most consistent, structurally specific complaint in this review's sample concerns pacing, and this review found it stated in nearly identical terms across a full decade. "The first 2 chapters are great, and screams spiritual successor to Gothic series. However, past Chapter 2, the game just turns awful. Lots of enemies in between the quest location you need to go to," reads a 2021 review. "Overall I liked this game. The last chapter sucks though," reads a July 2026 review, reaching essentially the same conclusion five years later. This review found the observation echoed by reviewers as far back as 2016: "A game that gets so many things right and at the same time so many more things wrong which all culminates in the last chapter that turns into an absolute unpleasant slog of a fetch quest." This isn't a launch-era complaint that faded — it's a stable, decade-spanning structural assessment of the game's actual design.
Gothic's true heir, and divided opinion on combat
What reviewers rarely dispute is Risen's atmosphere and its place in Piranha Bytes' catalogue. Gothic is referenced favourably in 27 of the 100 negative reviews read, with reviewers consistently crediting Risen as the closest thing to a true successor to that acclaimed trilogy. "This is the last real 'Gothic,'" reads one 2026 review, noting it was the last game the Gothic series' lead designer worked on at the studio. Combat itself draws genuinely divided opinion — appearing in 53 of the 100 negative reviews read with mixed valence, some praising its weighty, deliberate feel and others calling it "abysmal" — a real split rather than one side dominating.
Verdict
Risen remains, by wide consensus even among reviewers marking it down, Piranha Bytes' finest work and the genuine spiritual successor to Gothic that fans of that series have long credited it as. What holds the score back is a remarkably stable, well-documented structural weakness: a strong first two-thirds of the campaign giving way to a repetitive, fetch-quest-heavy final chapter, described in near-identical terms by reviewers writing a decade apart. Worth playing for the world, atmosphere and choice-driven early game alone — just go in with tempered expectations for how the story wraps up.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Widely regarded by reviewers on both sides of the score as the true spiritual successor to the acclaimed Gothic series, with atmosphere and world design several reviewers call the studio's finest work
- A genuinely strong, immersive first half with an open, interconnected island that reviewers consistently praise for its sense of place and attention to detail
- Recent sentiment (86% positive) matches or exceeds the strong 84% lifetime figure, showing no decline in regard 15 years after release
- Meaningful player choice in how the story unfolds, with some reviewers specifically praising how differently a playthrough can turn out based on early decisions
Cons
- A remarkably stable, decade-spanning complaint concerns pacing: a strong first two-thirds giving way to a weaker, fetch-quest-heavy final chapter, described almost identically by reviewers writing a decade apart
- Combat draws genuinely divided opinion, mentioned in 53 of the 100 negative reviews read with reviewers split between praising its weight and calling it clumsy or unbalanced
- NPC characterisation and relationship depth draw specific criticism from some reviewers, who describe companions as underdeveloped relative to the strength of the world around them
- A difficulty curve some reviewers describe as poorly balanced, spiking sharply in specific sections rather than scaling smoothly
Screenshots
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RisenImage: THQ Nordic via Steam -
RisenImage: THQ Nordic via Steam -
RisenImage: THQ Nordic via Steam -
How the review scores each part of the gameWanderer Editorial -
The essentials at a glanceWanderer Editorial -
The short versionWanderer Editorial