User Reviews

1. Review Date: 2009-11-13

   I have to say, I did not expect this game to be as great as it was. It's beautifully designed, right down to the journal, inventory, talent screens, etc. The game even does a graceful fade-to-black when you exit to the desktop, rather than the abrupt shutdown seen in many other games. Oh yes, and the water in this game looks gorgeous! So as far as graphics go, they are very nice...something of a combination of Oblivion and NWN2.
   
   As for gameplay, you can move with either the keyboard or click with the mouse. You will form a party of 4 characters (including your hero) and complete a nice-length main quest, along with several side quests as well. However, it's not a free-roaming game like Oblivion. It is more in-line with Jade Empire, if you're familiar with that game. You move from one area to the next and have no need to return to most previous areas. In fact, many areas in Drakensang become "locked" once you leave them, meaning you can never return. This is no big deal, though, since you'll have no reason to return once you've done all the current quests there. There are a few "hub" type areas that remain open -- these are the main cities and villages that you can return to for quests, supplies, etc.
   
   Now, a word about the rules set is in order: it is complicated! I read the manual twice and still didn't fully understand it, but it helped to actually get into the game and see what all the talent options were. Once you start playing the game, the complexity of the behind-the-scenes calculations vanishes and you really don't need to know about it. I'm the kind of person who likes to know what's going on, however, but I have to admit that I never did fully grasp what attributes were being used for any given calculation -- but it doesn't matter.
   
   Aside from the underlying math, the talent system is actually very fun. You gain experience as you complete quests, kill monsters (the usual), but you don't always have to wait until you gain a level before you can start increasing your talents. In fact, you can increase them at any time, as long as you have enough points. (However, the maximum value of talents are based on your level, so after a certain point you will have to wait to level up.) This gives the game a nice, dynamic feel, as if you are constantly getting smarter and stronger without having to wait for a new level.
   
   Finally, the story itself is extremely interesting and fun. It kept me into the game all the way through. Probably one of the strongest aspects of the game (again, similar to Jade Empire) is that you are constantly moved through the game with a developing story. You are not left to languish over what to do next but instead feel like you are really caught up in the intrigue of the opening story, which then becomes something much more complicated and involving. (On a related note, the dialogue is also well-written and there was almost always a dialogue option for exactly what I was hoping to ask in that particular situation!)
   
   Some people may prefer the more "do anything you want at any time" game, but really, we can't expect all games to be that way. In fact, most *aren't* that way! So sit back and enjoy the story of this one, it's a real gem!
   
   User: John Salerno
   Rating:
   Summary: An unexpectedly great game
   Helpful Votes: 1
   Total Votes: 1
   

2. Review Date: 2009-10-28

   I found the game fun and challenging now that I got it to work on my Vista! Good work! This should keep me busy for some time :D
   
   User: C. L. Brown
   Rating:
   Summary: Now for Vista users too!
   Helpful Votes: 0
   Total Votes: 0
   

3. Review Date: 2009-10-15

   Having played this game for several weeks now, I have to say that many of the web reviews underestimated the level of fun it is to play. Yes, some of the criticisms are valid, but they are also overblown and I think are applicable to many other games in the Genre. At this point I'm hard pressed to wonder why the use of cliched themes is all that critical to the success of a game. The story has plenty of unique twists and turns, and having certain stock stereotypes is hardly a disappointment.
   
   I've had at least as much (if not more) enjoyment playing this game than I did with The Witcher and Oblivion, and more so than with the Neverwinter Nights II campaign. In fact I've had a hard time setting it aside; something I had no problem doing with any of the above games. It has just been more engaging. The graphics are about on a par with Oblivion, although it lacks the day/night cycle and doesn't quite have the same level of mundane clutter. Playing with a party has been more rewarding than the single character style of The Witcher, and the characters are much more "tunable". Combat has been varied enough to be tactically interesting and often challenging.
   
   In short I'd recommend this to anybody who prefers party-based computer role playing games in a traditional fantasy setting. This has been much more fun to play than I initially expected. I'm looking forward to any expansions that come out.
   
   User: R. Hall
   Rating:
   Summary: Remarks
   Helpful Votes: 2
   Total Votes: 2
   

4. Review Date: 2009-10-09

   In today's age of gaming, products tend to be rushed by the major gaming companies. The Dark Eye: Drakensang is not one of those products. Drakensang, executes the RPG experience to near perfection. Drakensang does have it's flaws, they are few and not subtle. Drakensang offers the player a linear storyline, enriched graphics, above par mechanics and solid fantasy atmosphere. I'll focus more on the pro's and con's of this game, rather than spoil the storyline.
   
   Pro's:
   1. Graphics, they are amazing and not taxing on your system like other RPG products on the market. I run the game on full settings with a older ATI Radeon x1650 pro turbo. Anti-Aliasing is only supported up to x4 in the game. I usually get 30-35 FPS. Visual effects do not hinder your game play experience.
   2. Sound and Enviroment, they did a wonderful job with ambient effects. The soundtrack is very good too.
   3. The storyline is simply constructed to make the player feel they are the actual hero. There are some mystery elements to the game.
   4. The Rule set can be a little confusing at first, The Dark Eye role-playing game follows D&D influenced rules. Constructed differently though, Your character will gain adventure points which is associated to their level. They will also gain experience points which is associated to their talent and abilities.
   
   Con's:
   1. No multiplayer, it can be a problem for many gamers. I do not see it as a issue but for the consumer you should be aware of this.
   2. Camera control lacks panning, there's mouse scrolling and free control camera. When in tight spaces, the camera angle will focus in, zooming out is limited in such spaces too. It's annoying at times but nothing you can't over come.
   3. Character customization, you are given the choice from a range of different races with preset character titles, abilities and skills. If you enjoy customization from the start you may frown upon the games approach.
   4. Lacking animations and model diversity.
   
   Overall, Radon Labs managed to put together a great RPG experience.
   
   User: Karl L. Stride
   Rating:
   Summary: Instant cult classic RPG.
   Helpful Votes: 0
   Total Votes: 0
   

5. Review Date: 2009-08-26

   I had been following this games development since I first heard about it years ago. When it was finally available here in the states, I snapped it up and I'm so glad I did. This game is entertaining, polished and beautiful. But it's greatest asset are the abundance of details thoughout it's design that make it a joy to play. Adventure RPG's are all to uncommon these days but this one is a gem for anyone who might have fond memories of games like Westwood Studios original Lands of Lore.
   
   User: JBL
   Rating:
   Summary: A great adventure RPG
   Helpful Votes: 1
   Total Votes: 1
   

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Editorial Reviews

Welcome to the dark ages. The Dark Eye: Drakensang is the first PC adaptation of Germany's most popular and long-standing pen and paper RPG franchise in 10 years. In the last twenty years a thriving The Dark Eye community of millions has grown, as its fantasy universe of Aventuria has been expanded in books, board games and computer games. And now with an incredible attention to detail, the world of Aventuria comes to live on the PC in Drakensang in state-of-the-art 3D graphics that bring to life the epic vistas and stunning variety of this one-of-a-kind fantasy world.

Adventure with up to 4 players. View larger.

Deep character customization. View larger.

Breathtaking environments. View larger.

Challenging quests. View larger.

The Story
In Aventuria, the legendary continent of heroes, adventure and mysteries, something is on the move. It is an event which role players have been eagerly awaiting ever since the Nordland Trilogy. The story centers around Ferdok, an important trading city on the Great River. The feared female lancers of Ferdok and Ferdok's famous beer have given the city a reputation throughout the continent and the humans here live in harmony with the dwarves. But despite the cheerful and peaceful atmosphere, the peace is now being shaken by a mysterious series of murders. Sinister figures are pursuing their dark schemes, while the fear among the population grows with every new murder. And while the adventures are still pondering whether the crimes are connected to the proclamation made by the Church of Hesinde on the tenth anniversary of the Dragonquest, they themselves are dragged into the mysterious events by a very particular murder.

Character Creation
The Dark Eye: Drakensang provides a choice of 10 archetypes for creating characters. These are pre-generated gaming figures that already have a background story and for which all basic properties, talents and abilities are predefined. This is particularly helpful to newcomers, who are not familiar with Dark Eye rules, giving them an easy entry into the game. Within these, areas of specialization (e.g. warrior magician - specialization: charlatan) open up a huge range of possibilities for choosing a personal gaming character and then entering the great adventure. In addition, there is an expert mode available to experienced players. In this area of character generation, all properties of your hero can be altered individually and adjusted even more precisely to fit your personal gaming style.

Key Game Features:

• Rich story penned by the authors of the original franchise books and adventures and based in Germany`s #1 pen & paper RPG system The Dark Eye.
• Huge, detailed medieval 3D world with authentic looks of historic European architecture.
• Versatile, round-based combat system that brings tactics back to combat.
• Talent-based dialogue system.
• Quest in groups of up to four adventurers.
• More than 40 spells, with over 30 talents and almost 40 special abilities allow a large range of possibilities for character creation.
• Individual party skill development.
• Numerous and varied enemies and monsters from the DSA universe, such as linnorms, ogres, undead mules, giant amoeba and many more.
• Rule-compliant implementation of the DSA license in the tradition of the Nordland Trilogy.

System Requirements:

	Recommended Specifications:
OS:	Windows Vista/Window XP with SP2
Processor:	Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 with 2.6 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+
RAM:	2.5MB RAM for Vista, 2MB RAM for XP
Video:	NVIDIA GeForce 8600 or ATI Radeon X 1900 with 512 MB RAM
Sound:	DirectX 9.0c compatible
DVD-ROM:	4x DVD-ROM drive or faster
Hard Drive Space:	6GB of Free Space
Other:	Internet connection required for online play