Risen 1 Review (Xbox Series S)

by Jim Smale · January 25, 2023

For our Risen 1 Review, We delve into the gritty and atmospheric world of Risen, where every action has a consequence. Master the sword, learn the art of staff fighting, or become a powerful mage, forging your path across a land filled with mysterious earthquakes, fearsome monsters, and unimaginable treasures.

Risen 1 Review Pros:

Decent graphics.
5.7 GB download size.
1000 Gamerscore.
Own in-game achievements.
Performance mode – on/off.
3 difficulties – Easy, normal, and hard.
Invert axis and sensitivity sliders.
Tutorial text pop-up option.
Upscaled FMV cutscenes.
Can skip cutscenes.
Adventure RPG gameplay.
Text pops up on items on the floor.
Real-time combat.
Play how you want.
Multiple choice encounters.
Runs really well.
Fast forward to conversations.
Experience points show up as you earn them.
Easily set up button shortcuts.
The camera can zoom in and out.
Excellent lighting.
Save when you want.
Day and night cycles with various weather types.
Learn many skills like blacksmithing for crafting, Fishing, and making armor.
Trade with vendors.
Using magic looks and feels pretty cool.
The game world created is full of gorgeous yet treacherous landmarks.
Oozing with atmosphere.
The combat is hack and slashy but it does require player skill in learning blocking and countering.

Risen 1 Review Cons:

Not a remake or remaster.
Cannot rebind controls.
The combat is mashy.
You cannot pick things up or even see the text when holding a weapon or a torch.
The game does show its age in terms of exploration and game progress.
Tutorial pop-ups are far and few between.
Very slow starter.
Had many chests that cannot be opened but you get no explanation as to why.

Risen 1:

Official website.

Developer: THQ Nordic

Publisher: THQ Nordic

Store Links –

Xbox

8/10

Graphics - 8/10
8/10

Sound - 8/10
8/10

Accessibility - 8/10
9/10

Length - 9/10
9/10

Fun Factor - 9/10

8.4/10

Summary

They say you should never go back to a game after so many years as nostalgia has a lot to answer for, That is not the case for Risen 1 as it indeed holds up by today’s standard and shows gamers how the RPG genre should be done. Here you don’t get all new flashy graphics and game mechanics tinkered for today’s market, No it’s just a pure untouched version of the original, and it’s just being released on other platforms and added in some controller support. Yeah sure it’s a bit rough in places and a few modern-day gimmicks would help streamline it but that’s more a lazy gamer saying. Risen 1 is just as good and just as playable as any of the other games and we should be glad that it didn’t get messed with, It shows what made this game great and introduces new players to the awesome Risen series. Go back to Risen 1 and have fun all over again, Buy Risen 1 if you are new to it as it is an excellent example of an open-world RPG.