14 DAY TRIAL // Great news from Piranha Bytes, as its latest RPG, Risen, reaches the gold status for the PC. The release date is set for October 2, while the Xbox version has an unspecified launch date of 2010, but it is expected in the early months of it. For the ones that don't know, Piranha is responsible for the brilliant series Gothic, which, as to now, includes the original game that shares the same title, Gothic II, Gothic II: Night of the Raven, Gothic III and Gothic III: Forsaken Gods.
For those well versed in the affairs of Piranha Bytes, the developers will now have a new game to look forward to, as the success accomplished by the studio can only assure another complete masterpiece. Those that didn't play anything from the Gothic series should try to make up for their past mistakes, and if not, search the stores for these RPGs, and then at least give a good look to Risen.
The game will be published by Deep Silver, a subsidiary of Koch Media, unlike the Gothic series, which had the quirks of the JoWood studio to deal with. Notable for rushing the title to meet every deadline, JoWood Productions was widely considered guilty for the endless bugs and game faults that the Gothic series suffered. Piranha released continuous patches for each installment of the title to fix these, but its image suffered a lot, for, while its name was connected to one of the best RPGs of all times, it also carried the burden of releasing what almost looked like incomplete games.
The story will take place over the full stretch of a volcanic Mediterranean island and relay the same medieval taste the Gothic series did. With four chapters at its disposal, the title will offer a non-linear story, greatly influenced by the players' decisions. It will show off an innovative and intuitive interface, details learnt most likely from past endeavors with Gothic, and full world-streaming support to deliver an intense feeling of immersion.
The official game's site offers an elaborate sneak peek into the title's universe, as well as into the multiple paths of the story that it can develop into. Those eager to see for themselves, can run through the short experience here.