Drakensang: The River of Time

About

"Drakensang: The River of Time" is a prequel to the award-winning RPG, set in the medieval fantasy world of Aventuria. Players embark on a journey down the Great River, experiencing a variety of quests and encountering new foes and equipment. With two new character archetypes, this game offers innovations and choices that affect the story, providing a unique RPG experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Drakensang: The River of Time screenshot

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 322 reviews

story64 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game is a wonderful blend of creativity and charm, with engaging characters and a humorous storyline.
It improves upon the first game in many aspects, offering a solid old-school RPG experience with a variety of character builds and spells.
The graphics and music are praised for their quality, creating an immersive atmosphere that many players find enjoyable.

The combat system is criticized for being slow and unengaging, often leading to a tedious experience during battles.
Many players report frustrating technical issues, particularly with compatibility on newer systems, making the game unplayable for some.
The story and quests can feel uninspired and linear, lacking the depth and excitement found in other RPGs.

story
156 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
The story of the game is generally regarded as engaging and well-paced, with a mix of interesting characters and quests, though some players find it lacks depth and originality. While the narrative is often described as enjoyable, it can feel simplistic or uninspired at times, with a focus on character interactions and side quests rather than a grand overarching plot. Overall, the game is seen as a solid RPG with a memorable storyline, though it may not appeal to those seeking a more complex narrative experience.
- “The story is well paced and does not outstay its welcome; it's also not about saving the world, you are not even really the main character, which is refreshing.”
- “Underrated story-rich RPG that honestly almost hasn't aged as the game is still looking fantastic even now 10 years later.”
- “A great RPG with a memorable story and humor in doses... I recommend this game to any RPG lovers.”
- “What little drama there was in the story never quite seemed to land for me—suffice it to say that this is not an RPG where you'll be playing principally to see where the narrative goes next.”
- “The storyline bored me to tears, because it was so simple.”
- “The game gives the player very little freedom to explore, locking them into preset paths through the rigid storyline.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
38%
14%
The graphics of the game, while considered outdated by some, are often praised for their charm and artistic style, evoking nostalgia and providing a pleasant atmosphere. Many reviewers appreciate the colorful environments and intricate details, noting that the visuals, though not cutting-edge, complement the engaging storyline and gameplay. Overall, the graphics are deemed good for their time, with some expressing a desire for a modern update in potential future installments.
- “The graphics and lighting effects are beautiful, the story is engaging and the combat is difficult yet fair.”
- “The art style and graphics in this game are just gorgeous!”
- “Lush graphics, intricate gameplay, and a ton of different choices to be made!”
- “The graphics are outdated, but the levels are lovely, colorful, and cute, and everything else makes up for it.”
- “And I don't mind graphics being outdated; it's literally unplayable.”
- “Masterpiece, but I need to play on low graphics because of the grass texture, but still, I love the Drakensang series.”
gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
74%
9%
The gameplay across the reviewed RPGs is characterized by a mix of complexity and depth, with titles like Drakensang and Dragon Age: Origins offering intricate mechanics and character customization, though some players find the combat slow and cumbersome. While Skyrim is noted for its superior gameplay mechanics, Drakensang excels in story and atmosphere. Overall, players appreciate the strategic thinking required in combat and the freedom in character development, despite the initial learning curve associated with the mechanics.
- “But, once you learn the mechanics and fail a few tries, once you get past the general limitation of this old game, god damn is this game a joy to play. The amount of freedom you have in shaping your character is unlike most traditional RPGs of its kind.”
- “Lush graphics, intricate gameplay, and a ton of different choices to be made!”
- “This is a mechanically complex RPG with plenty of depth and opportunity for customizing characters.”
- “This is not an easy game to get into, with all the dice rolls to learn, attributes, and just the game mechanics in general.”
- “But in terms of party-based gameplay, it fails.”
- “Worst of all are the combat mechanics which are cumbersomely slow, nearly to the point of being unresponsive.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its distinct dry humor and well-written characters, providing a solid and often funny experience. While the narrative may not be compelling, the dialogue options and skill checks offer opportunities for player expression, aiming for a humorous tone reminiscent of other RPGs, though it occasionally falls short, possibly due to translation issues. Overall, it is described as charming and passionate, with humor presented in enjoyable doses.
- “Overall, a very solid and often funny experience; the dialogues have a very distinct dry humor.”
- “The characters, your companions, are written so humorously.”
- “Humorous, charming, delicate, and made with passion.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised as enchanting and fairy-tale-like, with beautiful music and engaging voice acting that enhance the experience. While the graphics may not be state-of-the-art, the vibrant village settings and eerie dungeons contribute to a rich and immersive environment. Many reviewers consider it a standout in terms of story and atmosphere, even when compared to other notable RPGs.
- “The atmosphere is great, just a fairy tale.”
- “I love the atmosphere of the game; the music is beautiful, and the story and voice acting are good enough.”
- “The graphics aren't cutting-edge, but the village environments are sunny and pleasant with lots of lively NPCs around, and the dungeons are creepy and atmospheric.”
- “Skyrim (2011) may be better in terms of gameplay, but in terms of story and atmosphere, Drakensang: The River of Time falls short.”
- “The atmosphere in Drakensang: The River of Time lacks the immersive quality that other RPGs offer.”
- “While the gameplay mechanics are solid, the overall atmosphere of Drakensang: The River of Time feels flat and uninspired.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The music in the game is widely praised for its excellence and beauty, with many reviewers noting that it enhances the overall atmosphere and complements the storytelling effectively. The soundtracks are described as impressive and gorgeous, drawing favorable comparisons to those in "The Witcher 3." Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's immersive experience.
- “The music is beautiful, and the atmosphere of the game is enhanced by it. The story and voice acting are good enough to match.”
- “Loving the soundtracks; they really complement the lovely story.”
- “Impressive and gorgeous; the music in The Witcher 3 perfectly matches the soundtracks.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers strong replayability, allowing players to explore different playstyles, such as melee, mage, or stealth characters, which enhances the overall experience and encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “This game is incredibly replayable, offering a fresh experience with each playthrough.”
- “The replay value is outstanding, making it worth revisiting multiple times.”
- “While the previous playthrough was heavily melee-based, this time I enjoyed playing as a mage and exploring stealth options.”
- “While that one was a lot melee-based, Trot is more playable as a mage or a stealthy character.”
- “Replayable game.”
- “Replay value.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find that while some aspects of spellcasting can be tedious, the variety of character classes and activities available help to minimize the feeling of grinding in the game. Overall, the experience is described as engaging rather than monotonous.
- “Mage gets some spells, which are rather tedious to cast without any AI scripting (like in Dragon Age: Origins).”
- “There are lots of different character classes to pick from, lots of things to do, and it rarely feels grindy.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is highly praised for its tailored approach, offering a variety of class choices that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the complexity and diversity of both character progression and combat mechanics, which require strategic thinking and add depth to gameplay.
- “I personally love it since the storyline is awesome, character development is really tailored, there are quite a few class choices, and the combat mechanics are fun (requires a lot of strategic thinking which can be daunting for many, but hey, I like it).”
- “Combat and character development are diverse, complex, and challenging.”