Drakensang: The River of Time
- February 16, 2011
- DTP
- 30h median play time
Get on Steam"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.
PC
Reviews
- The game is a wonderful blend of creativity and charm, with a great story and engaging characters.
- 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 well-received, creating an immersive atmosphere that many players find enjoyable.
- The combat system is criticized for being slow and unresponsive, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience.
- Many players report significant technical issues, particularly with running the game on modern systems like Windows 10, making it effectively unplayable for some.
- The story and quests can feel uninspired and linear, lacking the depth and engagement found in other RPGs.
- story78 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its engaging narrative, character development, and atmospheric delivery. While some find the main quest simplistic or uninspired, the interactions with companions and side quests often provide a richer experience. Overall, the game is considered an underrated RPG with a solid storyline that offers opportunities for role-playing and exploration, despite some criticisms regarding pacing and character connection.
“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.”
“A great RPG with a memorable story and humor in doses... I recommend this game to any RPG lovers.”
“The graphics and lighting effects are beautiful, the story is engaging, and the combat is difficult yet fair.”
“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 main story is kinda lame; most of the main quest is hunting down the same uninteresting dude... the interesting part is the interaction with companions and some fun mini quests and overall interesting lore.”
“The storyline bored me to tears because it was so simple.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered outdated, yet many players appreciate their charm and nostalgic qualities, often comparing them favorably to older titles like Fable. While some find the visuals lacking compared to modern standards, others highlight the vibrant environments and artistic style as a strong point, contributing positively to the overall experience. Overall, the graphics may not be cutting-edge, but they are deemed sufficient and enjoyable within the context of the game's engaging story and gameplay.
“Graphics manage to look good somehow, although the game is old.”
“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!”
“Graphics seem obsolete.”
“And I don't mind graphics being outdated; it's literally unplayable.”
“The graphics are outdated, but the levels are lovely, colorful, and cute, and everything else makes up for it.”
- gameplay17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay across the reviewed titles showcases a mix of complexity and depth, with players noting that while some games like Drakensang and Dragon Age: Origins offer rich character customization and strategic combat, they can also present a steep learning curve and slow mechanics. Comparisons to Neverwinter Nights highlight a preference for engaging graphics and intricate gameplay, though some titles struggle with party-based mechanics and responsiveness. Overall, players appreciate the freedom and variety in gameplay, despite some frustrations 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.”
“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. It requires a lot of strategic thinking, which can be daunting for many, but I like it.”
“This is a mechanically complex RPG with plenty of depth and opportunities 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.”
“Worst of all are the combat mechanics which are cumbersomely slow, nearly to the point of being unresponsive.”
“But in terms of party-based gameplay, it fails.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by distinct dry wit and charming dialogue, particularly from the well-written companions. While the narrative may not be compelling, it offers numerous dialogue options that aim for a humorous tone, though the execution can be inconsistent, possibly due to translation issues. Overall, players find the humor to be a delightful and memorable aspect of the RPG experience.
“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.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its fairy tale quality, enhanced by beautiful music, engaging voice acting, and a rich story. While the graphics may not be cutting-edge, the vibrant village settings and eerie dungeons contribute to a captivating and immersive experience. Overall, it stands out as an atmospheric RPG, often compared favorably to titles like The Witcher and Skyrim.
“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 is superior.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players in the world.”
“Despite its potential, the game fails to create a compelling atmosphere, leaving players feeling disconnected from the experience.”
- music5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its excellence and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many noting its impressive and gorgeous soundtracks that complement the story and voice acting effectively. Players appreciate how the music aligns with the game's themes, contributing to an immersive experience.
“The music is excellent.”
“The soundtracks are impressive and gorgeous; The Witcher 3 matches these soundtracks perfectly.”
“I love the atmosphere of the game; the music is beautiful, and the story and voice acting are good enough.”
“The music feels like it was chosen by the elves, lacking any real depth or engagement.”
“The soundtrack is repetitive and fails to enhance the gaming experience.”
“The music doesn't match the game's atmosphere, making it feel disjointed and uninspired.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's strong replayability, noting that it offers diverse playstyles, such as melee, mage, and stealth, which encourage multiple playthroughs. This variety enhances the overall replay value, making each experience feel unique.
“This game is incredibly replayable, offering a fresh experience with each playthrough.”
“The replay value is outstanding, with multiple paths and choices that keep the game feeling new.”
“While one playthrough focused heavily on melee combat, I found that playing as a mage or a stealthy character offers a completely different experience.”
“Replayable game.”
“Replay value.”
“While that one was a lot melee-based, Trot is more playable as a mage or a stealthy character.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that while some spell casting can be tedious without AI scripting, the variety of character classes and activities available in the game helps to minimize the feeling of grinding. Overall, the experience is generally engaging and not overly repetitive.
“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 development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is highly praised for its tailored approach, offering a variety of class choices that enhance the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the complexity and strategic depth of both the character progression and combat mechanics, making for a challenging yet rewarding experience.
“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 (requiring a lot of strategic thinking, which can be daunting for many, but I like it).”
“Combat and character development are diverse, complex, and challenging.”
