The D&D equivalent from Germany weighs in with a good looking presentation, but lacks substance in several areas.
At first glance, it is good looking and very intriguing. Character customization is rather varied mechanically, but overly simplistic visually. You get to pick your class archetype and gender, but nothing else about the way your character looks or sounds. The backend customization should you choose to use it gives control over all skills your character will need in the world.
Beginning gameplay seems fairly well laid out, and plays more like a classic party RPG with MMOG elements for crafting and questing. Dialog (for the english version) was very well translated and acted out, and the non-voice acted portions (the bulk of your character's interaction with NPCs) were done just as well.
This is where the review take a turn off the road of "well done" to "not so well done" lane...
The community that plays this system in Germany claims it has been in use/development for twenty years now, and yet the gaming system that Drakensang relies on is overcomplicated in some areas, and childishly simplistic in others. Working out certain numeric aspects of your character's skills can be rather cumbersome due to formulas involved. Not to mention, it isn't a straightforward system of gaining skills - they are purchased with experience points that you receive as you adventure. Essentially that makes this a point based system instead of a level based or use-based one.
The part that really let me down as a gamer was when I started designing my character. I almost always play magic users - the classic mage archetype with offensive, protection and utility spells that while vulnerable, also excels at putting out damage and assisting the group. That character unfortunately doesn't exist in Drakensang - why I can only guess. The entire game seems somehow anti-magic when it comes to what is available, and how it plays. Based on 40+ hours now of adventuring with a 4-char party, it seems painfully obvious that the vast majority of skills and abilities in the game was meant more for three classic archetypes, in varying amounts. If I was to hazard a guess, I'd balance the archetype content and focus from the designers at 55% Fighter, 20% Ranger, 15% Thief, and 10% Mage.
There are *very* few magic items in the game, whether gear or spells that actually do something for you or your companions. I broke down and played a battle mage for this purpose, and finally found that not even a staff wielding mage was adequate - I had to specialize in sword & board (1H weapon + shield) to make him viable.
The game also seems somewhat devoid of monster variety. As my party is an average level of 5 now (up to 20 max), you would think I'd seen more than two dozen opponents, when in fact (other than NPCs) I've probably only seen six. Wolves, boars, rats, slimes, and bandits are about it - for fourty hours, plus quests. I have no doubt there are more coming down the line in my game, but I have to admit to being utterly bored to tears with the current fare.
To sum Drakensang up - it was visually and audibly well done, and the UI is polished enough that it works well for people familiar with RPGs on the PC. But the content is imbalanced in favor of the mundane, and the repetetion is only tolerable from the well-done questline and immersion that it brings.
Overall, a game worth playing for the price. But it does make one wonder: what have they been doing over in Germany for the past twenty years that would take magic (as we see it in D&D) and thin it down to a mere shadow of what is normally seen in fantasy roleplay games? Not every character has a beard, a set of armor, and talks in a gruff voice when they order beer...