A magnificent step up from Gothic III's disastrous release: no gamebreaking glitch, and highly optimized graphics.
Graphics: 10/10
The game has beautiful graphics. Although it's only using a modified version of Gothic III's engine, there are numerous improvements ranging from: much better combat animation(attacks actually seem to pack a punch now), improved lightning effects, weather, time of day and most importantly the optimization made on the engine to allow smoother gameplay. I own both this game and Gothic III, and have played both games on the same computer. So far I have not experienced a single lag in Risen, despite the much prettier graphics, unlike Gothic 3.
Sound: 9/10
Carrying on from Gothic III, Risen has very sensible music from the trackless forest to temples and bandit camps. More noticeably however, Piranha Bytes really tried making up for Gothic III's disappointing voice acting. The translation is done better, and they also hired better voice talent with some fame. I still find that the voice acting can be done better when comparing to a game such as Mass Effect. Nevertheless, Risen has done a decent job providing what it can.
Gameplay: 10/10
As mentioned earlier, clicking mouse left button will now only get you killed. The combat in Risen is massively modified since Gothic III. Dodging, counter-parrying, positioning or a well timed charged attack all play an important part in the player's survival. The magic system, learning system and the ingame economy are also better modified, preventing gold becoming nearly worthless as it had in Gothic III when the player is at a very high level. The game also feels "finished" comparing to Gothic III. Many useless junk in Gothic III will now find a use in Risen. A few examples would be: digging treasure with a shovel, cooking with frying pan, a large selection of tools for hunting and smithing. Those little things add to the immersive world Risen brings.
Value: 8/10
The game managed to offer me over 30 hours of enjoyable adventure for its worth on my first play through. There is also a lot of replayability from the player's decision on choosing sides: whether he chooses to join the rebelling bandits, the tyrannic Inquisition, or remain neutral and walk towards his own goals.
For all the players who have the patience to beat through the first few levels and get used to the combat system, there is a rich world of adventure that can be found in Risen. It's worth a look at for the end of this year, especially since a lot of other games are being delayed to 2010.