Risen is a small slice of the Gothic world, like a snack, Easy to chew and digest, yummy.
The gameworld is considerably smaller than the previous games, it is set on an Island with a main Harbor City that looks just like the one in Gothic II. The size of the world helps with the loading times; expect almost instantaneous save games and loads. Compared to it's slightly aged but still good predecessor: the texture quality has been toned down and lighting effects reduced, probably to match xbox360 specs, to the dismay of PC gamers.
The main character can branch out into two factions: Rebels or Inquisition and follow two different paths: Warrior or Mage. It leaves some room for replayability, however the main and side quests don't offer a choice between being a good or evil, your actions determine mostly your alliance and character type, there is no right or wrong. From there you use the experience points to build your character, this system is a little less forgiving than other mainstream RPGs, it is harder to be a jack of all trades , so if you have a build plan, stick to it. If you like swords, stick to the swords and not axes or staves, otherwise you'll have a skill handicap. You'll be surprised how early the game will end, so leveling up too many skills at once will prove useless.
The sound and effects are what we expect from Gothic games, orchestra quality music and natural environmental sounds. The voice acting was pretty well done, the British accent voice talents were a bit of a surprise though.
All in all, it is a great title, although not lengthy enough to satisfy longtime fans, the core content is still there.