I didn't even know this game existed until I began watching a Let's Play of it on YouTube. Before I was 15 minutes into the first video of the playthrough, I knew I wanted to play this game for myself. Indeed, it's an absolute pity this game doesn't get more recognition, as I thought it was great. This is a real hidden gem. It's too bad the German developer is no longer around, as I'd love to see them create another game in the Drakensang series.
It's a very pretty game. The landscapes are lovely, the cities and environments are awash in colour and have a delightful medieval/fantasy coziness to them. The individual areas are quite expansive--this is not open-world in the sense that you can walk into any building or walk anywhere in an expansive forest, but the maps are well designed and large enough to give you that feeling. Overall the game looks great--little touches like floating seeds/fluff in the air, giant swaying trees, and even the hat-flaps or feathers on your apparel bobbing and swaying as you move your character about make this a very nice game to look at.
I thought the UI was done very well. Everything is very simple, clean and intuitive. It's complex enough without being cluttered, and you can right-click on just about anything to get more detailed information about stats, items, etc. The only complaint I would have is with the somewhat clunky quickbar, where moving powers/items around is not easy (at least as far as I could tell.) Overall, great UI.
The music is a lovely orchestral score, and the sound effects and audio are both excellent. I'm not sure if the original German voice-acting was good, but the English voice-acting in the game I played was a tad hit-and-miss. Some of it was quite good, some mediocre (mainly the characters not seeming to emphasize certain words, or reading the lines without context). It's a very minor complaint. Overall it is quite passable.
I found the story entertaining. It's not supremely complex, and there isn't a huge amount of character interaction between your main party members, say compared to Dragon Age: Origins or anything. However they are quite likeable if somewhat stereotypical. What I love is that you can customize all their stats/clothing/weapons etc.
Lastly is the atmosphere or feel of the game. "Charming" really is the right word. In an age where fantasy is usually thematically dark, hyper-violent and sexually gratuitous, The River of Time is a breath of fresh air. It's decidedly light-hearted, airy and childlike in its fantasy feel. Often less is more.
I enjoyed it right from the get-go and I would easily recommend it to any RPG player. While not as polished as some AAA titles, let's be honest: not every developer has the money/time/luxury to perfect every last detail. In every area that counts, Drakensang: The River of Time gets it right.
