RPG PC Games

Drakensang: The Dark Eye Review

Posted on 22. Sep, 2009 by Rock'nRolf in PC RPG Reviews

After a couple of hours with Drakensang: The Dark Eye, I realize that it’s like reliving an old classic, but with great visuals in high definition. There’s a lot to like about this game; it’s an epic fantasy RPG with all the traditional ingredients – dwarves, elves and goblins are in the mix, and a few busty Amazons have been thrown in for good measure.

The plot is hardly unique – you start as an anonymous adventurer and eventually discover that some prophesy or other is about to fulfill, and unsurprisingly you are neck-deep in these strange on-goings before you know it. Don’t get me wrong, the story is likable enough, but it’s hardly on par with classics like Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment. But then again few games are.

Drakensang Character Creation

Drakensang is based on a German pen-and-paper RPG of some renown (apparently) , and it’s immediately obvious that the game is built on a fairly intricate rule set, although a very different one than the more familiar D&D rules. There are lots of character classes, sub-classes and races – all with their respective pros and cons. There are twenty classes in all, and among the more traditional ones (elves, humans, dwarves in different shapes and sizes) the game also lets you play as a pirate or the aforementioned Amazon.

If you have some experience with this type of game, you’ll recognize most of the different stats and attributes, but there are also a few new ones. In addition to the constitution, strength and agility modifiers, say hello to stats like courage and intuition. Then there’s all manner of different resistances to various types of magic and energies. Let’s just say that it’s a little bit more complex than the average RPG – personally I had a few head-scratching moments before I got the hang of it. Then again I’m one of those folks who are too inanely stubborn to just look in the manual.

Setting out to Explore the Battle Mechanics

Drakensang starts out slowly with a few exploration-type quests that lets you get to know the camera and inventory system. After a while you hook up with other characters and form a party, after which you’ll finally get to kill something – or at least try to. Just like Neverwinter Nights the game plays out in “real time” but has a pause button that you better locate and learn to use right away.

The semi-tactical fights also takes some getting used to – at least for 99% of all non-German players who are most likely not familiar with the rules. For one thing, your to-hit rolls should be as low as possible instead of the other way around. Also, other than just losing hit points, your characters occasionally get “wounded” when hit. Getting more than four of these wounds will leave your character incapacitated even if it still has more hit points than Demogorgon the Prince of Demons.

The Bottom Line

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It’s safe to say that Drakensang: The Dark Eye is more challenging than the average RPG. On the other hand I’m tired of the dime-a-dozen action RPGs that have been pushed out lately, so some added tactical depth and difficulty only makes the game more rewarding once you get the hang of the mechanics. On the downside the story feels a bit generic and shallow, and so does much of the dialog and the lack of interaction between the player character. In the end, however, the good parts of Drakensang win out; there’s plenty of stats to play around with, a great-looking game world, and some classic fantasy environments that will neither surprise or disappoint.

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