"So Risen is recommended? It seems to have received a lackluster review. Although I selected to play D2 even though I found poor reviews for it (yet gamers gave it much better reviews). "
Check out the RPGWatch review for some more details about why it is a pretty good game despite some flaws.
"I haven't touched a Gothic since the first one. It was pretty slick, I seem to recall a nice openness to it and interesting NPCs. "
Gothic 2 - especially with the Night of the Raven expansion - is one of the best RPGs of the past decade.
I also enjoy Drakensang quite a bit, and this Divinity 2 is a nice follow up that is solid but not (IMO) up to the level of the original.
One thing - these guys (Risen, Divinity 2) either need to figure out how to do console games or just STOP ... because what they *are* releasing is giving the overall games bad names and really poisoning the well.
