Drakensang: The Dark Eye

You start the game off as a person with the race, gender, and profession of your choosing and the choice is difficult; I started the game over a few times until I felt like my character was what I wanted. During your journey, you will encounter many NPCs who can join your party and it is up to you to pick those people who will complement your own skills. There is no point in having two thiefs who are both adept in lock picking and setting traps. The good thing is that people who don't join you are sent to your home in Ferdok, so you can pick them up anytime.

What really impressed me about the game is the shear level of detail the characters, buildings, and landscape. The graphics have that little haze similar to games like Guild Wars that add a level of enchantment to the settings and all these things greatly enhance the appropriate mood. Like the grandeur of entering a large city with citizens going about their day, merchants shouting loudly to draw customers, all amid lively music. Conversely, the dark music and eerie sound effects in the marshes along with the dense fog, signify danger lurking at every corner.

My only gripe with the game is the camera and how it can go screwy at times you need a steady look at everything and the characters in my party don't listen to where I want them to go at times. The game is very reminiscent of my favorite RPG ever, Baldur's Gate, in that battles are real time, but you can pause the action to plan your attack, and any armor and weapons equipped actually show up on the characters, which is something you don't see often in JRPGs.

Drakensang is a definite must have for the RPG fan, while it is a bit slower moving than the usual fare, the game makes up for its few flaws by immersing the player in a rich role playing experience that shouldn't be missed.