Drakensang: The Dark Eye
Tested on:
24” iMac (Mid 2007)
Processor: 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 2600 - 256 MB
RAM: 4 GB
I know, I know — another RPG. What can I say? I like RPGs, and I came to the party kind of late. One of my friends had Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic a couple years ago and, while I didn’t really like that specific game, it got me hooked on role-playing games in general. So, in November 2007, I bought The Witcher and that game sealed my fate: I loved it and that began my quest to find other similar games. Since then: Oblivion, Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Neverwinter Nights 2 & Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, Fallout 3, and Gothic II. I also tried Baldur’s Gate 2 and Fallout 2, but couldn’t get past the dated graphics (if I had Windows on my EeePC 701, I’d give them a try again). Anyway, let me tell you about Drakensang.
Drakensang: The Dark Eye is a German fantasy RPG with a play-style similar to Neverwinter Nights 2 — party-based (the player and up to three companions) with “dice roll” combat. That should tell you if you’ll like it or not. If you do like that type of game, but still aren’t sure, consider the price. Even though the English version of the game just came out in February, it’s been released as a budget title and can be had for only $30 USD. I’ve already spent over 30 hours on the game and I’m maybe halfway through — that’s pretty good entertainment value (which is another reason why I like RPGs in general).
My Settings
Click to ZoomThe Verdict
I’m playing Drakensang at 1440×900, which is the same resolution I use for NWN 2, though I get better frame rates in the latter. In Drakensang, the frame rate fluctuates between 15-30 fps, averaging out in the mid 20s. This doesn’t adversely affect the game since you can pause the combat, which relies more on your strategy than your reflexes.
Overall, I’m finding the game quite enjoyable and think it’s well worth the money. If you like this style of RPG, take the demo for a test drive or pick up the full version — it’s only $30.
Metacritic.com User Score
8.7/10
Tags: drakensang, kotor, witcher, oblivion, vampire the masquerade, nwn2, fallout 3, gothic series, bg2, fallout 2, stalker
April 16, 2009 at 7:11 am
Brian says:
Drakensang looks pretty good, but what caught my attention (and the reason I ended up on your page) was The Witcher. I see you’re running a 24” iMac with the HD 2600 Pro card. What kind of gameplay did you see from The Witcher? How high were you able to turn up the settings? What kind of framerate did you get?
I am desperately trying to find out as that is one of the games I have been dying to play once I get a new computer. I have been contemplating the same model mac you’re using (a refurb or clearanced from Apple) but was waiting to see if I really needed to pay extra for a better card (like the unit with the 8800GS or the new ones with a GT 130 or ATI 4850).
If I am in the wrong place posting here, I apologize. I couldn’t find an email address to send this directly rather than commenting all over your Drakensang review.
April 16, 2009 at 8:27 am
Eric says:
Hi Brian,
When my hard drive crashed a couple months back, I lost my Witcher install, so I haven’t been able to test it. When I first played through (before the Enhanced Edition came out and before I upgraded my video drivers) I had to turn the settings down quite a bit. To give you a general idea, I think I was playing at 1024x768 with medium-low settings. It didn’t ruin the gameplay, but much of the eye-candy was turned off.