Risen 3: Titan Lords announced and dated

Piranha Bytes, creators of Gothic and Risen, have announced Risen 3: Titan Lords, scheduled for launch in August 2014 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows PC, published by Deep Silver.

This means Risen 3 will be battling for RPG mindshare with the likes of The Witcher 3 and Dragon Age Inquisition, which are also going to be launching towards the end of 2014.

“The key element of the cult Gothic series as well as Risen is the vivid world and the freedom to explore it. The world of Risen 3: Titan Lords will be diverse, authentic and full of life, providing the player with an authentic, classic RPG experience,” says the press blurb.

In the weirdest game development analogy of the day, Bjoern Pankratz, Project Lead at Piranha Bytes said: “Like a carpenter with a handcrafted piece of furniture, we put together the story, the characters and the landscape until it all fits and the player has the possibility to discover things all around the place. You can try out and find things that others might not. Exploration is the key to our game.”

Risen 3 landscapes composite – click to enlarge

The world of Risen 3 is abandoned by all gods and suffers from the Titan Wars when a new threat rises from the soil. A young warrior is attacked from the shadows and deprived of his soul. He sets off to reclaim what is lost amidst the darkness that is spreading throughout the world. The banned Mages could be powerful allies on his quest. To get their help, he needs to find the Mage sanctuary on Taranis, also known as the Island of Thunder. Protected by the Guardians, the Mages search the mines of Taranis for crystals loaded with magic energy. Will the player join the Guardians to get in contact with the Mages? Or will he choose one of the other guilds in Risen 3 to reach his goals?