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Since it is already in your library, I would suggest that you try it and see for yourself. Risen is a relatively short game (20-30 hours on average) so it is not a huge time commitment. If you find the combat too punishing, I have posted a non-combat walkthrough in the guide section that might help.
There are other routes, but as you follow the linear path of the starting zone you meet NPCs that explain the various routes you can take.
In regards to difficulty, I would say the game is challenging but not hard, unless you decide to explore... really like there are caves in the starting area with monsters that will kill you on the spot. And yes, caves are one of the most dangerous places in the game. They might have good stuff sometimes but the things there can be nasty, unless it is a cave related to a quest, those are doable.
There are paths you can take that are harder than others, but overall, I wouldn't call it Dark Souls level of difficulty.
In regards to gameplay, it is nothing like dark souls or games like that. The dodge is pretty stiff, it is barely more than a sidestep, there is no dodge roll or anything like that. Shields are the only thing that can protect you from enemies from bitting your kneecaps, so if you use a two handed weapon, your only defence is the freaking sidestep. Tbf the block becomes less effective late game because there are enemies that can just break through your block with a combo but still. And things like parries, charged attacks, etc, are things that you need to pay a teacher to learn, so what you can do early on is extremely limited, however when your character finally learns those things it can make you feel like a master of that kind of weapon, that is until you decide to fight an enemy late game and you miss the timing of a parry and die on the spot... since no matter how good you are with a weapon, even with the best armor, against the most powerful enemies, you can't take that many hits.
When it comes to Exp, it is extremely limited in this game and enemies don't respawn. If you kill it, it stays dead forever. So you can't grind in this game. So if you need skins and things like that but you kill them without the hunting skill... you will only get meat and that is it. You will lose the possibility to either selling the skins or use them to make some quests easier. New groups of enemies do indeed spawn when you start a new story chapter, but it is just a few of them throughout the map. So you have to really decide what you want to follow in terms of build since increasing your stats and learning new skills, both require money to pay the teachers and learning points to be able to learn them.
So the main focus in this game early to mid game are the quest and storylines while late game is more for exploring the dangerous caves and ruins which will give you some challenging battles, unless you decide to be an archer or a mage. Being a ranged character makes the late game kinda of a cake walk although they suck early on. While being a melee character is a lot easier at the start and becomes harder late game.
Last but not least, the biggest nitpick you can have with the game is the reuse of character models for various characters. Sure, they might change the clothes and the hair color but that is about it.
Be careful of which faction you join, which you'll need to do as part of the main quest. Many of the best NPC trainers in the game are members of one of the three factions, and their services become locked if you the opposing faction. This might require you to plan ahead where improving your skills are concerned.
Here are some lines about what to take into the consideration:
Where Risen shines:
- Several ways to go on about many quests. The game won't lead you by the hand in this though. You have to come up with a different solution yourself, or you'll never know there were two other ways other than what "that character told you to do".
- Choices often change the outcomes of one quests here, or even whole area of possibilities there. Be careful of finishing quests in the main line, be observant of possibilities and thoughtful of your decisions. Both can drastically alter the narration right from the start, what abilities you can learn or not, or whom you can help later or who you will have to fight.
- Exploration. Piranha Bytes have always been known to devise games with the "treasure behind the waterfall", "quest starters in the hidden crannies", gems well-hidden under the rubble in the burnt building with a strange half-burnt scroll on the table saying "They will never get my treasure...", etc.
Neutral or choose your pick if you like or don't
- Combat. I personally love it. Before you learn to cheese some fights, you'll meet a force to be reckoned with in mostly any enemy. They can be far from stupid. They often slightly change their tactic. They come in pairs or trios, or quads and some even cooperate. Others are so fast or so strong they overwhelm you instantly. It's really nothing easy in the beginning, in fact, it can seem very unforgiving. Studying and learning the behavioral patters of enemies, using various weapons and the terain to your advantage, allies that don't follow you but can help nonetheless etc. is a must. It's awesome how even a simple Sea Vulture can claw you to death in seconds if you lower your (mental) guard even though you've dispatched its totally same sibling with totall ease just a while ago :D But don't worry; the time when you two-hit a "stupid ghoul" with your large two-hander, taking only a scratch from him will come :)
- Graphics. It's okay even for today, but of course, it's nothing great comparing to nowadays standards. If you play games for the gameplay and not for the graphical gilding, you'll be okay.
Cons:
- You might not like where the story leads, how the game ends, somewhat smaller dungeons compared to other games, only few memorable characters (everybody kind of looks the same :), or find a million of other reasons why hate. As with any game. But that'd still be subjective. Frankly, it's okay not to like Risen--or any other game--but I don't believe it has any real objective cons. The public beta has alleviated some of the bugs which is nice (the parry after block was especially obnoxious), but those bugs weren't game-breaking anyway.
2. The thing with the block without shield is incorrect. Weapons block *most* weapons' hits and *some* of the animals' attacks. Heavier attacks stagger or go through. Shield is much more reliable at blocking or not being staggered, that's it. Fyi, all of this is explained to the PC by fighting teachers. Something like: animals don't care about small objects in their way, they just rush in, and that's why raising a weapon wouldn't help. Only blocking the whole path is reliable enough, thus to fight the animals, one should be equipped with a shield.
Yes weapon can block too and just as reliable as shields. There is no difference between blocking with shields or with weapons in general with the exception to attacks from small animals:
Weapon cant block attacks from small animals like stingrats and wolves. They just ignore you blocking with a weapon and go through with their attacks. And that is why most people like shields and think normal weapons cant block or are unreliable at blocking.
I never said that you couldn't block with a weapon, I just said that you couldn't block an attack to the MC's lower body with a weapon. So you need a shield for that, otherwise dodge is your only defense.
Been playing the game since 2015, and this comment is indeed correct. Against the shorter enemies, like wolves, stingrats, and gnomes, you NEED a shield. You also need one against ghouls. If you don't have one, their attacks will just get through your block, and you'll HAVE to dodge. Weapons alone are fine against the human-sized, weapon-using enemies, but not against the enemies that don't use weapons.
What? I can block animal monsters with a weapon too. Like you can block war crickets, rottworms, scorpions, moths, vultures and so on. I never had a problem blocking them. Dont remember ghouls because even with a shield you get killed without dodging because the ghoul has a magic ice attack which goes right through your shield. So it doesnt matter at all.
"Shields are the only thing that can protect you from enemies from bitting your kneecaps, so if you use a two handed weapon, your only defence is the freaking sidestep. "
So that's why I initially responded.
That's because all the enemies you named are at least your size, or can fly. But gnomes, boars, wolves, and stingrats are all smaller than you, so you can't block their attacks with just a weapon. Attacks from smaller creatures require a shield, but if they're larger or can fly, you don't need a shield.