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[Darkmakaimura]

In Germany, there is a very popular tabletop role-playing game called The Dark Eye known as Das Schwarze Auge.

In fact, this is the most popular role playing game in Germany and it's pretty much their Dungeons and Dragons.

It has a very long history and an ongoing metaplot so in lore terms it might be similar to Warhammer 40,000.

What's kind of strange is that a lot of the video games based off this tabletop role-playing game has been localized and released for Americans. The books on the other hand, have very few American localizations and almost nobody in America knows about it. You can try doing a Google search and you're mostly just going to get very little information or German sites in German.

I was curious if anyone played the games that are on computer and if so what are some of your favorites or what do you recommend?

I know Daedlic, who made the extremely popular Gollum game, worked on a couple point and click adventure games based in that world (which is known as Aventuria) as well as a couple strategy role playing games.

 

[shoplifter]

I own most of them and have never played them, but I *also* own a bunch of DSA stuff in English for the latest edition. I've been trying to get a game going for a while and it just hasn't worked out.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

I own most of them and have never played them, but I *also* own a bunch of DSA stuff in English for the latest edition. I've been trying to get a game going for a while and it just hasn't worked out.

That's usually popular as this is in Germany, I really don't know a single person who knows anything about it.

It's like that German science fiction flight sim game "X". You have tons of expansions and sequels to that game and nobody seems to know about it at all.

 

[Bonfires Down]

I only played Chains of Satinav. I liked it.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

I only played Chains of Satinav. I liked it.

There's a sequel to that game called Memoria.

 

[Bonfires Down]

There's a sequel to that game called Memoria.

Yep, I still intend to play Memoria at some point.

 

[Gorgon]

I played some of the Reals of Arkania trilogy, but that was back in the 90s. Can't say I remember much. Sorry.

 

[Ozzie666]

The 1993 English version 'Blade of Destiny' was good. The follow up Star Trial on PC the following year with the speech pack was even better. Very underrated experience. Not sure which is better, these games or the Amber series, but some really good German developers/programmers back in the early 90's. It's almost like Japan, so many German made Amiga games were never translated officially to English.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

The 1993 English version 'Blade of Destiny' was good. The follow up Star Trial on PC the following year with the speech pack was even better. Very underrated experience. Not sure which is better, these games or the Amber series, but some really good German developers/programmers back in the early 90's. It's almost like Japan, so many German made Amiga games were never translated officially to English.

I'm kind of surprised there's no AAA game based on the setting considering it's the most popular role playing game in Germany.

It's really a shame because the setting is very good. I really like the cosmology and it sort of reminds me of Elder Scrolls. The setting is much like Warhammer in the sense of an ongoing storyline and consistent world. There's not many fantasy games out there right now that are like that.

It's too bad that's just never caught on in America or other countries outside of Germany.

 

[Dazraell]

I've played the shit out of Drakensang and The River of Time. Great games

 

[Hudo]

Flim-Flam-Funkel, bring Licht ins Dunkel!

 

[Exede]

German Gaf unite!

 

[Kupfer]

German Gaf unite!

 

[Darkmakaimura]

My understanding is that game is actually owned and operated by actual fans.

 

[ClanOfNone]

I played some of the Reals of Arkania trilogy, but that was back in the 90s. Can't say I remember much. Sorry.

I played these as well. I remember enjoying them, I didn't realize it was based of a German pnp rpg though.
"Remakes" of these games popped up fairly recently, but the screenshots alone were so terrible that it killed any curiosity that I had.

 

[Denton]

I remember there being huge walkthrough for Shadows over Riva in local magazine Score that took like 7 issues to finish and me always wanting to play it, but I never did. In age of youtube I checked the gameplay and...yeah that time has passed.

I did buy Drakensang games but never played them either (no controller support is deal breaker sadly)

 

[Labadal]

Two games that are must play, imo are Blackguards, and Drakensang: The River of Time.

The first is a tactical rpg, and the second is a classic style crpg. Both are top notch games.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Two games that are must play, imo are Blackguards, and Drakensang: The River of Time.

The first is a tactical rpg, and the second is a classic style crpg. Both are top notch games.

I yeah I own Blackguards.

I think a lot of these games are well liked but people don't even realize their origins. It's weird there's so many video games based off this setting in English but hardly any of the tabletop books have been localized.

We're talking about a game though that is on the level of the Forgotten Realms and Warhammer 40k when it comes to lore and world building.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

I do want to add that I like the idea that this game is supposedly owned and operated by actual fans.

Are there any fans, especially German fans here on NeoGAF?

 

[Krathoon]

Here is one of those games. I barely played it, but it is a legit series.

Drakensang

Drakensang is a third-person party-based RPG based on the pen & paper role-play rules of

www.gog.com

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Here is one of those games. I barely played it, but it is a legit series.

Drakensang

Drakensang is a third-person party-based RPG based on the pen & paper role-play rules of

www.gog.com

I think I remember hearing that this game plays similar to Dragon Age Origins.

 

[Krathoon]

There is also an Drakensang MMO too.

 

[Krathoon]

I think I remember hearing that this game plays similar to Dragon Age Origins.

There are also expansions to the game, but gog does not seem to have them. Not certain if you can buy the discs and add it to the gog version.

 

[Krathoon]

The Realms of Arkania games are also set in the Dark Eye universe.

 

[Krathoon]

Here are the expansions. They are on Steam.

Buy Drakensang - The River of Time + DLC from the Humble Store

This bundle includes: Drakensang: The River of Time Drakensang – Phileasson’s Secret SummaryDrakensang: The River of TimeThe prequel to Radon Labs' award-winning RPG, Drakensang: The River of Time introduces a brand new story within the Drakensang universe. The new story brings many innovations...

www.humblebundle.com

 

[Darkmakaimura]

There is also an Drakensang MMO too.

Actually the MMO has no relation to the Dark Eye setting. It confuses people but it just uses the same name but no relation to the world at all.

The Realms of Arkania games are also set in the Dark Eye universe.

I think they're the oldest and first games to be made using the Dark Eye setting.

 

[Krathoon]

I think I remember hearing that this game plays similar to Dragon Age Origins.

Yeah. It actually came out before Dragon Age. A year earlier.

 

[Krathoon]

I was looking at the plot of Drakensang on Wikipedia. It seems pretty elaborate. I will have to try the game out.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

I was looking at the plot of Drakensang on Wikipedia. It seems pretty elaborate. I will have to try the game out.

It's a very elaborate and detailed setting. Supposedly even more so than the Forgotten Realms or any other TTRPG world.

The cosmology is really good. It's very descriptive in the way the planes work and are organized.