Reviews

I didn't even know this game existed until I began watching a Let's Play of it on YouTube. Before I was 15 minutes into the first video of the playthrough, I knew I wanted to play this game for myself. Indeed, it's an absolute pity this game doesn't get more recognition, as I thought it was great. This is a real hidden gem. It's too bad the German developer is no longer around, as I'd love to see them create another game in the Drakensang series.

It's a very pretty game. The landscapes are lovely, the cities and environments are awash in colour and have a delightful medieval/fantasy coziness to them. The individual areas are quite expansive--this is not open-world in the sense that you can walk into any building or walk anywhere in an expansive forest, but the maps are well designed and large enough to give you that feeling. Overall the game looks great--little touches like floating seeds/fluff in the air, giant swaying trees, and even the hat-flaps or feathers on your apparel bobbing and swaying as you move your character about make this a very nice game to look at.

I thought the UI was done very well. Everything is very simple, clean and intuitive. It's complex enough without being cluttered, and you can right-click on just about anything to get more detailed information about stats, items, etc. The only complaint I would have is with the somewhat clunky quickbar, where moving powers/items around is not easy (at least as far as I could tell.) Overall, great UI.

The music is a lovely orchestral score, and the sound effects and audio are both excellent. I'm not sure if the original German voice-acting was good, but the English voice-acting in the game I played was a tad hit-and-miss. Some of it was quite good, some mediocre (mainly the characters not seeming to emphasize certain words, or reading the lines without context). It's a very minor complaint. Overall it is quite passable.

I found the story entertaining. It's not supremely complex, and there isn't a huge amount of character interaction between your main party members, say compared to Dragon Age: Origins or anything. However they are quite likeable if somewhat stereotypical. What I love is that you can customize all their stats/clothing/weapons etc.

Lastly is the atmosphere or feel of the game. "Charming" really is the right word. In an age where fantasy is usually thematically dark, hyper-violent and sexually gratuitous, The River of Time is a breath of fresh air. It's decidedly light-hearted, airy and childlike in its fantasy feel. Often less is more.

I enjoyed it right from the get-go and I would easily recommend it to any RPG player. While not as polished as some AAA titles, let's be honest: not every developer has the money/time/luxury to perfect every last detail. In every area that counts, Drakensang: The River of Time gets it right.

Not sure where to start. Suffice it to say that I expected much, much more out of this. The first half hour absolutely dragged--and it didn't really hold my interest after that, either. It became an absolute chore to continue to the end.

The very first thing I noticed, about 15 minutes in, is the absolutely INCESSANT musical score. I kid you not: if the movie is about 139 minutes long, then music is playing probably for about 130 minutes. It was like they were constantly trying to wring as much pathos out of the shots as possible, by absolutely drowning them in a rather mediocre orchestral soundtrack. As an audiophile, this was my first clue that I was perhaps in for a less-than-thrilling ride. Properly done, a nice soundtrack can punctuate the dramatic scenes. In Arn, their confidence was so low with the scenes that they felt they should create a 2 hour music video.

The acting is, again, mediocre and occasionally just plain bad. The script and the actors were all sub-par, along with the direction, which consists of quickly cut scenes, allowing no room for the characters/scenes (or the audience) to breathe or just evolve organically. Within 20 minutes, I could tell I wouldn't care a jot about what happens to these wooden characters. There is no real reason to empathize with any of them, because they are all so stock and cliche, and the direction gives us next to nothing as regards their motivations, their thoughts, or any subtle, humanizing facets to find them interesting enough to care.

The scenery of the movie is not half bad--perhaps its only saving grace. The story went by, with endless music, and by the end I felt I had seen it all before, and done much, much better. It was all rather tiresome, and I surely will not be recommending this to anyone.

Everything just gels in this fantastic German series. From the beautiful and hypnotic opening title screen paired with the absolutely lovely main musical composition, I knew I was in for something genuinely crafted with passion.

The show is definitely dark in a noir way: it is almost completely devoid of humour. Which is fine by me--they aren't trying to force moments of awkward "comedic relief." The story itself is a cerebral mix of science, alchemy, philosophy and mythology, but done well, not heavy-handed or so incredibly dense that it disappears up its own backside a la some of the later Twin Peaks episodes. It's done in a balanced fashion.

The pacing is excellent. The scenes are allowed to breathe. It's not about instant gratification in a world accustomed to mass media, tweets, 10 second instagram videos, etc. I found that refreshing. Almost without fail, every single episode had a couple REALLY evocative scenes, dramatic and genuinely touching, frisson-inducing. Some of it is even operatic in nature, moving me to near tears.

I can't think of a single bad actor--even the children do a fantastic job. In a way I can't quite put my finger on, the actors and actresses all LOOK great, perfectly suited for their roles. They all have very interesting and attractive faces.

Another factor that puts Dark a cut above is the magnificent music. It's not overused, it's not cliche--it's a little different, extremely evocative and yet subtle at the same time.

The camera work, the scenes and locations and general mood is also just so, so well done. I am ecstatic they are making a second season. I can't wait. I hope other producers are taking notes--THIS is how it's done.

Wunderschön!

The film is visually quite stunning, but offers only glimpses of the moon itself. The orbit views are amazingly realistic. In fact the whole movie appears ultra realistic in style. The acting is unforced and the characters' interactions extremely natural and organic. The story itself is simple and throws no curve balls, but it held my attention for the hour and a half investment. The realism of the movie is what kept me watching: it felt as though I was right there in the claustrophobic capsules with the astronauts. If NASA were to make a fictional documentary it might play like Europa One.

This is uncomplicated, pure science fiction. It runs like a space documentary, akin to what we may be viewing in real life in 10 years' time if the Mars One venture comes to fruition.

The film is refreshing for its honesty about what it is trying to accomplish. Europa Report doesn't try to be more than it is; it is wholly without pretense, which is a breath of fresh air in a star-studded movie environment where big budget and flashy action sequences with no breathing room dominate. The movie doesn't insult your intelligence and certainly doesn't attempt to bludgeon your senses to death with ridiculous action scenes or explosions. (I'm looking at you, new Star Trek movies...) More like this, please.

I tend to enjoy movies that make me think or feel something. This did neither. It doesn't really fit sci-fi, or horror, or much of any other genre at all.

I've read up on peoples' takes on the show--I simply didn't enjoy it; nor did I think there was anything at all revolutionary or novel about it. It was one of those films I watched while constantly checking the time wondering when it would end. But I soldiered on because so many people consider this seminal. I needn't have bothered.

Far too long, ridiculous narrative, over-the-top characterization. Nothing was interesting, nothing was shocking, and there seemed to be no coherent plot at all.

This one simply isn't for me.

This is a triumph of so many genres and ideas. I felt the black and white style was pretentious at first, but this movie just destroyed my prejudices one after another. This is one of those movies you MUST give 10 minutes to, and you'll be hooked. At first it seems silly and a little too given to retro b&w slavishness. Give the stand-up comedian an opportunity for the longest ever joke and the communist-style hero worshipping auditorium scene a chance and you will forever be hooked. Don't listen to me. Just go watch. what did your father teach you? kill a sunflower.

This is imaginative cinema in the best possible style. I could happily go for a year of such style in cinema. Brilliant. Refreshing.

Where to begin with this mess? Unimaginative sets, camera work, and especially the characters, which are so static and uninteresting. Some of the acting was literally cringeworthy, especially the daughter. The plot, which involves a simple, passive store owner who is slowly drawn into working for a serial killing gangster, is incredibly banal, and the plot "twist" is so predictable I don't even consider it a twist at all. The violence looks incredibly fake, as does all the gore, which is meant to shock but comes off looking like typical haunted house gore at Halloween. The movie was just...inert, unmoving. I literally felt nothing as I viewed it. In fact my only emotion was boredom, and a slight hope that maybe it will get better or actually surprise me or make me feel an emotion.

An utter waste of time. Believe me. The only reason I can see that this has such a high rating is the western fetish for all things Japanese. Trust me, if this was an English show, it would have a hard time fetching a rating of 3 stars on IMDb.

It gets one star from me simply because the title is so apt: this really is about as entertaining and emotive as a cold, dead fish.

This is one of those rare movies that I wish I could see for the first time every time I watch it. Like 2001, the Fountain, and Bladerunner. This is a visceral experience. And unlike the majority of Hollywood drivel this IS truly an experience. It's a trip. I agree with another user who said this would probably be TWICE as amazing if you watch it with some, ummmmmmm, "herbal" medicine.

Where to start. As other users have said, this is sloooooow moving. Don't expect jumpy camera shots or quick transitions. This movie takes its time. But it is SO rewarding. I couldn't look away from the screen. The angles, lenses and visuals are simply amazing. No real special affects or CGI--this is on par with 2001 and Bladerunner in that it all looks very real and organic somehow. And yet, it is incredibly surreal and dreamlike. Vaporous. Often during the sequences I was never quite certain what I was seeing. Some of the shots seem to connect on a subliminal level, or in the periphery of your view. I see new things every time I watch it. Did I really see that? I see new details with every viewing.

The director gives this an immense amount of breathing room. There are bound to be as many interpretations as there are viewers. It's an open book for you to explore, and credits to the director/writer for not condescendingly spelling out every plot twist for you. This is cerebral cinema with all the right ingredients. The actual shots and camera work are cinematic art of the highest caliber. Lighting and music are perfect. I mean perfect. It all combines to create a heady atmosphere you are not going to soon forget. Even if you hate the movie, you won't forget it. Come into this with patience and an open mind. This reimagines cinema and pushes the definition of movies. I cannot recommend this enough. The lower-than-6 rating on IMDb has taught me to ignore the popular opinion here on IMDb. This is gold, a 10.

I registered on this site after seeing this movie. This renewed my faith in cinema. Extraordinary.