Risen Survive Faranga, earn a name

You wash up on Faranga with nothing, and the island does not care. There are no quest markers to follow and no proper map to lean on, so you learn the island the old way, by walking it and getting eaten. When you finally cut down something that used to hunt you, the progress feels earned. Come for the island and the fights more than the polish: combat is simple, timing-based and unforgiving, and quicksaving is a way of life.

Early on you pick a side: the Order with its monastery and staff fighting, or the bandits in the swamp camp, and the choice shapes what you learn and who will train you. Want magic? The monastery is the road to it, and a mage plays very differently from a swordsman. The store promises sword, staff or sorcery, and your choice ripples through the story, altering the destiny of the island through the actions you take. Mysterious earthquakes, fearsome monsters and unimaginable treasures give the whole thing a plot worth following to the end.