StingingVelvet: I'm pretty sure the news articles I read listed women being treated as commodities as the main reason it was denied classification. You can buy them, get their services as a reward, etc. etc..
That said, I have been to the brohel in the first main town and there is nothing there worse than The Witcher and Fallout 3, that I saw.

chautemoc: The article I linked to has the appropriate section quoted from the OFLC report -- it seems to regard each of the components equally offensive.
Also, Fallout 3's drug names were censored worldwide due to the initial ban in Aus (Bethesda wanted the same version everywhere). So it seems if anything they have more a problem with drugs than sex.

StingingVelvet: I never understood the Fallout 3 drug censorship because all the names are identical to the original games'. If they were originally called modern names, I am glad they were "censored" and now fit continuity.

carlosjuero: The default assignment for drawing weapons is annoying, but easy to change. A minor annoyance I have w/ the combat system is that you absolutely have to put away your weapon to 1) pick up any items on the ground or loot chests/bodies/etc, and 2) you can only see the tooltips for items on the ground if your weapon is put away :/

bansama: If people are still interested in picking up Risen, it currently appears to be 20% off on GamersGate (meaning $39.95 instead of $49.95).

MysterD: I must say, I was impressed w/ the demo. From what I played, I have a feeling this'll be the best thing PB has done since Gothic 1.

StingingVelvet: I like Gothic 2 more, but that could be nostalgia talking, easily. This game is much more polished and impressive at launch though, I promise you that.
I finally got a boxed copy located... can't wait to start playing again.

Starkrun: This is made of nothing but polish and class. there is so much here and if you can get around the bad lip syncing (only negative i can find) then this is THE game to have of the season!
I am beyond hooked....

Starkrun: Finally got the game, totally cracked out for 3 days now... its quite possibly the RPG i needed to get me though the winter.. Dragon Age has nothing on this... This is made of nothing but polish and class. there is so much here and if you can get around the bad lip syncing (only negative i can find) then this is THE game to have of the season!
I am beyond hooked....

DarrkPhoenix: I played through the game pretty much solid the week following Christmas, and I agree with pretty much all of this. Basically it seems the folks at Piranha Bytes, following the disaster that was Gothic 3, decided to go back to Gothic 1/2 and remember what made those games awesome, then deliver that awesomeness plus some in a polished, bug-free package (which was most impressive, considering we're talking about PB). Anyone who enjoyed the Gothic series and hasn't played Risen should really pick it up ASAP.

chautemoc: Risen is definitely not bug-free though. I've run into a few "PB style" bugs. But nothing you can't work around really.