Riese The Series – Episode 1

November 12, 2009 | By More


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I found out about “Riese” awhile back on Twitter. The allure of a Steampunk series was a huge draw to me . You may have noticed the banners on the site for the series over the past month or so. Let’s just say my interest was piqued.

The first episode of this web series has hit the internet. With that episode came a slick redesign of the RieseTheSeries.com website. I have to say my hat is off to the creative team. Awesome job!

When I was looking at the pretty gallery pictures before viewing the first episode, I was concerned a smidge about how the production values would look for the completed episode. Everything in the gallery pictures looked clean, bright and shiny.  The episode is something different.

The world of Riese in the first episode appears to be a lived in one. There is dirt and smudges covering both Riese’s face and clothes. She looks like she belongs in the forest the episode takes place in. (I’m going to try not to reveal much about the episode itself.)

In general, I really liked what I saw. It really captures what I was hoping it would, that techno-medieval fusion present in some Steampunk. The thing that I was taken by was how much it reminded my of Myst.

I really loved playing all the Myst games. There were a number of puzzles and things to do in a very similar looking world to the one Riese appears to take place in. The main difference? There are people in this world. I’ve read the novel trilogy related to Myst, and it really captured my imagination. But this is the first time I’ve seen live actors in that kind of environment telling a story. The combination of those things has a huge appeal to me.

The story is in webisodes, so the segment is fairly short. The first episode is about ten minutes long. And hearkening back to the old fashion Saturday afternoon serials, this one ends with a bit of a cliff hanger. It also leaves you with a lot more questions than answers.

I’m really glad to be getting in on this at the start of this. Retro goodness, intriguing questions, and a fresh idea for a show make it a great joy to watch. The downside? Waiting until the next episode hits the internet.

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Category: Films, Media Reviews

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