OK, you got me there, lol. Excitement a few years too late is the risk that's worth taking! :o)

A well known Norwegian gaming website gave Risen a glowing review (in Norwegian only, sorry), giving it a 9/10, and calling it "simply one of the best role playing games of all time". I am still not convinced this is for me though, but I'm watching it. Closely.
Two other non-English sites also seems to be mostly favourable about the game, according to Metacritic, for whatever that's worth. What will sell it for me is probably word-by-mouth among players, rather than journalists. I'll just wait and see how this goes before taking the plunge.
Edit:
A few more translations from the Norwegian review:
"I just have to say it right away. Risen is a mighty canon-ball of a computer game. I have played pretty much every role playing game released for the PC this decade, and rarely have I played anything this good. It [Risen] has fantastic atmosphere. It has raw action. It has great gameplay. It has an exciting story. It has original and great graphics. It has beautiful music. It has interesting characters. And most importantly - it has nearly endless options for challenging and entertaining battles."
[SNIP]
"No-one on this world can deny that Risen is only another word for Gothic 4. There are mostly only minor changes that separates it from earlier games by Piranha Bytes, except one thing: Risen is better. Much better."

Amazon is selling at the Gamestop price and they are keeping it that price, not a pre-order deal.
Risen, Borderlands, Dragon Age, Brutal Legend, Torchlight, Fate: Traitors Soul, The Dark Eye: Drakensang, Left 4 Dead 2, Alan Wake, Assassins Creed II, Aliens vs. Predator, Brink, God of War 3, MechWarrior,
Just a few games im looking to buy when they drop or when i get some cash-o-la... so you see my reluctance :p But i must say the news about he DEMO coming so soon really gets me going, I'm very happy to hear that. It should be any day now :)
If the demo gets me drooling I'll drive out and buy it that same day... Demos are such a wonderful tool when used correctly.. the ghost busters demo made me feel sick inside and dirty, i will never give that game another chance.. example of a bad demo... Folklore for the ps3 demo was engaging and well done, i bought that and I'm very happy, no regrets.

Article about Risen on RPGWatch:
http://www.rpgwatch.com/#13328

Drakensang is available on D2D for 5 bucks right now, if you're not opposed to buying through them.

I still have dozens of games to play (GoG and not) so i'll watch carefully Risen and wait for better opportunities.
Btw, your comments on Oblivion make me wonder: are you playing "vanilla" Oblivion or do you mod it? Yes, "vanilla" Oblivion is blank, generic and nowhere close to Morrowind. Nevertheless, modded, it's a pure jewel.

Risen demo about to be released.

Played the game for about 2 hours... it is Gothic 4. There really isn't much to say beyond that.
Did you like Gothic 2? Want to play a new one? Get Risen. Now.
The only concern to have really is bugs and tech issues, but so far the game runs perfectly and with no bugs that are serious. Some clipping, some weird AI paths, but mostly it is surprisingly smooth and polished. The voice acting is even good.
It is a bit of a resource hog, but so far it has good reason to be, as it looks amazing at max settings. Don't get the 360 version, it looks and runs like crap. This is a PC game through and through.