The Dark Eye universe is as old and generic as Forgotten Realms... it exists for 20+ years & there are tons of books fleshing out the world (I did some digging)... it even exceeds Elder Scrolls in material. The old Realms of Arcania games took part in the north-eastern part of the world, Drakensang right in the centre.
I generally don't care much about plot or characters, it's mainly about the world & its lore/history for me and in this regard Drakensang delivers. That said, I do appreciate Drakensang's characters - characters don't need to talk my ears off about their childhood every 5 minutes in order for me to appreciate them. The game's atmosphere & music are amazing -- it really feels like stepping into a fairytale from the brothers Grimm (an obvious inspiration for the designers, maybe?)... when it comes to graphics & art design I think it's on par with the Witcher... totally blows away NWN 2 imo... and heck the in-game models even blow away the ones I've seen in DA:O.
After playing & finishing Divinity 2 it seems another European developed game is going to be a real winner (for me)... and I'm certain the same will hold true for Risen.