Risen 2: Dark Waters

 PC
Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 51 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 51
  3. Negative: 1 out of 51
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  1. Metro GameCentral
    May 2, 2012
    40
    There's plenty of potential and good ideas here but very little fun, in a game that tries to make a pirate's life seem as frustrating and repetitive as possible.

Awards & Rankings

41
#41 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
41
#41 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

User Reviews

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User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 847 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 338 out of 847
  2. Mixed: 219 out of 847
  3. Negative: 290 out of 847
  1. schiller
    May 6, 2012
    5
    This is a game that I really wanted to love because there aren't many pirate RPGs out there and I love RPGs, I love pirates, and I love mostThis is a game that I really wanted to love because there aren't many pirate RPGs out there and I love RPGs, I love pirates, and I love most of PB's previous work. All the premises were there, damn it!
    PROS: The story blends nicely into the theme , so does the humour and insulting part of the dialogue lines. The exploration/wealth/reward balance is very good, I'm always looking forward to the next cave to see what great challenge may guard an epic item. The music is not very piratey at its core but it does sound quite PB'ish, so the new composer has done well. The character development is a free model and you have to work hard for those points and money, so you will feel well the progression and the reward later. Not all the important characters are memorable like in the old Gothics, but I like a select few and did care about them. Last but not least the collector's edition package and content is a good bang for the buck.
    CONS: While I am aware that bigger doesn't necessarily mean better, in this case I think the islands should have been larger. The sense of exploration and being lost in a huge lush jungle is very limited by the corridor topography. The distances between the points of interest are way too small. Compared to Gothic 3 this is quite frustrating, when you come from the world of Skyrim it's really annoying. The sword combat is quite a disappointment. The animations take your control away and make things harder in an unnatural way. The creatures stun you again (like Gothic3) which makes guns a must and I don't like that. I can't believe they still can't make a proper combat mechanic after all these years and so many games that share a lot of mechanics, one would think they have found a balance. Gothic 2 felt much better in this regard. Magic can't be fun with so small variation. The character models and animations are so bad that they sometimes prevent me from taking the game seriously in the most inappropriate moments. The insular and pirate theme is not developed enough. The atmosphere is there if youâ    … Full Review »
  2. Teknotronic
    Apr 26, 2012
    2
    Undeveloped features, unfinished and unpolished, clunky movement and combat mechanics, 'light' rpg stats, zero roleplaying outside the mainUndeveloped features, unfinished and unpolished, clunky movement and combat mechanics, 'light' rpg stats, zero roleplaying outside the main quest. Few pseudo-choices that lead to the same events. Bad voice acting. No purpose for exploration. Ugly character animations. Really, PB? I know this is not the same team that made G1 andG2, but still... you're a shadow and your new series is sinking in mediocrity.

    RPGFan has the best description for this 'AAA' wannabe title: I'm rarely disgusted after beating a game. Risen 2 left me aghast, and I'm not even a pirate fanatic. I can't imagine the disappointment of those expecting to finally lay their hands on a quality pirate RPG. What could have been a heavily nuanced action RPG is instead a waste of potential and a cheap product. Risen 2 doesn't just leave the niche as empty as it found it. RISEN 2: DARK WATERS GIVES PIRATES A BAD NAME.    … Full Review »
  3. Adanos
    May 9, 2012
    2
    Disgusting...this game should have stayed at least one more year in production...it's the only reasonable explanation why everything is eitherDisgusting...this game should have stayed at least one more year in production...it's the only reasonable explanation why everything is either dumbed down or downright broken. The combat, the tiny worldspace, the limited character development, the boring fetch quests, the horrendous graphics and animations? Piranha Bytes was always a developer of unpolished games and gritty gameplay, but they've never been so broken and uninteresting, they at least used to feature attractive story and character building. This game is too modest in scope, lacks creativity and the broken gameplay looks like it's made by a bunch of secondary school kids in their spare time not by a well established studio with years of experience in RPG development. Also, selling DLC cut from the very game since development? Yeah, you've earned the gamers' respect ... NOT… Full Review »
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