Risen 2: Dark Waters

 PC
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
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  1. Jernas
    Sep 8, 2021
    9
    The first Risen game was a pleasant surprise for me. It was a very well made, small, but focused, RPG. I was a little bit worried about Risen 2: Dark Waters, because it wasn't well received by the public when it was released in 2012. Now let's see what kind of a game it actually is.

    The game looks good, for the most part. Vegetation is plentiful, polygon count is a little higher than in    The first Risen game was a pleasant surprise for me. It was a very well made, small, but focused, RPG. I was a little bit worried about Risen 2: Dark Waters, because it wasn't well received by the public when it was released in 2012. Now let's see what kind of a game it actually is.

    The game looks good, for the most part. Vegetation is plentiful, polygon count is a little higher than in the first game, and some of the effects, like the sunrays, look impressive. Combat is very similar to the first game, although tailored to the pirate theme, focusing on sabers, epees and firearms, instead of axes, swords and shields, but it does the job quite well. The story is written well enough, and characters are interesting, though the pirate setting is quite a departure from the first game. Quest variety and relative shortness of the game ensures that the game never really becomes boring.

    For all of those who finished the first game, it's unfortunate that the story in the second Risen isn't sufficiently connected to the first. Sure, the protagonist is the same, but even that isn't obvious initially. In fact, the first few hours of the game are not very fun. For whatever reason, the first island is inhabited by some of the deadliest enemies, such as jaguars, and natives, and there are a few nasty invisible traps, hidden in the jungle. That makes the beginning of the game frustrating, and I'm sure many people gave up and quit at that point.

    That is a shame, because the rest of the game is a focused, and well made experience. Risen 2: Dark Waters did not disappoint me, though the beginning of the game should have really been better.    … Expand
  2. Armitas
    May 21, 2018
    9
    Best Pirate Game I have ever played. While some parts of the game like crafting may be left completely raw the rest of it is pure pirate joy! I took the sword and guns path and the combat was excellent, it was difficult which is a staple for this brand. You actually had to plan out your attacks by watching each of your opponents. The voodoo path I hear is not so good but I havn't triedBest Pirate Game I have ever played. While some parts of the game like crafting may be left completely raw the rest of it is pure pirate joy! I took the sword and guns path and the combat was excellent, it was difficult which is a staple for this brand. You actually had to plan out your attacks by watching each of your opponents. The voodoo path I hear is not so good but I havn't tried that path yet. The story is great, the voice acting is great, the characters are great, music is great. You get to build your own crew, own your own pirate ship, find hordes of rare treasures that build your stats, and hunt down probably 30 treasure maps. Despite the unpolished areas the game I'm giving it a 9 because it's just so dang fun to play. Let me put it this way, even though Piranha bytes tends to put out games before they are ready I would buy any game they make but cause the core of what does get released is always enjoyable.… Expand
  3. shadorn
    Aug 13, 2017
    9
    A good sequel of the first Risen, although slightly inferior overall.
    Personally I liked the pirate setting, the graphic improvements and the improved UI (especially the instant travel feature). The game is a bit smaller (unless you spend money on DLC) and combat feels a bit less polished overall. Still a solid game for those who love the genre. I'd say 8.5.
  4. PaladinNH
    Apr 28, 2015
    10
    If I can do anything to improve this game's score, I will, because the current average score of 5.5 isn't fair AT ALL. Perhaps the game was buggy upon release, I don't know, but it is somewhere between a 7 and 8.5 out of 10. Unlike the latest AAA titles, there's actually a game world, complete with story, decent characters, humor (Jaffar!), CHALLENGING combat, and what's that word again?If I can do anything to improve this game's score, I will, because the current average score of 5.5 isn't fair AT ALL. Perhaps the game was buggy upon release, I don't know, but it is somewhere between a 7 and 8.5 out of 10. Unlike the latest AAA titles, there's actually a game world, complete with story, decent characters, humor (Jaffar!), CHALLENGING combat, and what's that word again? Ah yes, immersion. Brought back lots of memories of Gothic 1 and 2, agree with the other reviewer who said this. Actually preferred this game to the first Risen, better characters and more cohesive, immersive story. I'd give it an 8 but feel obligated to counter others by posting a 10.… Expand
  5. nikolas0
    Apr 15, 2015
    10
    It is difficult to get to its mode but once you have got into it it's nearly perfect; a pirate song. A true successor to Gothic and Risen Series. After one hour of game playing you want leave it. As Jaffar says: **** yes!
  6. tngmarlon
    Jul 12, 2014
    10
    -The game has good graphics
    -This game has a good atmosphere
    -The pirate story is very nice

    If you dont have this game buy it i cant understand this metascore
  7. wildstoo
    Jul 7, 2014
    8
    I didn't play the original Risen, but I really enjoyed Risen 2.

    Sure, it's not the most polished game in the history of RPGs, and the voice acting runs the gamut from "pretty good" to "lol wut?", but I just really enjoyed exploring the world and progressing through the quests. There aren't many pirate-themed games out there, and this one just managed to scratch that itch for me.    I didn't play the original Risen, but I really enjoyed Risen 2.

    Sure, it's not the most polished game in the history of RPGs, and the voice acting runs the gamut from "pretty good" to "lol wut?", but I just really enjoyed exploring the world and progressing through the quests. There aren't many pirate-themed games out there, and this one just managed to scratch that itch for me.

    There are problems, of course, both from a technical and a content perspective, but considering this game is now £2.99 on Steam, it's a steal.

    Believe me, if this was by a new studio - not PB - this game's user score would be closer to 8.0.

    Approach the game without preconceptions or unrealistic expectations and you might be pleasantly surprised.    … Expand
  8. LevArris
    May 22, 2014
    8
    I wonder about so much negative comments.
    I only can see that as a honor because people compare a piece of Art from a relatively small Dev-Team with AAA-Standards ;-)
    Honestly... this game has its issues. But to me the positive points are overwhelming. Are you fed up being from the beginning the "allmighty supre heroe" and just learning the next "cool move"? Do you want to have a rough    I wonder about so much negative comments.
    I only can see that as a honor because people compare a piece of Art from a relatively small Dev-Team with AAA-Standards ;-)
    Honestly... this game has its issues. But to me the positive points are overwhelming. Are you fed up being from the beginning the "allmighty supre heroe" and just learning the next "cool move"? Do you want to have a rough language? Do you want a beautiful mostly handcraftet world? Do you want a world where you truly have the feel to live in? Do you want a world that have Weather Effects so great you fit your gameplay on (e. g. I don't dare exploring while Thunderstorms are going on)? Do you want so beautiful Day/Night (Dawn, Sunset) that you will standing stil just to look into the beautiful starry sky or dawn?
    Do you like challenging Enemies requiring different tactics?
    Do you like to charm your girlfriend with a taken over enemie (voodoo magic)?
    Do you like to hire a Monkey stealing Things for you?

    There are plenty of reasons not to blame this game. And to me they are more worth than a weak combat system and some balancing issues.

    Give it a try. I nearly made the mistake not to play it because of a lot of negative comments. I really would get annoyed about myself for doing so...    … Expand
  9. Beldarak
    Apr 21, 2014
    9
    Really nice game.

    It's a lot of fun running around, picking up flowers and stuff like that. The game rewards exploration which is really nice. The gameplay is fine even if the combats aren't so great. It's easier than Risen 1 but still challenging, which is all good for me. Controls are fine, the interface too and character customisation is really satisfying. You see stuff you    Really nice game.

    It's a lot of fun running around, picking up flowers and stuff like that. The game rewards exploration which is really nice.

    The gameplay is fine even if the combats aren't so great. It's easier than Risen 1 but still challenging, which is all good for me.

    Controls are fine, the interface too and character customisation is really satisfying. You see stuff you equip on your character.

    I'm four hours into the game and I'm really enjoying it so far.

    I think the bad reviews come from the marketing of the game and not from the actual quality of the soft.    … Expand
  10. Apoda
    Mar 28, 2014
    8
    I can imagine that people who are not familiar with Piranha Bytes classics such as Gothic 1 and 2, find Risen Dark Waters to be an rather awkward game. Also, I understand that people who áre PB-fans, find Risen 2 to be a game full of harsh disappointment. A lot of what made the early Gothic games classics, is gone forever with the introduction of the Risen games.

    However, when you judge    I can imagine that people who are not familiar with Piranha Bytes classics such as Gothic 1 and 2, find Risen Dark Waters to be an rather awkward game. Also, I understand that people who áre PB-fans, find Risen 2 to be a game full of harsh disappointment. A lot of what made the early Gothic games classics, is gone forever with the introduction of the Risen games.

    However, when you judge this game for what it is, as if it where PB's first, one should have to acknowledge the terrific job that PB has done with the realization of Risen 2. The different surroundings are adorable, the characters are more than just some standard puppets, the fights and quests you will have to take on are more than just another challenge and the length of the game deserves respect. On top of that, the very personal style all the games by Piranha Bytes are blessed with, certainly is pleasantly noticeable while playing Risen 2.

    I really liked playing this game, and I, for one, am a huge fan of the Gothic series. As a game studio, you can't stick to the good old formula over and over again, without having to repeat yourself in an obsessive way. I most certainly believe PB has made the right choices by exploring new possibilities with the installments of Risen.    … Expand
  11. SoftwareWulf
    Mar 6, 2014
    10
    Ok its a bit different to risen 1 but its a nice game with a good story and atmosphere and I like the open world. I cant understand the bad rating and I hope risen 3 ratings will be better cuz this game is just great o.O
  12. graywolf15236
    Feb 24, 2014
    10
    this is one of the most underrated RPG game ever!
    it might kind of annoying at first but once you get used to it everything will be great.
    the story is not the best, but I've seen worse in nowadays crappy games that people claim to be great. this game has fantastic music and the strongest point of the game is the atmosphere. player who don't know how to immerse themselves into the game    this is one of the most underrated RPG game ever!
    it might kind of annoying at first but once you get used to it everything will be great.
    the story is not the best, but I've seen worse in nowadays crappy games that people claim to be great. this game has fantastic music and the strongest point of the game is the atmosphere. player who don't know how to immerse themselves into the game will no doubt think this game suck, which is, sadly, plenty of them.    … Expand
  13. PavelPipovic
    Feb 12, 2014
    8
    I finally got around to finish this game. What can I say? I'll try not to compare this game with its predecessors, b/c its not about rating Piranha Byte's (PB) progress, but the game itself. Although let me state that this game is inferior to Gothic (G) 1, G2 and even R1.

    POSITIVE: + Exploration is fun - and doesn't stretch out for hundreds of hours in the game. + Dialog is whitty and    I finally got around to finish this game. What can I say? I'll try not to compare this game with its predecessors, b/c its not about rating Piranha Byte's (PB) progress, but the game itself. Although let me state that this game is inferior to Gothic (G) 1, G2 and even R1.

    POSITIVE:
    + Exploration is fun - and doesn't stretch out for hundreds of hours in the game.
    + Dialog is whitty and funny.
    + Atmosphere - the game managed to draw me into its world.
    + The plot is good, has plot twists you won't see coming and is overall solid. Not Shakespeare, but good for a video game!

    NEGATIVE:
    - The jumping/climbing animations - Piranha Bytes, you can't do jumping/climbing animations, get somebody who can do this! Or keep it out of the game. It's just ridiculous!
    - The anti-climactic end. Feels like they had NO idea what so ever how to wrap it up.
    - The general use of the crew - which is just a huge missed opportunity. Even Splinter Cell: Blacklist did a better job in utilizing its crew.
    - Only two factions to choose from, one turns you into a wizard / spear warrior, the other into a sharpshooter. Meh.

    Conclusion:
    I found this game to be good and would give it a 7.5 out of 10. Unfortunatly its not possible to give it half points, so I round it up. It kept me entertained, I loved the landscape, I liked the quests, I liked the way the game unfold. The dialog is solid. Some things that were weird, but I didn't find to be neither negative nor positive were the minigames, the monkey-stuff and the leveling system. Oh boy, this is a strange one. I still can't tell if I liked it or not. I guess it was okay. Although I hope I won't see this in a future installment of Risen or Gothic.
    It was interesting that the focus for this game was on looting and finding treasure. It was good for the pirate theme and it was fun! Although, I don't want to see it in Risen 3 or Gothic 5 either. Overall, this game was a positive experience, although (as already stated) inferior to its predecessors.    … Expand
  14. kyosuke69
    Dec 11, 2013
    8
    Risen 2 is a beautiful, deeply ambitious game which requires more than an hour from the start to evaluate. It's a unique game which offers something enriching to the RPG genre.

    Plagued with some unfortunate game system, the game's charms outweigh its negatives.
  15. Elcom
    Aug 27, 2013
    10
    I wanna be a pirate, but without this bugs. And who the hell did the motion capture 6 years old child. In this game do not find MAJOR problems and bugs, but you found many minors. Well this game and all these universe, you must LOVE IT OR HATE IT, i Love it with all good and all bad.
    This game has have excellent storyline, fine NPC, genial humor and Patty
  16. Vladimirus
    Jul 24, 2013
    10
    Wonderful game!
  17. MatDerKater
    Feb 20, 2013
    10
    At the time of release, I was put off from playing this game by the hugely negative response not only from mainstream and largely US centric gaming critics, but also from the Gothic/Risen fanbase. It has been normal in the past for Piranha Byte games to get inexplicably poor ratings from English speaking gaming media, but Piranha Bytes have always had their band of loyal/hooked followersAt the time of release, I was put off from playing this game by the hugely negative response not only from mainstream and largely US centric gaming critics, but also from the Gothic/Risen fanbase. It has been normal in the past for Piranha Byte games to get inexplicably poor ratings from English speaking gaming media, but Piranha Bytes have always had their band of loyal/hooked followers who know differently. So why so much negativity this time around from the PB fan club? Risen 2 is a bit of a departure from the previous PB games in that; the world is split up into smaller areas/islands; that there is not as much freedom in the game world as previously; and also the fighting mechanics have been completely changed from what went before. Therefore, those of us who were chomping at the bit for another Gothic or Risen 1 re-run, were sorely disappointed that PB had for whatever reasons, opted to do things a little differently this time around. However, the fact that PB have made a slightly different RPG to what their fanbase was expecting, doesn't necessarily mean that Risen 2 is bad game. In fact, Risen 2 is an absolutely brilliant game, which is something I have only just found out after months of staying away from the game due to negative publicity.

    One of many the criticisms that is levelled at Risen 2 is that the overarching story is generic and cliched. It would be hard to disagree with this but I would like to suggest that it is not the quality of the story, but the quality of the story telling that really matters in an RPG video game. What Piranha Bytes do brilliantly well, is make the dialogue and interaction between the character's in the game interesting, easily digestible, and memorable to the gamer. The NPC's in Risen 2 are colourful, individual, and help to convey the personality and charm that the game has to offer. In this respect, Risen 2 stands in stark contrast to rave review generating American RPG's such as Amalur. Despite Amalur having it's story concocted by a professional fantasy author, the blase generic Disney-esque dialogue and instantly forgettable NPC's in the game resulted in at least this gamer, not giving two craps about anything in the game to find out whether there is a good story or not.

    Risen 2 succeeds in getting the gamer emotionally involved in the various plot and sub-plot intrigues in the game, resulting in the imagination of the gamer and his interest in the game world starting to bloom. To this end, Risen 2 also offers the gamer a myriad of neat character progression features, to give just one example amongst many, is the ability to train a monkey as a theif, or a parrot to annoy the f*ck out of other NPC's. In my play through, I made strong use of the trained monkey, vital for getting to some well tucked out the way stash at various points in the game. Another brilliant and fun feature that i have to mention is the Voodoo ability to take control of another NPC's mind. Aside from offering alternative ways to complete quests, stomping around the towns and settlements of the South Sea's as another character in the game, and watching how all the other NPC's react totally differently to this guy than they do to the Nameless Hero, can be great fun. Even better, in situations where the NPC under voodoo mind control is an unpallatable character, there are opportunites to land the NPC in a spot of bother by making hims do/say 'wrong things', or in one case during my playthrough, totally ruin his (virtual) life! There are similarly charming, innovative, and fun aspects to Risen 2 right throughout the game. Furthermore, much of these things are not spelt out for the gamer, but rather the gamer comes to discover them for himself through his own musings and thoughts on the game world. Through the interaction with the NPCs and the various tricks and skills in Risen 2, intrigue in the game world really starts to open up, thus the gamer starts to feel himself to be involved in the world and motivated towards overcoming the various hurdles and challenges that stand in the way of progression. For my money, this exercising of human imagination, supplemented by the lush beautiful graphics that contribute to the wonderfully ornate handcrafted environments is what RPG gaming is all about and is something that Risen 2 brilliantly achieves.

    Risen 2 however, does have many flaws. The combat can be a bit clunky and at times very clumsily implemented and the game definitely suffers from balancing issues. However, these and all its other flaws are meaningless to me because I judge a game by how much fun and entertainment that it offered me, and Risen 2 had me totally hooked for around 50 hours of game playing time in a way that no other game released in the last two years has.    … Expand
  18. OnlyOneWing
    Feb 6, 2013
    10
    Alright, i came back to this game after previously hating it... I must say, I don't know if the devs patched it or what, but I am seriously enjoying this game! Sure it could be improved on, but it really isn't horrible. In fact it is a lot of fun. I really regret judging this game previously without fully giving it a chance, because I have gotten hours upon hours of enjoyment out of it. IAlright, i came back to this game after previously hating it... I must say, I don't know if the devs patched it or what, but I am seriously enjoying this game! Sure it could be improved on, but it really isn't horrible. In fact it is a lot of fun. I really regret judging this game previously without fully giving it a chance, because I have gotten hours upon hours of enjoyment out of it. I must say, cliche as it is, the pirate theme is underused in video games. Every time I play this game it reminds me of vacation in the Caribbean, and rum. No complaints there. Approach it without expecting to be absolutely blown away and you just may be one of the people who loves this game.… Expand
  19. Killtank
    Jan 10, 2013
    9
    (It is translated from Russian by means of the translator. I am sorry if there are mistakes) Put 9/10. Game so tightened that I forgot even about some doubtful abilities (after game I learned for what the cult of dead is necessary) and unpolished animation. There is no difficult syntax and a large number of boring classification, everything simple, natural, adequately and not infantily,(It is translated from Russian by means of the translator. I am sorry if there are mistakes) Put 9/10. Game so tightened that I forgot even about some doubtful abilities (after game I learned for what the cult of dead is necessary) and unpolished animation. There is no difficult syntax and a large number of boring classification, everything simple, natural, adequately and not infantily, quests are fascinating and aren't tightened, characters charismatic, and game more dynamic and interesting in comparison with the first part.… Expand
  20. Starostin_Anton
    Dec 30, 2012
    9
    When I played this game the first time I didn't like it. But after playing a few hours I have change my point of view.
    So, it's awesome. I like all of Piranha Bytes' games, but Risen 2 is my favorite, I think. I like pirates at all and in Risen 2 they looks very cool and funny. There is a nice graphics in game, but it's not very important. First of all, I really interested in storyline in    When I played this game the first time I didn't like it. But after playing a few hours I have change my point of view.
    So, it's awesome. I like all of Piranha Bytes' games, but Risen 2 is my favorite, I think. I like pirates at all and in Risen 2 they looks very cool and funny. There is a nice graphics in game, but it's not very important. First of all, I really interested in storyline in Risen 2. And it is much more exciting than in Risen. There are some very thrilling moments, what made me feel nervous. Like scene with Steelbeard and Mara. I like RPG system, new features and atmosphere of Risen 2. Soundtrack is very nice. I have been played in Risen 2 43 hours in general and all of this time I was impressed.
    But this game is unpolished and it is the main disadvantage. Strange animation, some bugs and problems with graphics.
    Anyway, I have been spent my time with pleasure and I looking forward to Risen 3.    … Expand
  21. CoolDadTx
    Nov 14, 2012
    8
    Compared to the other Piranha Byte games this is pretty good. The game suffer from the same issues that pretty much every other PB does when it comes to balancing and combat. The combat is flaky at best and generally just relies on chance more than skill. The early part of the game is overly difficult because even when you're being careful you are going to die a lot. Yet the end of theCompared to the other Piranha Byte games this is pretty good. The game suffer from the same issues that pretty much every other PB does when it comes to balancing and combat. The combat is flaky at best and generally just relies on chance more than skill. The early part of the game is overly difficult because even when you're being careful you are going to die a lot. Yet the end of the game is really easy. The end boss is a pushover compared to the early encounters. One day I hope PB will learn to craft combat systems that rely on skill more than luck and then balance it so it is even throughout the entire game. As with other PB games every combat involves you swinging wildly with no real tactic in order to do enough dmg to kill your opponent before they kill you. But if your opponent hits you then you stop attacking. When you are surrounded (which happens often) your enemies can effectively keep you off balance so you can never attack. Worse is the fact that defense is all but useless. It works ok against humans but everybody else complete ignore it. Hence trying to defend yourself just doesn't work. Pair this with the fact that taking a defensive posture locks you onto a single opponent allowing all the other enemies to pound on you and you quickly realize that "attack, step back, attack" is the only way to reliably win.

    Another big area of failure for this game are the new things that PB added - firearms and voodoo. Both are pretty much useless. If you really wanted to use something other than melee then you're out of luck. Voodoo is just too weak. Firearms are powerful but the odds of hitting anything outside melee range is slim. There was so much potential here and PB just wasted it.

    For the most part the graphics in the game were really good. Most of the areas you go to look similar but that is to be expected given the story. But the caves are identical. Walking through any cave in the game and you'll know exactly where to go because they all have the same layout. This is really just sad for a game of this era. The story was good and the various NPCs were mostly satisfactory. I heard a lot of reviews mention racism, sexism and possibly offending people. Honestly nothing in the game could have been read that way. The terms used fit the timeframe of the game and the region. Sexism didn't exist at all. There were only a few women in the game and they were doing things that you'd expect a woman of that era to do. The language is the only thing that some people might take offensive over.

    One frustrating area of the game are the traps. There are places in the game where a trap appears out of nowhere. A QTE appears for you to avoid the trap. If you fail, you die. The QTE lasts a second so unless you know the trap is there you're reloading. This could have been handled better by either taking dmg from the trap of making the QTE last longer. It is only a surprise the first time. The quests, overall, are varied and not too difficult. Unfortunately you can't set custom waypoints on the map nor can you see any quest indicators without bringing up the map. So you spend a lot of time toggling between the world and your map which is unfortunate. I also never managed to break a quest line even though I did things out of order. In an RPG this is a really good thing to get right.

    Another area PB got right was the stability and performance of the game. I ran it on max settings and I never noticed memory leaks nor did the CPU usage or temperatures get high. This is rare for a modern open-world RPG. Nor did I ever crash the game. Kudos to PB.

    If you like PBs other games (like Gothic) and you can overlook the crappy combat then this is a fun, med-size RPG. If you didn't like Gothic then you won't like this game.    … Expand
  22. CaptainChaos
    Oct 19, 2012
    9
    Ok, I'm now well in the middle of this game and this game is very much a successor to Risen, with all of its same characteristics. Very open environments; the islands are so lush and winding, that without a seachart (and sometimes even with it) I become hopelessly lost again and again - in a good way! The graphics in town are not so good, but on the islands are beautiful and the characterOk, I'm now well in the middle of this game and this game is very much a successor to Risen, with all of its same characteristics. Very open environments; the islands are so lush and winding, that without a seachart (and sometimes even with it) I become hopelessly lost again and again - in a good way! The graphics in town are not so good, but on the islands are beautiful and the character sheet is extremely pleasing to the eye. The Save system is surprisingly very PC friendly, the way all games SHOULD be but never are - holding several quick save positions and allowing you to name your own save files; it's also extremely stable permitting Alt-Tabbing galore to quickly check email without exiting game and hasn't crashed yet. I LOVE the slow xp system that also forces you to accumulate gold to level up skills - it makes the game very very challenging. Finally, the combat is love/hate. It is VERY complicated beyond belief. Once you get the hang of it, it gets a lot more fun; I think you have patience you will come to enjoy it immensely. And Skyrim could learn something from the good and varied voice acting here. So far, VERY fun.… Expand
  23. Chaeote
    Aug 13, 2012
    8
    In all honesty, I think the problem a lot of people are having with this game is a simple of of "They changed it, now it sucks".

    If you're looking for it to be identical to the first Risen, stop, cause it won't be... and that's a good thing. It's better. What they have done is revamped the systems from Risen in such a way that a LOT of it is streamlined. Sure, some things have gotten    In all honesty, I think the problem a lot of people are having with this game is a simple of of "They changed it, now it sucks".

    If you're looking for it to be identical to the first Risen, stop, cause it won't be... and that's a good thing. It's better.

    What they have done is revamped the systems from Risen in such a way that a LOT of it is streamlined. Sure, some things have gotten removed (The useless animations of turning lizards on sticks, or sawing wood comes to mind.), but other stuff is a lot better. Looting is simplified, in that, you automatically get everything from a corpse. The skill system is a LOT simpler. "Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom, etc." are GONE. Instead it's more like your base skills have taken their place, and instead of going to a trainer to increase these, you can upgrade them directly from the character menu. Instead, you only need to go to trainers to increase your SPECIFIC skills. (It's like being able to increase your Axe skill from Risen, but then you have to go to a trainer to learn "One handed Wield")

    I've seen two major complaints though reading other reviews here, the first being the controls. At first, i was going to agree with this somewhat, until i realize what was causing it.

    In Risen, the character was locked to the camera. Turn the camera, and you turn the character. In Risen 2 this only applies if you are currently moving forward. otherwise, the game has a free-floating character. This can create the illusion that the controls are a little laggy or "floaty", but once you get used to it, it's a non issue. Skyrim has a similar style camera, the only difference being the character response to turning is a bit sharper.

    The second is combat... which honestly I don't understand. Original Risen's combat was unforgivably punishing. Especially at the beginning, and then once again when the Saurians show up.

    Risen 2, while still challenging, is a least balanced. You can parry pretty much everything (which is nice, since shields have ceased to exist), and the dirty tricks are actually a LOT of fun. For me, they taken the place of the magic spells I used to use in Risen. So instead of using Frost bolt to freeze an enemy and then charging in and playing "block, attack, block, attack". Instead I rush in first, get an attack in, parry for a bit, and once an opening happens, kick them away, get a shot off with my pistol, switch my pistol for a handful of salt, wait for another opening, toss the salt to blind them, then use a power attack, and a couple quick attacks while they're stunned, and I'm only a few hours in, and only have the basic attacks! I still haven't gotten parries and counter attacks (let alone power-counters), and I haven't gotten the bigger guns (or magic if you so choose) yet, so that will just add to my arsenal.

    Also, during most of the early game at least (and from the looks of it later on as well, from the looks of it), you have a crew member with you. With basically fills the role of the Summon Skeleton scroll from the first game... except for one major difference... they don't suck. lol.

    and I haven't even touched on the NEW stuff.

    My second favorite new addition to this game over Risen? SNEAKING... holy crap SNEAKING. You actually crouch down and SNEAK into a building in order to "liberate" them of their stuff, and as long as you stay out of the NPC's line-of-sight, it actually WORKS. Unlike the original where if you walked into someones house the owner and every guard rushes in from 100 feet away. That now only occurs, if you actually go barging in and full speed... which is much more realistic.

    As for my favorite thing? Simple, PERSUASION MECHANICS!!! =D

    Yo have "Silver Tongue" which is basically "Persuade", and then you have "Intimidate", which is... well, "Intimidate". These are awesome, I love being able to talk NPC's into doing stuff they don't want to do. =)

    Now, in all fairness, I HAVE used a few mods, and aside from the "Unofficial Patch 0.5" that is a fan-fix of a few bugs, none of them affect the base functionality of the game. I steer clear of those, I only use the ones that add eye-candy (improved textures, dynamic torch lighting, a couple minor tweaks to fix texture/tree pop-in). So while my version of the game is prettier than others, it plays the same, and I just cannot see while they're is so much hate for this game, and the only thing I can fathom causing it, is that fact that it's not exactly like Risen or the old Gothic games.

    It's been modernized, streamlined, and updated, and while some of the extra fluff things have been slashed in order to accomplish that. The core mechanics have been enhanced.

    So, while not perfect (what game is?), I definitely feel it's a step up, and I'm really interested to see where they take this style of RPG in this new direction.    … Expand
  24. hillshtify
    Jun 26, 2012
    9
    A beautiful game with minor technical issues. I challenge anyone to find a game that is this deep without any flaws. A recent patch improved performance as well. I'm getting really nice frame rates on all High settings. This game doesn't deserve a 0 rating. Character development has plenty of options, but not TOO many. Voice acting is actually pretty good most of theA beautiful game with minor technical issues. I challenge anyone to find a game that is this deep without any flaws. A recent patch improved performance as well. I'm getting really nice frame rates on all High settings. This game doesn't deserve a 0 rating. Character development has plenty of options, but not TOO many. Voice acting is actually pretty good most of the time...character animations are hilariously over the top in some cases during dialogue. Also note: many people who gave it crappy reviews or called it "linear" didn't take the time to find all the side quests or stick with the game past the first few islands...it picks up dramatically towards the second half in terms of freedom and options. If you like RPGs then buy this game....Skyrim it is not, but I actually like that since I'm not trying to play another Skyrim clone. This game has charm. I have to LOL at the 0 ratings ... get a life.

    I'm giving it an 8.5    … Expand
  25. Smeldor
    Jun 10, 2012
    9
    Ignore the critic's reviews. They are obsessed with the next clone of duty game. This game is absolutely fine, and if you like rpg's it deserves a much higher score. If the critics have their way they will try and turn Skyrim into just another fps. Ignore the fools, judge for yourself. Shame there isn't a demo so customers can try before they buy.
  26. azefir1
    Jun 5, 2012
    10
    As a big fan of RPG games, especially Gothic series, i must say that this game is.... GREAT! I wasn't expecting that this game would be soo good, but i was positively surprised. I only wish that piranha bytes would have bigger budget....
  27. dryerlaw
    May 20, 2012
    8
    After the first patch, combat is considerably better and less clunky. The game itself is much more focused than the previous Risen and Gothic series. It's open for newcomers but at the same time still reward extensive exploration for hardcore fans of the series. Quests are simple but not too monotonic. Skill and leveling system is improved from the previous game, but crafting is lessAfter the first patch, combat is considerably better and less clunky. The game itself is much more focused than the previous Risen and Gothic series. It's open for newcomers but at the same time still reward extensive exploration for hardcore fans of the series. Quests are simple but not too monotonic. Skill and leveling system is improved from the previous game, but crafting is less useful now as buying the merchandise seem to be cheaper. Graphics is slightly above average; island atmosphere is deeply felt with lush foliage and superb lighting, but texture is not sharp at all. The game could use better voice acting and story presentation in order to increase immersion, but the pirate-natives-authority intricacies are well delivered. Overall a slight improvement above the previous games, albeit not a masterpiece.… Expand
  28. lama93
    May 20, 2012
    9
    If you always wanted to play a pirate RPG game, Risen 2: Dark Waters is definitely worth it. Risen2 is not based on the previous Risen, even though you still play a nameless dude. The game now takes place on several islands and you play as a pirate. There are new weapons as well, like musks and voodoo spells. You don't have to worry about a good reputation in this game. You are alreadyIf you always wanted to play a pirate RPG game, Risen 2: Dark Waters is definitely worth it. Risen2 is not based on the previous Risen, even though you still play a nameless dude. The game now takes place on several islands and you play as a pirate. There are new weapons as well, like musks and voodoo spells. You don't have to worry about a good reputation in this game. You are already thought about bad. Most quests are fun and not too hard to solve. But also not to easy.
    Even though the game is very enjoyable overall I wont give it a 10/10. That's because the combat system is really hard to get used to and the character animations and the character looks are sometimes a bit weird. The graphics a very good. The characters have (mostly) been narrated well. Risen 2 is not as open-world as the first Risen but the islands are still fun to explore. In quests there are many pirate themes like finding treasure.
    Risen 2 is more realistic than many other RPG's - if you want a lot of fantasy and magic this is not quite a game for you, even you do get voodoo spells. But don't expect the sort of magic from rpg's like the first Risen or Two Worlds II.
    For those who always wanted to play as a pirate, I can definitely recommend Risen 2. For fans of "classic" RPG's, like myself Risen 2 will take some time to get used to but will eventually get fun. But overall the game is really fun and I can definitely recommend it to those who always wanted to play as a pirate and those who want to play a RPG really different from the ones we are used to.    … Expand
  29. Zero99i
    May 16, 2012
    10
    I do not understand why the reviews in the beginning are so bad. Most of the bad reviews were written shortly before or after the game released. I played Risen 2 for about 20 hours. It was very entertaining and even a bit dramatic. This game provides anything I can imagine. The combatsystem is much better after the Patch and I cannot complain about the graphics. Of course it is not as hugeI do not understand why the reviews in the beginning are so bad. Most of the bad reviews were written shortly before or after the game released. I played Risen 2 for about 20 hours. It was very entertaining and even a bit dramatic. This game provides anything I can imagine. The combatsystem is much better after the Patch and I cannot complain about the graphics. Of course it is not as huge as skyrim. But I think Risen 2 is the best RPG since the release of the first Risen in october 2009. There is nothing bad in the at all. All of you who gave the game a zero don't seem to know how badly this could damage Piranha Bytes… Expand
  30. sh1488
    May 14, 2012
    10
    This game deserves more credit. It seems as though everything is about graphics and combat these days. What Risen 2 manages to achieve is a much greater good: immersion and proper character development.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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
  1. Hyper Magazine
    Jun 13, 2012
    60
    The real trouble with Risen 2 is that it doesn't really do anything particularly right. [July 2012, p.72]
  2. PC PowerPlay
    May 30, 2012
    70
    Despite the puppeteer's strings getting caught, Risen 2 puts on a good show that you'll see through to the end. [June 2012, p.58]
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  3. Games Master UK
    May 27, 2012
    80
    A superior, super tough sequel that offers a persuasive alternative to the RPG big boys. [July 2012, p.80]
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