Risen 2: Dark Waters

 Xbox 360
Metascore
60

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 18
  3. Negative: 2 out of 18
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  1. Worth Playing
    Sep 4, 2012
    72
    It took me about 50 hours to plow through Risen 2's winning combination of piracy on the high seas, deep skill system, tough combat, and adventure across unexplored lands. Risen 2 succeeds at what it tries to do if you ignore its more serious issues, though not everyone might have the patience to push through its initially high difficulty, dodgy humor and obvious stereotypes. On the surface, it's hard not to see the spiritual ties to Gothic in the game mechanics and the world. That might be all that Piranha Bytes' fans need to know before signing on.
  2. 3DJuegos
    Aug 3, 2012
    71
    RIsen 2: Dark Waters lets you explore a massive world with an excellent atmosphere and great characters... with a ton of technical shortcomings.
  3. Videogameszone.de
    Jul 31, 2012
    69
    Faced with the challenge to deliver something else than the technical disaster that was Risen on Xbox 360, Piranha Bytes and porting developer Wizardbox again make a mess of things. What has been an entertaining story of seafaring buccaneers and swashbuckling pirates on PC becomes a sordid role-playing experience on consoles with a ton of technical shortcomings.
  5. GameCritics
    Sep 24, 2012
    65
    While the developer is on the right track, Risen 2: Dark Waters feels choppier than the last game, and will test those with little patience.
  6. Meristation
    Jul 31, 2012
    65
    Best on PC. Risen 2: Dark Waters is still rough and with some errors, down visually. Of course, a big world of pirates and action, it has depth and with surprises.
  7. GameOver.gr
    Sep 18, 2012
    60
    The Xbox 360 version of this western RPG suffers from all the syndromes these games have when they find their way onto consoles. Bugs, glitches and stubborn choices by the developers that can't seem to understand the nature of console gaming too well.
  8. ZTGD
    Aug 16, 2012
    60
    Risen 2 is a solid game with a host of technical issues that drag it down constantly.
  9. Official Xbox Magazine
    Aug 10, 2012
    60
    If only the price of unlocking new skills - a minimum stat combined with a hefty fee - wasn't unreasonably steep.
  10. Eurogamer Italy
    Aug 10, 2012
    60
    An action-GDR with some interesting ideas hidden well behind a coding far under the average.
  11. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Aug 9, 2012
    60
    The combat isn't fair, the aesthetics are grim, and at times it's uncomfortably racist and sexist. But while it's an anachronistic mess of a game, it's weirdly compulsive regardless.
  12. MondoXbox
    Aug 19, 2012
    55
    Risen 2 successfully manages to recreate the charming mood of pirate stories, but very bad visuals and gameplay with a too steep difficulty curve contribute to drag down its overall value.
  13. Vandal
    Aug 12, 2012
    55
    The console version is late and in a bad shape. We expected much more, but it doesn't live up to the bar set for the current generation of console games. It is certainly better than the previous game –yet, we recommend enjoying the adventure on PC, unless you're willing to forgive its graphical and control issues.
  14. Game Informer
    Aug 9, 2012
    55
    The PC original had the same problems, but a post-release patch made a marked improvement by adding a useful dodge feature that allowed player skill to overcome some of the horrible combat design. Unfortunately, that addition is not included in the console version. Publisher Deep Silver does not have any plans to release it later, citing the space restrictions "certain first-parties" put on title updates. Between that and the inferior graphics, framerate, and interface, I strongly recommend going with the PC version over this lackluster console port.
  15. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Sep 23, 2012
    50
    It might be better than Risen, but Dark Waters is constrained by its PC roots and hampered by inconsistent design and a truly awful engine. [Issue#89,p.84]
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Awards & Rankings

92
#92 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2012

User Reviews

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User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 67 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 67
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 67
  3. Negative: 18 out of 67
  1. PlanByHero
    Aug 20, 2012
    9
    Risen 2 is pretty much what you should expect if you played Risen; buggy, unpolished, a little ugly at times but heaps and heaps of fun. TheRisen 2 is pretty much what you should expect if you played Risen; buggy, unpolished, a little ugly at times but heaps and heaps of fun. The sword combat starts out a little clumsy and basic but as you progress it becomes much more enjoyable. Also, you get to use Muskets.....MUSKETS!! They even have a lovely puff of smoke when you fire them! The main CONS of this game are it's buggy, ugly, somewhat "cheap" nature but those CONS are far outweighed by the PROS such great funny dialogue, imaginative missions/quests, slow character progression (that may seem like a bad thing but it actually makes leveling feel much more rewarding), a lovely lockpicking mini-puzzle, and it's just downright FUN. If you can look past some moderate flaws (below average graphics, buggy animations, occasional severe frame rate drops) and see the gem beneath you will really enjoy this game. If you like your RPGs polished and triple-A - steer well clear of this one. I've listed several pretty big flaws in the above but I'm still giving the game 9/10...THAT SHOULD TELL YOU HOW MUCH FUN IT IS!!… Full Review »
  2. Rizaloo
    Aug 9, 2012
    7
    If you enjoyed the first Xbox 360 port of Risen, there's no reason why you wouldn't like this game as well. Wizardbox have done a much betterIf you enjoyed the first Xbox 360 port of Risen, there's no reason why you wouldn't like this game as well. Wizardbox have done a much better port this time, and while not perfect, it's certainly better than the first. In terms of gameplay, if you've also played the original Risen, then you have a good idea of what to expect. I am a big fan of the first game (shoddy port and all) and I'm about 15 hours in Risen 2 now. I have yet to experience any bugs or crashes, and load times are actually fairly decent. There's an initial load whenever you start (or reload) a game but after that, the engine does not have to load often, even when you fast travel to different points on the same island.

    Our good folks at Piranha Bytes have obviously taken Risen 2 into Pirate-themed territory. I    … Full Review »
  3. Zero99i
    Aug 5, 2012
    10
    Risen 2 is still a great game. But Piranha Bytes should look for another developer for their console-ports. I am not a graphics freak, but aRisen 2 is still a great game. But Piranha Bytes should look for another developer for their console-ports. I am not a graphics freak, but a bug free and lack free game is recommended for a good score.… Full Review »
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