Risen 2: Dark Waters

 Xbox 360
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
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  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. 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,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. 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!!… Expand
  2. rushxanthem
    Jul 29, 2013
    9
    What can I say, I like this game. I liked the first game, and I do feel that Dark Waters is a good sequel, if not somewhat clunky. The bad stuff: absence of a level system (this is a personal thing and won't affect my score) the contrast and brightness seem irreparably off color. Overtly stiff Movement control, and generally lack luster overall compared to the PC version. The good stuff:What can I say, I like this game. I liked the first game, and I do feel that Dark Waters is a good sequel, if not somewhat clunky. The bad stuff: absence of a level system (this is a personal thing and won't affect my score) the contrast and brightness seem irreparably off color. Overtly stiff Movement control, and generally lack luster overall compared to the PC version. The good stuff: This game does not hold your hand! Great voice acting, way better animation and character designs than the first. Guns! Less clunky skill system. My main bone with this game is with the plot however, apparently a lot of stuff happened between Risen 1 and Dark Waters, and the game just kind of drops you into a scenario without effectively explaining what the hell is going on, however, this is balanced out, because I do find the theme and plot DO become quite interesting.… Expand
  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 a bug free and lack free game is recommended for a good score.
  4. partyintheback
    Oct 14, 2012
    8
    I really, really like this game. The graphics are much better than the first Risen, the story's more interesting, the pirate theme is nice, the environments are great to explore, etc. However, it has one big drawback, which is the combat, and sometimes the difficulty will make you want to pull your hair out. So let's go a little more in-depth on Risen 2.

    Risen 2, much like the first    I really, really like this game. The graphics are much better than the first Risen, the story's more interesting, the pirate theme is nice, the environments are great to explore, etc. However, it has one big drawback, which is the combat, and sometimes the difficulty will make you want to pull your hair out. So let's go a little more in-depth on Risen 2.

    Risen 2, much like the first Risen, is a new RPG built with a budget and team well below that of a big Bethesda RPG or something. People who say this game's "crap" aren't the most trustworthy. If you've played and enjoyed games like Risen, Divinity 2, or any of the other RPGs like those, you'll certainly get your money's worth out of Risen 2.

    First, let's address the graphics. Some will say that the skybox looks like pixelated blobs, and you know, they're not wrong, but clouds do typically look like blobs, though just not so pixelated. However, unlike some higher budget games that forgo this graphical feature, the clouds do move, so at least you're not stuck in this static world that feels a lot like a game world and thus kills immersion. Otherwise, Risen 2 is a pretty big step up from the first Risen in the graphics department. Characters are more detailed, environments look more lush and impressive, etc. Yeah, the animations aren't cutting edge, but neither are the animations in Bethesda's Fallout and Elder Scrolls, so I don't think slamming the animations is entirely fair. This is a massive game built on a smaller budget with a smaller team, yet their animations are mostly on par with Bethesda's work.

    In regards to story, it's handled a lot better in Risen 2 than it was in the first game. I find a lot of characters really fun and interesting to interact with. This game seems a lot more cinematic than the first game. It's definitely an interesting and slightly different tale for an RPG.

    Now, for the part that'll frustrate many people, which is the combat. Not only does this version lack the enhancements that they made to the PC version to make the combat flow better, but you start off this game very weak, which seems standard for an RPG, but there are battles early in the game that feel like pure luck, so get ready to reload you save and wait through a lengthy loading screen to try it all over again, and you'll likely do this many times over before getting lucky. It's really a shame that the combat is so stilted and frustrating early on, because I feel the rest of the game is a sheer joy to wander around in. But perhaps, if all you look for in a game is combat, maybe you should just buy a hack & slash game instead.

    It's odd, then, that Risen 2 is still really neat despite the core gameplay bit being so frustrating. This isn't a bad game, I promise, but the combat needs some serious work. I really like everything else in Risen 2.    … Expand
  5. Hamyy
    Feb 5, 2013
    8
    I bought this game the other day (I no late) on a wimm. Took it home played it for a while and went to bed. Next day in work i checked the reviews and they didnt sound to impressive. I was defo gutted about the lack of sailing Since then I cant put this game down for all its many many flaws there is something addictive about the world and pirate theme. Not all games you play will meetI bought this game the other day (I no late) on a wimm. Took it home played it for a while and went to bed. Next day in work i checked the reviews and they didnt sound to impressive. I was defo gutted about the lack of sailing Since then I cant put this game down for all its many many flaws there is something addictive about the world and pirate theme. Not all games you play will meet your expections, but remember when you were young and played 2d games and loved them, not all games can nbe like AC3 and BOPS. Bring out the kid in you and relex you will enjoy the open (kind off world of pirates, happy hunting… Expand
  6. owen1218
    May 3, 2013
    9
    I am a big fan of Piranha Bytes' work, and have enjoyed every game they have yet produced. Going into this game, I was not sure what to expect, because I felt the first Risen was the weakest game PB had yet produced. Not to say it isn't a good game, but for the most part it felt like a Gothic clone, like I was playing a rehash of the original Gothic franchise in a way that indicated aI am a big fan of Piranha Bytes' work, and have enjoyed every game they have yet produced. Going into this game, I was not sure what to expect, because I felt the first Risen was the weakest game PB had yet produced. Not to say it isn't a good game, but for the most part it felt like a Gothic clone, like I was playing a rehash of the original Gothic franchise in a way that indicated a severe lack of creativity. I also heard that the island approach of Risen 2 destroyed the openendedness that made the earlier games enjoyable.

    But this new game has given me a renewed faith in Piranha Bytes and the creative energy they possess. In many ways, this is their best game. The characters are fantastic, and they interact so brilliantly with one another. One review said that the title character is "hardly recognizable" in Risen 2, which is true to an extent, but that's in part because he has actually developed some character in the interim from the last game. Such a great pirate protagonist has not existed in a video game since Guybrush Threepwood. And even better still is Patty, whose interactions with the protagonist are always so brilliant. Not even to get into the many other characters I love in the game, including Steelbeard, Chani, and of course, Jaffar.

    This is a role playing game of choice for anyone interested in immersing themselves in a new world peopled by characters who are worth getting to know. In some sense Risen 2 feels somewhat less openended than the Gothic games or the original Risen, but I don't feel this structured approach is a weakness, especially as they were able to apply it in a way that continues to avoid linearity. It reminds me a bit of the planetary exploration of an older RPG called Planet's Edge.

    Most critics I've seen appear to have criticized Risen 2 either because it wasn't another Gothic clone, or because it wasn't as good an action game as the Elder Scroll series. But if your primary enjoyment in role playing games is to role play, then this is an excellent choice.

    However, that isn't to say I don't have problems with the game. I think the first is its blatant sexism and racism. While Patty makes up somewhat for the former with her feminist-like approach, but the "savages" are stereotypical headhunter sorts with strong patriarchal rulers, voodoo magic, and a language that appropriates words from existing languages (for instance "aloha" is used for "hello"). I also felt that the voodoo elements were not well applied. I had many of these skills but by the time they were developed they were useless. I was also moderately annoyed finding very difficult chests for instance on a jungle in Tacarigua, near the beginning of the game. By the time I could open it, it was hardly worth making the trek there to do so. Finally, some elements of the game which could have brilliantly integrated simply weren't. Actions that should have had sweeping changes often did not. (Although admittedly still more so than in most games of this type.)    … Expand
  7. Blacqout
    Sep 16, 2015
    10
    A masterpiece. The humour, freedom and ability to complete quests in a myriad of different and entertaining ways combine with some surprisingly touching moments of companion interaction to form one of the greatest role-playing experiences out there.

Awards & Rankings

92
#92 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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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
  1. 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.
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  2. 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]
  3. 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.
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