Risen 2: Dark Waters Reviews

We have another batch of mostly not-so-enthusiastic reviews for Piranha Bytes’ latest effort, Risen 2: Dark Waters, the pirate-themed sequel to the original open-world action RPGs, which so far has been criticized both for simplifying the formula compared to its predecessor and for being too difficult and unforgiving.

Polygon, 7/10.

But Risen 2 always redeems itself with the little things about the pirate fantasy it nails. What other game lets you learn a skill called “‘˜Nuff Said” that allows you to end the occasional conversation by pulling a pistol on your co-converser and sending them to Davy Jones’ Locker? And listen, just between you and me … you can get an attack parrot and a monkey that steals stuff.

Like a cardboard-sword wielding toddler knocking over his chocolate milk, it’s tough to stay angry at Risen 2 when it’s having this much fun playing pirates.

RipTen, 8.5/10.

Overall, though, the problems with Risen 2 are minor. Some unobtrusive collision-detection and messy dialogue don’t take much away from what is otherwise a very solid RPG experience. The game is graphically stunning, the combat solid, and the semi-open world very well-designed. It is a great example of what every sequel should do, taking what made the original fun and building on it until you get a game that is equal to its progenitor in some respects, and outright superior in others. Risen 2: Dark Waters is definitely worth your time if you are a fan of the original, any of Piranha Bytes previous titles, or action-RPGs in general.

AtomicGamer, 7/10.

It turns out that if you throw enough pirate gags at the player, you still can’t really cover up a stiff and busted combat system that’s been holding you back for nearly a decade. What’s new with the pirate theme is often original and off-beat, and with just a few tweaks and maybe a little letting go of their own traditions, Piranha Bytes could be making far more entertaining and exciting games. But as you play, you’ll keep coming back to the feeling that the developers didn’t seem to make a game that you wanted to play in the first place, and no amount of gnomish profanity, monkey thieving, or parrot antics are going to fix that. Risen 2 is another ambitious effort from one of Germany’s most well-known game developers, but once again it is dragged down by combat that doesn’t really ever feel right, and it’s kind of sad to see so much effort and talent go into their games when some of the fundamentals have been ignored for so many years.

G4, 3/5.

The first Risen and now Risen 2: Dark Waters feel like games out of time. They’re complex Western RPGs that don’t bother with making the Nameless Hero feel invincible or like a total badass as most modern games do, but instead treat him as a vulnerable vessel that must be learned and mastered. Their worlds are superbly designed, but the graphics haven’t quite caught up to render them in the lush detail we’ve grown accustomed to. Combat and leveling don’t know which era they’re stuck in, flip-flopping between too complex and too simple. Despite surrounding the Nameless Hero with pirates and avoiding the traps of a Tolkien-style universe, the characters themselves are fairly flat and kill what could be an experience as rowdy, flirty and fun as Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean series.

Risen 2: Dark Waters is full of ideas and designs that read great on paper. But fold that paper into a boat and try to sail with it, well… you’re gonna have some soggy boots to say the least. For RPG genre fans willing to overlook some technical flaws, Risen 2 may very well be a treat and a refreshing change of pace. For the rest of us, this is a game that will never quite rise to the occasion.

Atomic, 69%.

Risen 2 is very much a game we want to like, but it doesn’t quite want to meet us half way. The setting is interesting, the addition of blackpowder weapons is awesome, and it has some great environments to explore. Certainly, as you progress, the sense of the game being more of a chore than actual entertainment disappears, but it’s hard to push through. If you’re looking for instant satisfaction, this may not be your thing, but if you want a game that’s going to reward a certain stubborn persistence, Risen 2 might just be the perfect game for you.