Risen 2: Dark Waters Reviews

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Written by WorstUsernameEver on April 28th, 2012

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Seeing the promise that occasionally shines through Risen 2's many flaws is disheartening. Collecting crewmembers could have been great, if they were any more than occasional quest objectives and distractions in combat. The animations for parries and counterattacks are wonderful in the five percent of fights where you get to take advantage of them. The world itself is stunningly beautiful at times, but content players are able to interact with meaningfully is thin on the ground. As much as I wanted to love it, Risen 2 ends up as another entry in the long list of games with a great premise, a few interesting ideas, and an unforgivable anchor dragging the whole thing down.

At first, I was a little off-put by the sluggish gameplay presented in Risen 2: Dark Waters, but as I maneuvered through the game things got better quickly. There's still some issues with combat that bother me, and I would have liked to see some elements given more detail. Risen 2 can be beautiful at times, urging the player to set out on a journey to explore the elements contained within a world of wonder. Piranha Bytes did a swell job of incorporating accurate décor, costuming, scene design, and dialogue to make a game that is exceptionally marketable as a pirate RPG, though disappointments in character progression, a faulty magic system, and recycled locations make the game seem a little bit too run-of-the-mill in the end. Overall, I did have a lot of fun playing through the game, and I do say it's worth checking out.

Overall this is a very solid RPG to be enjoyed. The quest structure, characters and general setting make it unique among other games. The length is about 15-25 hours depending on how much side stuff you wish to encounter. There is some technical jank here and there but it doesn't detract from the game. If anything, it actually kind of adds to it, giving it a charm all its own. If you like games like the Witcher 2, Fable or Two Worlds 2, this is a game that shouldn't be missed.

Risen 2 is a RPG that, despite its technical limitations, offers surprisingly addictive gameplay and provides a fun ride for those who are fans of pirate lore. Upon starting the game, I had some serious concerns, but the combat, exploration, and story kept me entertained throughout. It's not the most polished RPG out there, but Risen 2 is a nice change of pace from standard RPG fare.

Keep in mind that those looking for an experience similar to the role-playing games offered by Bethesda, BioWare, and CD Projekt Red may be disappointed by the game's visual shortcomings and more straightforward narrative. Still, most fans of old school RPGs will find something to like here.

For fans of pirate fiction, you're left with the feeling that your childhood fun and games are being brought to life. Risen 2 may fall short in some ways, but in perfectly nails the feeling of dropping you into your very own swashbuckling pirate fantasy. Sure, you might spend a few hours grinding your way through pack after pack of wild boar for their +50 Glory boost, but you'll be doing it in a lush jungle environment, decked out in pirate gear with a bottle of Grog in your hand.
For some people, that's going to be more than enough. For me it was. Despite any flaws, Risen 2 captures its subject perfectly. It's got heart. That usually isn't enough to save a lousy video game, but in this case it is. Or it was for me. I think the ability to appreciate the experience stems from two things: your fondness for pirate lore and your tolerance for bad design. If you're big on the former and patient enough to deal with the latter, then Risen 2 is an experience that you won't want to miss.

The game is ultimately a rewarding experience, but there are a lot of rough patches to pass to really enjoy it. The combat is difficult, and in order to get a lot of basic sword-fighting moves that most games would give you off the bat, you need to train them, which means you have to gather up a lot of gold and glory. Starting off weak and working your way up to becoming a capable character does, however, have a certain appeal to it, and if you can stick past the game's rough opening hours, there's a lot of fun to be had here. The quests are relatively open-ended, and the NPCs really work to bring the world to life. Listening to NPCs talk to each other and really convey what it's like to live in this world is a joy, and the environment really helps to sell the tropical experience to you.

Risen 2 isn't a game that you can just casually jump into and expect to power through. It's an experience that asks for dedication, but your effort pays off. While you can never totally forgot about all of the game's issues, there's enough good in the game that makes it worth pushing through. It isn't an experience for everyone, but if you consider yourself capable of taking on the challenge and don't mind overlooking its technical flaws and some perplexing user interface decisions, Risen 2 is a rewarding experience with plenty of piratey fun.

At the end of the day, if you are looking to roleplay and roleplay properly in a game, then this is the ideal game for you; providing you are willing to grit your teeth through the grinding and try to understand the clever, but often puzzling plot. If you are alternately looking for an action-filled, fast and fluid fighting game, then maybe you would be better off waiting for the next LEGO: Pirates of the Caribbean game to be released!

To every RPG fan out there Risen 2 is a game I can heartily recommend, but to everyone else you should probably keep well away.

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