Risen 2: Dark Waters

OK, so what if it's not Piranha Byte's best work? It still has that nice, instantly recognisable "PB-groove" to it. I have to confess I'm a complete and utter sucker for every single game they ever made and Risen 2 is no exception. Totally biased review, I know. I could never quite put my finger on it why I love PB games so much, though I can say for sure that I particularly like the music and the way PB writes dialogue. Also IMO PB does excellent world building. The upshot is: If game and combat mechanics are everything to you, you might want to pass - probably on most of PB's games. But if you're looking for a nice open world RPG experience with great atmosphere first and foremost, then, by all means, you've got to try this (and their other gems too)!

It's a great RPG, with a very good story, lot of sub quest, funny henchmen, some mini-games... Ok, the game has some flaws: - sometimes the frame-rate drops in a scary way (the air temple is almost not playable on my hardware, which is very cheap however) - the ground models sometimes makes you get stuck and there's no way out except using the map shortcuts. - too many trees: watching from the edge of a mountain (and jump with the levitation spell of course) was my preferred thing in the previous game. And some drastic changes: - the combat system is strange for who have played Risen 1. - the sensation of magic is gone, but it was planned (since in a book you can read that magic had been banned) and replaced with voodoo. - the crafting system is useless , worst than Risen 1: you find schemes when you already have the object, the cost of crafting is equals to the finihed object, the raw materials are quite limited... IN SHORT: If you think to it as a Risen sequel you will be disappointed, if considered it as a "Pirates of the Carribean" RPG it will become worthy of your time.

Normally, this game is judged a lot by comparing it to its predecessor - and the developers games in general. If you do that, yes there are a lot of changes in game- design and gameplay - and looked at each one specifically, you can see why these changes are deemed inferior (giving the game a lower score). If you look at Risen 2 as a standalone entry in the RPG genre however, there is really not a lot it does actually bad, if at all for a game from a small development team. The combat can be criticised for being a button masher early on, lacking the tactical step-by-step movement of the first game. You will soon notice however, that the iconic learning system is still there for every kind of combat type you can acquire skills with to use. Still, it always stays a bit on the weaker side. Other than that though, not really anything is amiss. You have multiple good looking environments that reward exploration, good written quests and according dialogues, the story is engaging and, compared to the older games, set in scene quite nice actually. All this with expanded and refined mechanics/features create a really atmospheric adventure that gives you multiple options to solve a lot of occurring obstacles until you reach the somewhat sudden, but still satisfying end. The game has quite a sudden change of style (that being pirates in time of colonialization). Again, weird by comparison, but it does fit the bill of old sailor stories and (maybe not fully accurate) history very well. Technically, the game actually did install everything it needed by itself and ran without problems on my hardware. I didn't have any issues while playing and the technical foundation holds up good against today's standards. If you are looking for a solid RPG with pirate setting, you cannot do much wrong with Risen 2 in my book. Recommended!

Gamepad support, Huge world with secrets, nice questlines and a bit of the gothic 3 feeling. Combat system is better than skyrim and kinda fun, also like the skillsystem with leveling attributes through exp and buying skills like in gothic 1 and 2.

I had to stop playing Risen 2 long enough to review it, which is no easy task once it sucks you in! The lost star is for technical difficulties. It crashed on my once (after hours of play) and there's an issue with one quest where you can't sneak inside a barracks without rolling forward and hoping that you get lucky and don't get noticed and there is a substantial difficulty curve...but once all that is out of the way say good bye to your time as it flies by on a piratical adventure! Like the original Risen and Gothic before it this is a hard core 'western' RPG with an emphasis on player decisions, customization, and dynamic combat. The world is mostly open from the word go (after a tutorial session in a fortress) so if you wander into the woods and meet an unbeatable enemy at your level you will get trounced, simple as that. OR you could dodge and wear it down and get tons of Glory (experience) points for your trouble. The way you play the game is basically up to you. Want to charm/intimidate NPCs instead of duel them? There's a stat for that. You can't deal with an enemy or a problem or a route? Chances are incredibly good you weren't listening close enough to a conversation which tells you the weaknesses of a foe, an alternate way to your destination, or a hint to solving the situation. Risen is a curious series. Although I do like both games I prefer the more extensive and refined mechanics of the first Risen game...but Risen 2 has PIRATES which makes it much more interesting that a traditional magical fantasy type genre. You've got voodoo rituals, you carry pistols and shot guns, you deal with rum running and dig for buried treasure, and you can train monkeys: it's a much needed mix up of RPG simply meaning 'Lord of the Rings lite'. Fair warning: this game is ALL bout gold. You buy skills, info, gear and everything with gold so keep your purse weighty. There's always some way to victory, even if it's dangerous: Risen 2 in a nutshell.