Risen 2: Dark Waters Gold Edition

in library

3.8/5

( 37 Reviews )

3.8

37 Reviews

English & 7 more

Posted on: December 5, 2014

kaboro

Verified owner

Games: 1664 Reviews: 16

Good game, not for everyone

I'm one of the few that liked all Piranha Bytes games so far. I'm not a purist so i don't care if Risen 2 has strayed even more from the Gothic formula. Risen 2 got bashed in the beginning for some graphical issues and for the combat system (no efficient dodging and no blocking). These issues have been fixed shortly after release but the negative comments based on dated info continue to this day. Risen 2 offers all i got to expect from a Piranha Bytes game: detailed and beautiful hand crafted worlds, lots of things to discover, a good story told in a light hearted way with quite a bit of humor. Its PB's first attempt at companions, you have a choice of companions that will fight by your side and contribute to the story. The combat was designed with companions in mind so it can seem quite difficult if you decide to not use their help, but its still perfectly doable. Played on maxed graphical settings the world is beautiful with impressive lighting and weather effects. In this respect it is better even than Risen 3. The pirate theme is used very well, you will have a ship to travel from island to island (you don't actually get to sail it on the seas though) You can use a monkey to steal stuff, you can have a parrot, you can use dirty tricks like throwing sand, there's also the mandatory sneaking, pickpocketing, sweet talking and lock picking, and of course all these skills can be upgraded. Despite the bad ratings it got for the voice acting, i actually liked it. The hero's voice doesn't sound like a pirate at all (well maybe because he actually isn't one) but its enjoyable, he sounds like a smart alec that makes fun of everyone and it actually fits the dialogues. There is a lot to do, to discover and enjoy in this game. The combat is nothing to write home about but it works and it can be quite fun if you put a modicum of effort into understanding it instead of rushing to tag it as bad from the start.

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Posted on: May 10, 2014

mephinia

Games: 211 Reviews: 6

Decent game.

I generally enjoyed it - and played it twice, on pc and xbox, pc version imho was superior - graphics and ability to roll away from danger at least. I am getting a bit tired though of people who compare it to beloved Gothic 2 - frankly I thought Gothic 1 was better than 2, the last one was a bit stretched out in the end. At least npcs in risen's have slightly more personality to them. Feels more balanced too - unlike Gothics where upon obtaining certain spells/weapons , hero turned into typhoon of death, Risen 1 had same problem too - where lizardmen toward end were flying 200 feet away from simple staff blow.

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Posted on: May 29, 2021

Fade89

Games: 368 Reviews: 38

Not as good as Risen 1, but enjoyable

Critics are often harsh to this game, and I understand why. If you didn't like Risen, you will not like this too, but if you love it like me here are the changes/problems: 0) technical issues: the game often crashes. Be sure to disable anisotrophic filtering ant anti-aliasing, plus play in windowed mode. This solves the problem most of the cases on a modern PC. 1) concept: well, Risen didn't really placed itself in an over-specified setting, but it was still a surprise to change to complete victorian pirate theme. Opposed to the prequel, you can't use real armor, medieval swords/axes, etc. only rapiers, pistols and muskets. The pirate theme is forced down on your throat, even when everyone discriminates you for being a pirate you dress like one so they notice it at first glance. It wouldn't be a problem, but you don't really act like a pirate in any point of the game. 2) Risen 2 has 6 locations (+2 with DLC), and each of them is uninteresting in comparision to the single, well-designed on of the prequel. They are basically just series of tunnels, even if you can climb the rocks there is no point in doing so. Risen 1 had an awesome spell system, and you could do really whacky stuff with levitation and the other spells which were removed from 2. The world is overally bigger, but each segment, NPC has less content. 3) Risen 2 really simplified the inventory/item system. 98% of items you find will be sold in the next shop. This further makes exploration uninteresting. Crafting skills are now also useless in every way, even economically. 4) The idea behind the attribute/skill/talent/glory system is really good, but not well-thought: shotgun/musket and piercing/slashing distinction is only to have symmetrical 3 skills in every category. The combat is still just enjoyable with some good changes, but firearms are obviously overpowered. Magic was nerfed to basically useless. 5) The story is still enjoyable. I could go on, but GoG has some serious limits on reviews.

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Posted on: April 12, 2014

mciszczon

Games: 38 Reviews: 1

Nice game with few problems

The “Risen 2: Dark Waters” game is a good game. It's world is really huge (as it's been said yet), there are many, many characters to discover, some of which you'll like, and some of which you'll hate. And sometimes you must cooperate with someone you hate. Also, the game contains beautiful landscapes and graphics. It's well-optimized. When you start playing it swallows you, so you play more, and more, and more. But then... Then comes a moment when the whole thing becomes somehow “muddy”, you lose the plot, don't know what's it all about. You have to do so many quests yet you don't actually know why. Some of them feel boring. Despite this, I played the game for quite a long time. It all ended when... something strange started happening. Days and nights turned very quickly. Really. There was like 5-10 seconds of daylight, and then 5-10 seconds of night. It was turning so fast, that the game was unplayable. You would need to carry a torch all the time, which wasn't an option. But I recommend you to try this game out, tho. Make your own opinion. Moreover, there are a lot of people who actually really like the game.

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Posted on: July 24, 2020

Kynaras

Verified owner

Games: 172 Reviews: 1

A step down from it predecessor

Risen 2 is a strange game. The developers have taken a heavy thematic departure from the original Risen, trading the old school sword, board and magic setting for one of pirates, guns and smattering of vodoo in place of magic. I am not convinced the change in direction is warranted or successful and I am still confused as to whom the developers were trying to appeal to. Fans of the original clearly enjoyed the setting and while growth and evolution is both welcome and needed for any franchise to depart so heavily from a setting that fans liked doesn't make much sense. In terms of gameplay, Risen 2 takes a decided step back. Yes, back. The developers failed to address the power curve present in the original - namely that players start off the game being bullied by the meekest of opponents only to begin mopping the floor with any enemy they encounter around midgame. So the game goes from an exercise in frustration to mindless hit and win. This is especially tue for players who choose to pursue the use of guns over voodoo and swordplay. Simply aim, shoot and reload your way to victory. The voodoo mechanic which replaced the magic system of the original Risen fails to impress. While I enjoy the idea of native voodoo magic the entire skillset is gimmicky at best. Voodoo acts as a set of support skills. Instead of damage, you can make enemies fight each other or run away in fear. Voodoo dolls are one-time craftables that let you curse an enemy, even bosses, so that they take huge amounts of damage. Trust me when I say that it reads a lot cooler than it actually works in game. Storywise, the game completely lacks the mystery of the original. You learn right from the start what your quest is and why and shuttle from island to island to reach your end goal. The MC's motivation for becoming a pirate is contrived at best. So do I recommend it? Yes, but only on sale. Fans of the original will probably find some enjoyment. It isn't a complete dumpster fire, merely mediocre.

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