Risen 2: Dark Waters Reviews
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Neoseeker, 9/10.
With all of its elements combined, Risen 2 proves another solid effort by Piranha Bytes. Like its prequel, its greatest strength is just how endlessly engaging and fun it is to wander the countryside doing nothing in particular and happening upon treasure or foes or a new quest to embark on. The main quests are just as compelling, mind you, if not moreso. Whether you're in it for the pirate theme, the RPG mechanics or both, you'll be knee deep in adventure and booty and loving nearly every minute of it.
Inside Gaming Daily, 6/10.
Risen 2: Dark Waters sets out to deliver an adventurous RPG experience in a genre that doesn't see much attention these days. While it partially succeeds in exploring some of the aspects of pirate life, it doesn't deliver on it enough to make the experience super exciting.
Its environments and visuals will draw you in, but the gameplay likely won't hold the attention of the mainstream audience very long. The game has its moments, but put simply, I just didn't have much fun.
If you're a pirate fan looking for a basic but functional adventure set in the land of pirates, Risen 2: Dark Waters is only a decent arrrrrrrpg.
Strategy Informer, 6.5/10.
There's a great game in here, and people who buy Risen 2 will probably be quite content with their purchase if they can get past the infuriating first few hours (and that sugar quest in the giant termite cave, shudder). Sadly it's dug itself a hole with a few terrible design decisions and the good things about the game can't dig Risen 2 out of it. Not even with a big red '˜X' on top of that hole. Dodge button and ship combat next time, please?
RPGFan, 58%.
I'm rarely disgusted after beating a game. Risen 2 left me aghast, and I'm not even a pirate fanatic. I can't imagine the disappointment of those expecting to finally lay their hands on a quality pirate RPG. What could have been a heavily nuanced action RPG is instead a waste of potential and a cheap product. Risen 2 doesn't just leave the niche as empty as it found it. Risen 2: Dark Waters gives pirates a bad name.
Just Push Start, 6.8/10.
The problems within Dark Waters are hard to neglect as the majority of them will affect your overall experience. With the glitchy gameplay and excessive pop-in, I sincerely hope it will be fixed via patch. However, what can't be fixed are the elements of the game that make it dull, primarily the quests and the shallow combat system. If you are searching for a RPG game with a solid pirate theme that has interesting characters that will give you some funny moments and the freedom to do whatever you want, then Dark Waters might be the game you're looking for or, at least, your best possible option at the moment. For fans of the games made by Pirahna Bytes or at least you enjoyed the first game, there's no doubt you will somewhat enjoy this game despite the flaws.
