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Like others, I read all the horrible reviews out there for Risen 2 and almost didn't give it a chance. Turns out though that I'm happy I did as I really enjoyed playing through this game from beginning to end, despite some of the game's more noticeable flaws.
It doesn't surprise me that this game got panned by professional review sites as well as many modern gamers. The graphics are dated (at least on PS3 they are), there's texture tearing and pop-up, and some major drops in the frame rate when large enemies are on screen. Modern day videogame luxuries such as quest markers and frequent pop-up hints and instructions are absent. The learning curve is somewhat steep as you start out with very little guidance and your character is ill-equipped and weak, and it's not uncommon to get your butt kicked by even a measly sand devil (the goombas of the Risen 2 world), particularly if they outnumber you. Combat is clunky and your strategic options are initially very, very limited. I can admit that there were a few moments in the first 2-3 hours of playtime where I considered quitting because it seemed like a mess of a game.
But I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did. Despite its technical problems, I found that Risen 2 has a lot to offer than other games do not.
Foremost is the satisfaction that comes with playing a game that comes with so little of the modern handholding we've become accustomed to as gamers. There's no flowery 20 minute cinematic to kick off the game, followed by a 20 minute in-game tutorial that gradually introduces you to your move-set and onscreen HUD. You get a brief narration and then a short conversation and then you're in complete control of your character from then on. What you do at that point is up to you. You're told by an NPC to meet the Commandant on the fortress wall. There's no "quest marker" that constantly floats on your HUD to guide you to where the battlements are and there's no minimap. You have to explore the fortress and the grounds and learn the layout and where things and people are yourself. You don't even get a map to begin with.... you have to find, purchase, or be given one first. And you can't learn or develop some skills (like pickpocketing, lockpicking, intimidating) without the requisite gold pieces, and gold is in short supply early on, so you really have to get out and explore and be resourceful to scrounge up money any way you can so you can move on. You truly have to work to progress in this game as nothing is handed to you, which I found refreshing, engaging, and addictive.
The central theme in Risen 2 is exploration. You're given about eight or so islands/locales to explore (although only one is available initially) and a large part of the fun I had with the game was trekking around the vast woods, caves, beaches, and mountain tops searching for treasure while completing a metric buttload of quests (well over 300). Nothing in the game is randomly generated, so when you find a hidden chest in some nook or cranny, the treasure is something the developers wanted you to find there. A lot of time it is gold or sellable valuables, but you can also find more powerful weapons or ingredients/parts used to make something else. Creatures and monsters lurk everywhere and if you venture too far before you're ready, you will die quickly. But you will learn to either wait until you're stronger to come back or find some clever way around the enemies to avoid fighting them.
The combat is admittedly clunky and involves mostly mashing the attack button, at least at first. Depending on how you spend your Glory (experience points) and gold pieces, you can develop various skills in categories like blades, firearms, toughness, cunning, voodoo, etc, which allows for more variety in the fights (such as projectile weapons, magic, parry/riposte). How you build the character is up to you, but I found that the Firearms category was most beneficial since a musket with a low reload time and a large number of bullets will take down just about any foe (including the final boss) without any trouble. This approach, of course, sort of breaks the combat system, but I didn't find the combat to be a selling point of the game anyway. Also, if you don't want to use this approach, you can often depend on your near-indestructable AI teammate to aggro many of the enemies and allow you to get in some good strikes without getting blocked or hit back.
The Pirate/Voodoo story I thought was interesting and something different. Nothing that rocked my world, but engaging nontheless, and it kept me interested until the end. The banter between the main character and the various NPCs had me, more often than not, laughing at loud, especially in the last third of the game, and it's clear that the writers have a great sense of humor (and very Monkey Island-esque at that). I also really enjoyed the voice acting and found it completely believable for the most part, and I am honestly shocked that so many people thought it was bad. Really? Not everyone has to sound like Nolan North.
The musical score nicely fits the game world and environments. Sounds effects are appropriate, although your AI teammate (particularly one, Patty) makes the oddest buzzing noise when she's moving behind you and always made me feel like I was being pursued by some giant feral bumblebee.
I've mentioned some of the game's technical issues above, but aside from those, I experienced nothing else of note. And nothing gamebreaking for me...never had the game freeze. These days that's a victory in itself.
I can't comment on how this game relates to the first Risen game as I never played it.
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Overall, this game is not going to win any awards, but I had a really fun time playing it. My final time clocked in about 30 hours, which is pretty good bang for the buck in my opinion. If you are a completionist like me and go for all the side quests and search for all the hidden chests and items, then there's not going to be much to go back to a second time, unless you just like the story or characters.
I encourage those of you who have been playing games for a long time (and don't get hung up on graphics/animations/etc) to at least give this one a rental and see if it sticks with you.
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Good:-Unique Pirate theme and tropical settings including beautiful beaches, treacherous jungles, creepy caves and voodoo temples.
-Surprisingly good music that does a great job creating ambiance. Going in caves genuinely scares me thanks to this (and the fact that I'm stubborn about not wanting to use up torches lol).
-Lots of quests/exploring/collecting to do.
-Interesting combat: I admit, the combat at first in this game seems super boring, but once you are able to buy a few skills (faster attacks, power attacks, etc) it really improves.
-Tons of skills to learn: ranging from sword and gun skills, to voodoo, to sending a trained monkey through a window to rob a house for you lol.
Bad:
-The text is TINY, so unless you're right in front of your TV you will have a hard time reading it. For the console releases of this they really should have included an option to make it larger.
-Lots of pop-in textures.
-The in-game map isn't great because you can't zoom.
Buy Risen 2: Dark Waters - Complete Package (Special Edition) Now
I was sceptical about getting this game because all the bad reviews and I figured why not,I liked the first one, people just expect everything should be easy like SKYRIM.Im only 5 hrs into it and it keeps getting better and better. The graphics are not that bad, the scenery is detailed with trees and plantlife that sway in the wind, colorful beaches and hidden caves. The battle system at first might seem like a button masher but you can learn skills for swords,guns,fists, cunning which has skills like sneaking,lockpicking and pick pocket, also skills for voodoo(black magic). At first some enemies might seem tough, that just means you arent strong enough for that area yet, you will spend alot of time and gold learning skills and getting the best equipment. So far there are alot of quests and odd jobs to do in the game and one thing ive noticed is when doing quests you have to pay attention to what people say cuz there are no point A to point B cursors to hold your hand, you actually have to look and pay attention to things, which is what i like about games like this, there is a feature that you can go through and read past conversations with NPC's if you missed something.I have not had a chance to get going on the story yet as I like to do alot of questing first before I blow through the story. So ignore all the bad reviews people tend to cry more when they actually have to put effort into something,when they expect to have everything given to them,And if you think the graphics are bad than go buy a better tv for crying out loud.Read Best Reviews of Risen 2: Dark Waters - Complete Package (Special Edition) Here
Loved this game! How much you say? Well I played it all the way through twice and had to grind about 4 hrs extra just to get the last trophy for the platinum(dumb trophy by the way) The game is quite humorous and fun and can easily take 40-50hrs on the first playthrough. My only complaint is the combat which was much better in the first game. Why did they take away block? Who knows? Play it on easy and it is a blast. I know this game did not sell so well but I still hope that there may be a sequel someday for the next gen!Want Risen 2: Dark Waters - Complete Package (Special Edition) Discount?
Story line : 5 starsPirate Theme: 5 stars
Tech upkeep: 4.5
It was a great game, the story was equally good. though later in the game it got a little laggy. No big deal as I had a blast.
Definitely this game is in my top 10 favorites.
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