Risen 2: Dark Waters

 PlayStation 3
Metascore
47

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 13
  3. Negative: 5 out of 13
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  1. Gaming Age
    Aug 13, 2012
    58
    So yeah, Risen 2 is a pretty flawed experience, and again isn't going to be for everyone.
  2. Play UK
    Aug 10, 2012
    58
    Risen 2 is an awkward mish-mash of ideas that struggles to be anything more than promising or intriguing. You could work at it and pick out some of the fun elements out of the mess but should games be this much hard work?
  3. Game Informer
    Aug 9, 2012
    55
    The PC original had the same problems, but a post-release patch made a marked improvement by adding a useful dodge feature that allowed player skill to overcome some of the horrible combat design. Unfortunately, that addition is not included in the console version. Publisher Deep Silver does not have any plans to release it later, citing the space restrictions "certain first-parties" put on title updates. Between that and the inferior graphics, framerate, and interface, I strongly recommend going with the PC version over this lackluster console port.
  5. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Sep 25, 2012
    50
    Risen 2 gets worse when you lash that hideous combat to a graphics engine from five years ago, complete with a lurching framerate and sloppy interfaces. If you're charting a course for Risen 2 because you've heard the phrase 'pirate RPG' and figured nobody could screw that up, your hopes are about to swan-dive from the crow's nest to the poop deck. [October 2012, p75]
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  6. Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
    Sep 20, 2012
    50
    Quests do occasionally offer intriguing objectives, but they're a rarity, and simple kill/fetch structures are the norm. [Nov 2012, p.87]
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  7. Eurogamer Portugal
    Aug 27, 2012
    50
    If you are fans of this king of RPG's and fantasy, then it is likely that you can enjoy Risen 2: Dark Waters and ignore its technical problems.
  8. PSM3 Magazine UK
    Aug 26, 2012
    50
    Love the pirate setting, but Risen 2 is a cold RPG experience that lacks decent combat, rewarding exploration or a satisfying plot. [Oct 2012, p.104]
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Awards & Rankings

100
#100 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
89
#89 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012

User Reviews

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User Score
4.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 59 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 59
  3. Negative: 28 out of 59
  1. GrumpyReviewer
    Oct 1, 2012
    8
    Yes, I will defend Risen 2: Dark Waters. I really don't care about the negative covering about this game. I'm almost 30 hours in an I simplyYes, I will defend Risen 2: Dark Waters. I really don't care about the negative covering about this game. I'm almost 30 hours in an I simply can't put it down. But I won't sugarcoat it. Risen 2 suffers from several bugs, glitches and very poor graphics that - occasionally - makes it look like a PS2 game. But this is such an ambitious project, one without fear of taking risks that, if you manage to survive the initial bad impressions, you'll find a fun, engaging and very addictive game. I completely love it and it's a shame many gamers will not even give this one a try due to bad reviews. It reminds me of games like Fallout 3 and Elder Scrolls, the pirate theme is very atmospheric and cool and this is one of the best games I've played this year.… Full Review »
  2. partyintheback
    Oct 14, 2012
    8
    I really, really like this game. The graphics are much better than the first Risen, the story's more interesting, the pirate theme is nice,I really, really like this game. The graphics are much better than the first Risen, the story's more interesting, the pirate theme is nice, the environments are great to explore, etc. However, it has one big drawback, which is the combat, and sometimes the difficulty will make you want to pull your hair out. So let's go a little more in-depth on Risen 2.

    Risen 2, much like the first Risen, is a new RPG built with a budget and team well below that of a big Bethesda RPG or something. People who say this game's "crap" aren't the most trustworthy. If you've played and enjoyed games like Risen, Divinity 2, or any of the other RPGs like those, you'll certainly get your money's worth out of Risen 2.

    First, let's address the graphics. Some will say that the skybox looks like pixelated blobs, and you know, they're not wrong, but clouds do typically look like blobs, though just not so pixelated. However, unlike some higher budget games that forgo this graphical feature, the clouds do move, so at least you're not stuck in this static world that feels a lot like a game world and thus kills immersion. Otherwise, Risen 2 is a pretty big step up from the first Risen in the graphics department. Characters are more detailed, environments look more lush and impressive, etc. Yeah, the animations aren't cutting edge, but neither are the animations in Bethesda's Fallout and Elder Scrolls, so I don't think slamming the animations is entirely fair. This is a massive game built on a smaller budget with a smaller team, yet their animations are mostly on par with Bethesda's work.

    In regards to story, it's handled a lot better in Risen 2 than it was in the first game. I find a lot of characters really fun and interesting to interact with. This game seems a lot more cinematic than the first game. It's definitely an interesting and slightly different tale for an RPG.

    Now, for the part that'll frustrate many people, which is the combat. Not only does this version lack the enhancements that they made to the PC version to make the combat flow better, but you start off this game very weak, which seems standard for an RPG, but there are battles early in the game that feel like pure luck, so get ready to reload you save and wait through a lengthy loading screen to try it all over again, and you'll likely do this many times over before getting lucky. It's really a shame that the combat is so stilted and frustrating early on, because I feel the rest of the game is a sheer joy to wander around in. But perhaps, if all you look for in a game is combat, maybe you should just buy a hack & slash game instead.

    It's odd, then, that Risen 2 is still really neat despite the core gameplay bit being so frustrating. This isn't a bad game, I promise, but the combat needs some serious work. I really like everything else in Risen 2.    … Full Review »
  3. RangerManiac
    Sep 21, 2012
    1
    Worst GAMEWorst GAME EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!This to fill the character minimum… Full Review »
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