Risen 2: Dark Waters Review

When it comes to westernized RPG games, it’s rare to see a game based on pirates. While the idea of putting pirates in a RPG game my seem rather odd, it didn’t stop Pirahna Bytes from releasing Risen 2: Dark Waters. Almost three years following the release of the first game on the PC, Pirahna Bytes is ready to deliver its second game and promises to remedy the issues that the first game contained, such as weak quests and the battle system. Has Pirahana Bytes redeemed themselves with Risen 2: Dark Waters?

Let’s take a look at what’s HOT and what’s NOT in our review of Risen 2: Dark Waters.

HOT

A Great Pirate-Themed Game
As mentioned earlier, it’s rare for us to see a game that is heavily inspired by pirates in a RPG game. That being said, I must commend Pirahna Bytes for in incorporating the game with pirates as it works well with both the characters and the environments. In a struggle to survive the wrath of the Titans and the Kraken that has engulfed the sea, the Inquisitions ask the hero from the first game, who is now a drunkard in the harbor city of Caldera with his friend Patty (a pirate that the hero found on the shore of the beach), to find a way to safely sail the sea and defeat the Kraken. The only way they can find the weapon that can kill the Kraken is by finding the famous pirate Captain Steelbeard, as he holds the secret to defeating it.

Through the 20-30 hour journey of the hero and Patty, you must blend in with the pirates by acting like them and adapting to their daily lives. When it comes to blending with pirates, you are expected to wear the things that pirate do. So most of the armor that will you will be wearing are pirate-themed including an eye patch!

Impressive Visuals
Set in the 15th century, the way Pirahna Bites designed the setting of Risen 2 fits very well to the time period the game took place in. Aside from the harbor towns that the hero will be going to, you can expect to venture through the lush forest of the different islands in the game. Perfect shadows and pristine detail are present in the environments. Comparing the visuals of Risen 2 to the first game, I must say that Dark Waters is a big improvement as the textures, and nearly everything about the game for that matter, is improved; this includes character models too.

Same Great RPG Elements
Nothing has changed much when it comes to the gameplay of Dark Waters. Since RPG games are usually dependent on the choices that you make within the game in order to have a better flow of the story, Pirahna Bites has successfully accomplished this by creating a game that really involves the player. There are many choices to be made and each one does alter certain aspects of the game, but none of the consequences are major.