Risen 2: Dark Waters (PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

• Release Date: 04/17/2012
• Genre: RPG
• Rating: 3/5
• Studio: Piranha Bytes/Pluto 13

Piranha Bytes has over the years earned its reputation as a big name in the virtual world. Specially, when speaking about the role-playing genres and single players versions they are just unputdownable. Weird gaming concepts, cinematic special effects and foolproof storytelling style are the signatures of Piranha Bytes. However, even then they sometimes end up taking a decision that fails to do the fullest justice to their repute. In getting associated with Pluto 13 in developing Risen 2: Dark Waters, they wanted to create a game of unfathomable depth but turned out something that ended in a whimper. Not because they could not plan it well but I reckon it’s because too much cook spoils the food. Yes, that was my feeling as I tried my hand in the new game that promised so much by delivered so little!

What Risen 2 has offered is a cocktail of too mainly things put together in a somewhat clumsy way so much so that none of them could uphold its identity – the characters, the story, the effects, the dialogues plagued by use of too much profanities and sexual undertone, violence, hatred and all the other wrong things, that are reason enough not to play the game.

The story is far from mind boggling and the characters (sometimes too much of them, more than the story demanded) nowhere near offering a tinge of credibility to the gamer. Rather, sometimes you get plagued by the crap shits that only add to the already existing laid back demeanor of the game. The effects are good but that’s something not even worth noticing, especially when we are speaking about Piranha Bytes, and at times game gives you hint of convincing you in patches about the plot and things taking place around you though they are very short lived. You some weird creatures as you wander in the unknown forests of the Isle of the Dead of the cliffs Caldera. Even then, the ambience does not raise too much inquisitiveness to a gamer.

The controls are nothing exceptional and there is no reason to be misguided by the apparent look of the game which may promise a lot but, as I told earlier deliver very little. You surely have the game in your kitty but that’s it.

We like:

• The special effects
• The pace of the game at times did justice to the plot –but only just

We hate:

• The story was nothing great and the style of delivery was jerky
• Too many characters didn’t help the plot either
• The language was unnecessarily full of profanities and sexual abuse
• The controls were mediocre

Official Website of the game: http://www.risen2.de/startpage/