Risen 2: Dark Waters for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

Risen 2 is exactly like the rum so popular with its pirate characters: bitter, strong, sweet, and unrefined. Do not go into this game expecting a Mass Effect or a Skyrim. Don't even go into it expecting an Amalur. This is a different beast, as anyone familiar with Piranha Bytes, the developer, can tell you. Ever since 2001's Gothic, this German team has been making hardcore, open-world, Western-style rpgs. And yes, every word in that sentence is necessary, doubly so the word "hardcore."

This is one of those rpgs where you begin the game getting shamed by weak enemies. You can easily wander into an area far beyond your current strength. If you want to gain new skills and level up certain abilities, you don't go into a menu and press a button; you seek out a trainer and pay them to instruct you. You start out shoeless and in rags. You have to put a good 10-20 hours into the game before you get your pirate ship and even then, you sail it with a skeleton crew until you can recruit more.

In addition, the game has nowhere near the budget or team size of a Bioware or Bethesda hit. It has bugs and you're going to want to save often and keep multiple save files. Combat is fun but janky. Some things aren't explained well; some aren't explained at all (Google is your friend). Graphically, it looks nice but a bit rough and overall it's fairly unimpressive.

So if you've been paying attention, you know I've covered the "bitter," "strong," and "unrefined" parts. What are the "sweet," then? Combat has a lot of interesting options from voodoo to sabres to dirty tricks to muskets with bayonets. Objectives have multiple approaches as well; thief around, use magic, or browbeat and duel to get what you want. The soundtrack is beautiful, the story is decent, the voice acting is great, the exploration is rewarding, and come on... you get your own pirate ship and crew.

If this sounds like a fun time to you, have some patience and you'll be right. If not, better look elsewhere.