Risen 2: Dark Waters

About

Risen 2: Dark Waters is a single player open world role playing game with fantasy and dark fantasy themes. It was developed by Piranha Bytes and was released on April 26, 2012. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Set several years after the end of Risen, raging titans have devastated the world and pushed humanity to the brink of existence. Subsequently, monstrous creatures have risen from the watery depths of the sea and their attacks have brought all seafaring to a grinding halt.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

+11

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72%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,921 reviews

story297 positive mentions

stability81 negative mentions

Unique pirate-themed RPG setting with immersive tropical islands and a strong atmosphere.
Engaging story with humorous and well-written dialogues, featuring memorable and entertaining characters.
Large open world with varied exploration, rewarding treasures, and meaningful faction choices.

Clunky, outdated, and often frustrating combat system, especially melee fighting; firearms tend to overshadow other combat styles.
Technical issues including frequent crashes, bugs, broken achievements, and graphical glitches that disrupt gameplay.
Simplified or less impactful RPG mechanics compared to the first game, with some aspects feeling streamlined to the detriment of depth.

story
1,061 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
64%
8%
The story of "Risen 2: Dark Waters" offers an engaging pirate-themed adventure with a blend of humor, exploration, and character-driven quests, continuing the narrative from the first game though with less connection and a shift in tone. While the main plot is somewhat predictable and occasionally disjointed, the varied quests, setting across multiple islands, and choices impacting some outcomes help maintain interest. However, some players note that characters can be shallow, pacing uneven, and quest tracking or bugs occasionally hinder narrative flow, making the story enjoyable but not exceptional.
- “The story of the game is very deep.”
- “The story picks up after the events of the first risen, with your character known only as 'the nameless one' once again teaming up with Patty and traveling across the southern seas to put a stop to Mara, an ancient being unleashing darkness and creatures of death across the land. In that regard, Risen 2 is still sticking to its traditional fantasy RPG roots but combined with the pirate life the game revolves around, balancing lore and parody as it never takes itself too seriously.”
- “The narrative is driven by a quest to confront a supernatural threat involving the mysterious titans, while factions ranging from native tribes to mercenaries and pirates vie for power and influence. This multi-faction dynamic enriches the story with meaningful choices and consequences, allowing players to forge alliances, betray rivals, or carve out an independent path.”
- “The story itself is kind of all over the place, but the places it takes you make it worth it just to see who the player meets and what he says to them.”
- “My issues with the game are that the plot feels less focused, and I never felt any urgency to do any of the main missions; the melee combat feels a bit floaty, the firearms are sometimes way too overpowered, and you feel like you are missing out if you don't use them; the choices don't seem to have long-term consequences, and it feels less of an RPG and more of an action-adventure game with some light RPG elements; and there's still jank in the game, as controls feel sluggish at times.”
- “Some quests are in your journal, some are not, it's not split by important/not important or story related/side quest, it's seemingly random; which is very frustrating because if you quit out you better remember every single thing you have done and heard or you will miss out on quests completely, having no way to know what everyone you talked to has said or even having any access to a general summary or any knowledge of what is available in the world whatsoever which is all fine and dandy if you could talk to the NPCs again to hear it but once you talk to them the dialogue options are exhausted and you cannot hear the conversation again.”
gameplay
370 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
64%
15%
The gameplay of Risen 2: Dark Waters is a mixed experience, featuring rewarding exploration and a unique pirate theme with new mechanics like musket combat and voodoo, but hampered by clunky, outdated, and sometimes frustrating combat and controls. While some players appreciate the game's depth and variety of skills, others criticize its broken or simplified systems, technical issues, and less engaging progression compared to its predecessor. Overall, the gameplay offers a decent RPG experience for fans willing to tolerate its flaws, but it falls short of modern standards and the studio's earlier titles.
- “Exploration is rewarding and learning the weird quirks in how the gameplay mechanics work is enjoyable.”
- “In my opinion, this game is much better than Skyrim, not in the scope or size of the world or amount of content, but because it gives you a more meaningful reason to explore the world by giving interesting rewards and a fairly good combat system for the time the game was developed including dodge roll, blocks, parries, a kick mechanic that serves an actual function, such as toppling giant crabs that are otherwise difficult to manage.”
- “Its controversial combat takes a bit longer to get going but Risen 2's style of learning skills through game progression is interestingly different and pushes players to try different weapon play styles while progressing through the story and leads to more immersive gameplay, if played correctly.”
- “The only thing that has risen after this game is my blood pressure due to janky combat, horrendous graphics and light effects, more bugs than enemies in the game, broken gameplay, broken achievements and much much more.”
- “The second negative aspect of this game (and this time this was true for both consoles and PC users) is the most atrocious one and is the terrible combat system. Basically, the parry with shield was eliminated, substituted by a weird parry with sword that in many situations was useless because you were hit anyway. They added a dodge system that was a total failure because 9 out of 10 times you get hit anyway. Sadly this made the whole experience much less entertaining than how it could have been with better combat mechanics.”
- “Lets start on game mechanics: melee combat is pretty simple; a few additions like kicking or parry don't make any difference, it's still mainly about clicking the left mouse button. There are 'dirty tricks' like throwing sand or commanding a parrot to distract the enemy, but it all seems to accomplish the same thing. Shooting mechanics are not about your aim—you actually don't aim, you just point at someone and hope you won't miss because of your stats or luck. Camera responds differently for horizontal movement for some reason, it feels just weird. Rogue mechanic is basically non-existent, lockpicking 'minigame' is about nothing.”
graphics
311 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
50%
10%
The graphics in this game are generally regarded as decent to good for its 2012 release, with notable improvements over its predecessor, especially in environmental design, lighting, and atmospheric effects. However, character models, animations, and certain technical issues such as glitches, flickering, and performance problems detract from the overall visual experience. While not groundbreaking, the game's lush tropical settings and vibrant aesthetics maintain charm, especially when enhanced by mods or higher settings.
- “The graphics hold up extremely well for a 10 year old game.”
- “Great graphics and atmosphere, the jungle looks great, weather effects like rain and fog at night look very good.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous and the music is epic, making every moment of gameplay feel like a swashbuckling adventure.”
- “The only thing that has risen after this game is my blood pressure due to janky combat, horrendous graphics and light effects, more bugs than enemies in the game, broken gameplay, broken achievements and much much more.”
- “The graphics were outdated even at the time of the game's release.”
- “Ugly graphics single handedly destroyed this game.”
atmosphere
133 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
42%
2%
Risen 2: Dark Waters is widely praised for its immersive and distinctive pirate-themed atmosphere, featuring lush tropical environments, lively pirate settlements, and a fitting soundtrack that captures the swashbuckling mood. While some fans miss the darker gothic tone of the first game, most agree the game successfully delivers a dense, charming Caribbean ambiance that enhances exploration and storytelling. Despite dated visuals and some gameplay flaws, the atmosphere remains the game's strongest and most memorable aspect.
- “The atmosphere, music, and island settings make it feel like a true pirate adventure from start to finish.”
- “The game’s world design is richly atmospheric, with lush tropical islands, hidden caves, bustling pirate settlements, and mysterious temples.”
- “The swashbuckling pirate atmosphere is pulled off perfectly with jungle settings, voodoo magic, and mysterious forgotten temples full of monsters and traps.”
- “Well, I can't finish the game; it's so boring. Bad combat system, bad story, no atmosphere at all. I do like pirates, but what is the point of being a pirate here?”
- “The gothic atmosphere and medieval fantasy are absent from this sequel, which has been reworked in a 'Pirates of the Caribbean' style.”
- “Atmosphere: 2/10 (it almost approaches the atmosphere of a decent pirate game, except not really).”
humor
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in the game is widely appreciated for its witty, pirate-themed writing, amusing characters, and entertaining dialogues that often inject levity into the story. While some find the jokes occasionally shallow or exaggerated, many praise the game's sardonic tone, humorous voice acting, and comical NPC interactions, contributing to a fun and memorable experience. Despite some rough edges and technical quirks, the humor effectively enhances the game's charm and keeps players engaged.
- “The story managed to keep things interesting at a good pace and the dialogue is a major contributing factor there, our nameless hero has so many funny responses to various ludicrous events and NPCs help by being equally ridiculous thus causing many bouts of laughter.”
- “More than one conversation had me buckled over laughing, between the wacky voodoo gags you can pull on unsuspecting people, the hero's sarcasm, the compulsively swearing gnome, the deaf gunsmith... just yes.”
- “The game has a great sense of humor, with witty writing and entertaining characters that will keep you entertained for hours.”
music
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
55%
3%
The music in the game generally reinforces its pirate and Caribbean atmosphere with vibrant, adventurous, and fitting orchestral themes, complementing the setting and overall immersion. While many praise the soundtrack for enhancing mood and ambiance, some find it repetitive, less memorable, or not as strong compared to its predecessor. Overall, the soundtrack is regarded as good and appropriate, contributing positively to the game's unique world despite occasional critiques of monotony or lack of standout complexity.
- “The world feels rough and dirty in a good way, and the music and environments make you feel like you’re on a dangerous pirate journey.”
- “The soundtrack embraces the spirit of high-seas adventure with vibrant orchestral themes.”
- “The sound design complements this immersion, with ambient jungle noises, creaking ships, and a fittingly adventurous soundtrack that reinforces the setting’s tone.”
- “I feel the music was massively inferior in comparison to Risen 1, but most disappointing in dungeons.”
- “Where you would expect a soundtrack that would have a mysterious touch, you get a soundtrack that sounds like terror in dungeons.”
- “Soundtrack is so bad it gives you headaches, makes no sense considering in Risen 1 it was really good.”
stability
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The game is widely criticized for frequent bugs, glitches, crashes, and stability issues, including freezes and achievement-related problems that detract from the experience. While some find it playable and occasionally enjoyable, the persistent technical problems, unoptimized performance, and graphical glitches significantly impact overall stability and immersion.
- “I experienced virtually no glitches in the main or side story.”
- “They must have optimized it because it looks fantastic (for its time 2012) and runs smoothly and beautifully with no glitches or bugs.”
- “The game itself is much more bug free than its predecessor, but sometimes you'd encounter minor bugs that don't harm playability.”
- “As soon as I left the tutorial area, the game became unplayable due to the constant freezes that softlocked my system.”
- “The only negative criticism I have to point out is the frequent freezes and sudden crashes to desktop that became quite irritating over time, coupled with an increase in visual glitches and bugs compared to the original.”
- “The game is broken, at least for Windows 7 64 bit and Windows 8 64 bit - every time you try to pickpocket, the game freezes, and during numerous conversations the game freezes, requiring you to manually kill the process.”
grinding
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
Grinding in this game is often described as tedious and repetitive, with combat becoming monotonous and some quests relying heavily on backtracking or fetch tasks that slow pacing. While leveling up and item gathering offer a sense of progression, the experience is hampered by clunky mechanics, limited enemy variety, and numerous bugs that exacerbate the grind. Completionist achievements are notably grind-heavy and frustrating, sometimes requiring impractical single-session feats or cheat usage.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “There's no grinding, you really need to earn gold and treasure search is interesting and satisfying.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “Additionally, some quests rely heavily on backtracking or tedious fetch objectives, which can slow pacing and reduce engagement during longer play sessions.”
- “Diseappearing items, texture bugs, sometimes your hero starts jumping around and you can't stop it and you have to load a previous save, 80% of achievements not unlocking unless you use cheats and stupidly grindy achievements that will not unlock unless you do them in a single sitting... yes, you have to kill 5000 enemies in a single sitting, or use cheats to spawn 5000 sea devils and kill them with a bomb, which lags the crap out of your PC, talents not unlocking after buying them and the biggest bug I've ever seen... cooldown reduction skills actually do not do anything, yes you buy them for 2000 gold and they are absolutely pointless, I'm sure devs had planned for them to work but they don't, and gold is freaking difficult to come by in this game so you can tell how frustrated I was to finally get that sweet cooldown reduction for my voodoo only for it to be absolutely useless.”
- “The RPG progression is good enough; you feel the difference when your stats increase, you learn new abilities and mechanics -- some of which are very helpful -- and you have to pick a playing style while doing so (you would need unfathomable amounts of grinding to level up everything).”
optimization
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
43%
38%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with frequent reports of poor performance, low framerates even on strong PCs, numerous bugs, and graphical glitches. While some users experienced smoother gameplay, many highlight inconsistent engine efficiency and technical issues that hinder overall playability. Despite occasional improvements over previous versions, the game generally suffers from unpolished optimization leading to lag, stuttering, and a frustrating experience.
- “The game runs smoothly in Win 10 and didn't require any patches or file editing for me to get it to work correctly (rarely crashed or locked up).”
- “They must have optimized it because it looks fantastic (for its time 2012) and runs smoothly and beautifully with no glitches or bugs.”
- “Performance on my above average PC (AMD 8350 @ 4.81 GHz, 16 GB RAM, AMD 6970 OC'd) had some sub-30 FPS moments with all settings maxed, but it remained playable at all times, with framerates around or over 60 most of the time.”
- “I guess I should be impressed because unlike the previous attempt to play this game a few years ago this time I managed to get in the game... with performance around 20fps.”
- “So it seems either my PC has gone 1998 or this game is not optimized; I even tried to run it on an old GTX480 and a 9800GX2, rolled back drivers, still couldn't get anything out of this game; upon trying to contact the game devs via website I've yet to hear anything and from what I've read they will not help you in any way with Risen 2 yet recommend you buy Risen 3...”
- “Despite some technical issues (unoptimized engine, horrendous vegetation rendering, flickering shadows) and questionable design choices (many little and bland islands instead of one huge, compact area), Risen 2 manages to entertain, with funny companions, amusing dialogue, and decent gameplay overall.”
replayability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
Replayability in the game is generally seen as moderate, offering multiple faction choices and branching paths that encourage replay without requiring a full restart. While the evolving gameplay and skill trees add interest, some reviewers feel it lacks the freeform discovery and challenge that defined previous entries, making it less replayable compared to earlier series installments. Overall, it provides decent but not exceptional replay value.
- “The game slowly evolves and gets you more interested. Multiple double paths when exploring give options instead of just one path, greatly enhancing replayability.”
- “You can choose factions to end the game with, allowing you to go back to the save point before the choice and replay different endings without grinding the whole game again.”
- “Skill trees and factions provide replayability with options like pirates, inquisition, and voodoo natives, adding significant branching and choice.”
- “Faction-specific detours are irrelevant (are there?), unlike previous pb games, which means the replayability is zero.”
- “However I have to admit this is not as replayable as other pb games.”
- “It's an accessible title for newcomers, yes, but the game doesn't have that freeform sense of discovery, replayability and challenge which makes pb games what they are known for.”
character development
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
45%
22%
Character development in the game receives mixed feedback, with some praising the inclusion of moral choices, branching dialogues, and varied skill systems that offer customization, while others criticize it for being simplified, unbalanced, or lacking emotional impact compared to earlier titles. The redesign introduces a more elaborate, multi-attribute system but is often seen as complicated, cumbersome, or less rewarding, detracting from player engagement. Overall, the system has potential but is hindered by flaws in pacing, mechanics, and character depth.
- “At first, it seems like a bummer they removed the old and well-loved strength and dexterity system, but the new system is actually a lot more elaborate and interesting, and makes for more varied character development options.”
- “Character development was redesigned around non-faction and multi-attribute/skill/ability approach; we spend every single experience point (glory) we get.”
- “Good graphics and voice over, great piratey atmosphere and a lot of character development choice.”
- “Moral decisions, branching dialogues, and faction choices allow players to shape their journey, but the story pacing can feel uneven, and the lack of strong character development dampens emotional impact.”
- “The gothic formula can be felt somehow, but only momentarily and under thick layers of disastrous systems, boring characters, non-existing player character development, and disjointed story with no stakes and no pay-off.”
- “It makes me sad because the game has really interesting main plot, but literally the worst mechanics — character development in the history of RPG games.”
emotional
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
82%
18%
The emotional impact of the game is mixed, with moral choices and branching dialogues offering some player agency, but uneven story pacing and weak character development lessen its effectiveness. While fans of the developer may find moments of heartfelt connection and satisfaction, many players feel the pirate theme and emotional storytelling are underdeveloped and occasionally awkward. Overall, the game elicits some emotional responses but lacks the depth and polish to fully engage.
- “If you've got 20+ hours spare and fancy a very rare, heartfelt swashbuckling adventure, I can absolutely recommend this game.”
- “Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
- “I shed a tear... or two.”
- “I tried to ignore bad optimization and boring storyline.”
- “Horrible gameplay, boring story, not enough time on ship.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Users express dissatisfaction with the monetization approach, criticizing the presence of microtransactions and DLCs as a cash grab that negatively impacts core aspects of the game.
- “At first it seems like a cash grab and shoddily done because they changed so many of the main aspects.”
- “No microtransactions, thank you!”

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65%Critics’ scoreBased on 3 critic reviews

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29h Median play time

26h Average play time

26h Main story

47h Completionist

15-38h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 21 analyzed playthroughs

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Risen 2: Dark Waters is a open world role playing game with fantasy and dark fantasy themes.

Risen 2: Dark Waters is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox One, Windows and others.

The main story can be completed in around 26 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 47 hours to finish. On average players spend around 26 hours playing Risen 2: Dark Waters.

Risen 2: Dark Waters was released on April 26, 2012.

Risen 2: Dark Waters was developed by Piranha Bytes.

Risen 2: Dark Waters has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Risen 2: Dark Waters is a single player game.

Similar games include Risen 3: Titan Lords, Risen, ArcaniA, Gothic 3, Elex II and others.

Risen 2: Dark Waters

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