Rune II

About

Rune II is a single player and multiplayer open world role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Studio 369 and was released on November 12, 2019. It received neutral reviews from both critics and players.

A berserker viking and his psychopathic sidekicks travel to Midgard for bloody, mushroom-tripping escapades leading to a showdown with Loki. Hack, slice, disembowel, sever limbs and F&%K S#!T up in this must-play RPG.

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52%

Audience ScoreBased on 330 reviews

story18 positive mentions

optimization12 negative mentions

The game has a fun combat system that can be enjoyable, especially in co-op mode.
The graphics and art style, while not cutting-edge, have their charm and present some stunning landscapes.
The developers are actively working on updates and improvements, showing commitment to enhancing the game.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, poor optimization, and inconsistent performance, making it frustrating to play.
Many players feel it does not live up to the legacy of the original Rune, with a lack of engaging content and a clunky combat system.
The game has been criticized for its lack of polish, with issues such as unresponsive controls, poor AI, and a confusing inventory system.

story
105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
79%
4%
The story in the game is generally considered decent, featuring a main quest line and numerous side quests that offer a mix of humor and action. While some players appreciate the narrative's progression and the world-building elements, others criticize the quest design for being simplistic and occasionally buggy, which can hinder the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the story provides a serviceable backdrop for gameplay, with some players expressing interest in future content expansions.
- “The story is good thus far, and the world seems large enough to warrant plenty of exploration.”
- “The conversations are funny, the story gets extremely interesting after a point, the weapons are nice (my favorite part), the combat really depends on your equipment and skill, and it has a long playtime with all the side quests.”
- “The main quest line is pretty fantastic.”
- “The story is there and serviceable, but after 7 hours I'm not too interested.”
- “The quests are dumb with hammy voice acting, but it's all with a great wink and a nod smile that you can't hate it.”
- “As for the story, it's about the same depth as the old game, and the voice acting is amusing.”
graphics
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
75%
9%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the atmospheric art style and character design, while others criticize the visuals as outdated and reminiscent of earlier console generations. Many players note that the graphics lack polish and do not meet modern standards, often describing them as "okay" or "decent" but not impressive. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the graphics have their moments, they fall short of expectations for a contemporary title.
- “And for sure the art style, trolls in the game, and the characters look good; you get pretty atmospheric stuff there.”
- “With all of that said, I will say that the graphics are great.”
- “Stunning graphics.”
- “The art style is so blurry it looks like each model is smeared with vaseline.”
- “This game has terrible graphics and gameplay no matter what you tweak in settings.”
- “The graphics are disappointing.”
gameplay
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the janky controls, dated animations, and various mechanical bugs that detract from the experience. While some enjoy the combat mechanics and find the game entertaining, especially in multiplayer, others feel that the overall gameplay lacks polish and depth, often comparing it unfavorably to older titles. Despite its potential, many players believe the game requires significant improvements to its core mechanics and optimization to reach a satisfactory level.
- “It's not triple-A quality (what's really triple-A anymore?), but it's also not triple-A price. For the money, it entertained me quite a bit. I got used to the dodge mechanic and I honestly thoroughly enjoyed it.”
- “There is a lot of gothic/risen/elex vibe going on in terms of actual gameplay, meaning that you will feel right at home if you like those action RPG series - an attractive mixture of exploring, questing, fighting, looting, and crafting.”
- “I can give them credit; the gameplay was fast combat-wise, crafting was easy and simple, and gathering materials was a bit clunky but workable.”
- “The controls are janky (tried both controller and keyboard) and the animations feel off, which makes the gameplay feel very dated.”
- “In short, the core mechanics are not well done, so no matter what is added on top, the overall game just feels bad.”
- “The only mechanic that is well implemented is the combat, but the problems they apparently have with optimizing the game cause big lag spikes during fights--making the game basically unplayable.”
optimization
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
63%
22%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting poor performance, frequent frame drops, and numerous bugs. While some updates have shown slight improvements, the overall consensus is that the game is not well-optimized, making it difficult to recommend, especially for those seeking a smooth experience. Players suggest waiting for further patches before purchasing, as current performance issues significantly detract from the gameplay experience.
- “Optimization could still use some work, but for the most part, it plays smooth. Combat is still a bit stiff as well.”
- “With more optimization, this game will be great!”
- “The devs are patching it regularly, and it improves in performance with each patch.”
- “This game is terribly optimized and looks nothing like its advertised footage.”
- “But as of right now, this game is poorly optimized, and I would recommend you not buying this game in its current state.”
- “It is horribly optimized, bugs from the beginning, sparse NPC spawns, bugged NPC spawns.”
stability
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, crashes, and performance issues, including low frame rates even on high-end systems. Many describe it as feeling unfinished and in an alpha state, leading to frustration during gameplay. While some find the game enjoyable despite its flaws, the overwhelming consensus is that it requires significant fixes to improve stability and overall playability.
- “Extremely buggy and crashes constantly, not playable.”
- “So after 40ish minutes I think I am going to refund this; while it seems to be a vast improvement on the original Rune II release, it is still a janky, buggy questionable mess that just doesn't seem to know what it wants to be.”
- “Unfortunately we are a minority because thousands of fans of the original game were completely turned away by Rune II when they saw what a buggy, unresponsive, not fun, incomplete game it was as far back as the alpha phase.”
humor
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its unique and humorous voice acting, which adds a lighthearted touch to the experience, reminiscent of a comedic version of Skyrim with a Viking twist. Players find the dialogue and quests to be consistently funny, making it particularly enjoyable when played with friends, despite some bugs and clunky mechanics. Overall, the blend of mild humor and engaging storytelling contributes to a fun, old-school hack-and-slash RPG experience.
- “The conversations are funny, the story gets extremely interesting after a point, the weapons are nice (my favorite part), the combat really depends on your equipment and skill, and it has a long playtime with all the side quests.”
- “This game is buggy as hell, but for the most part, it's hilarious and not game-breaking.”
- “I gotta say the voice acting I've seen is actually pretty good, and some funny writing.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
49%
38%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with users noting its quality and authenticity, although some players choose to experience the game without sound. Overall, the music complements the art design and voice acting effectively.
- “But the art design itself is quite good (buildings, armor, weapons, ships, etc.; feels authentic.) Same for the music and sounds, and the voice actors (also pretty good!).”
- “I have no opinion, I play all games on silent (but the music is in the video for you to think about).”
- “- music.”
- “+music”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the games as excessive and tedious, with repetitive tasks such as crafting, farming, and resource gathering leading to a lack of engagement. Many reviews highlight clunky controls and a lack of direction, contributing to a frustrating experience that detracts from overall enjoyment.
- “Grindy as hell.”
- “Lack of direction, bugs, boring and grindy... and most of all, combat was terrible.”
- “Rune II: clunky controls, crafting, housing, farming (like running around chopping trees with one hit), skill/talent system, quests, story.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is noted for its catchy charm, though some players express disappointment, suggesting that while it has a unique appeal, it may not fully meet expectations.
- “The atmosphere is catchy; otherwise, it's a disappointment.”
- “It has its own charm and atmosphere.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers significant replayability due to its challenging gameplay, diverse enemy combinations, and an engaging progression system for gear and skills. While casual players may find it difficult to master, the variety and depth encourage repeated playthroughs.
- “The game is quite hard to master but is very fun to play, and you encounter different combinations of enemies in the same location each time, which adds a lot of replayability.”
- “The progression system for gear and skills seems interesting so far, and it looks like there is a bit of replayability via the gods system.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for being misleading, with users warning others not to be swayed by promotional advertisements that do not accurately represent the in-game experience.
- “Don't let the advertisement fool you.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game appears to evoke strong feelings, leading some players to express a reluctance to engage with it further, suggesting that it may be intense or overwhelming.