Why Risen 2 Is So Good

Risen 2 is a great game. Every review that I've read about it however seems to place it in the mediocre to slightly above average range. Now, judging Risen 2 based purely on technical issues is a guaranteed way to give it a pedestrian score, but there are far more important things that it got right. Risen 2 has nailed vague little specifics that most games never acquire. I agree that the graphics are outdated and sometimes choppy. Yes, the menu system is a mess and adds some frustration to the already steep learning curve. There are more problems to be listed of course, but unlike games that got more hype and higher ratings, (Kingdoms of Amalur just sprang to mind) Risen 2 has somehow managed to make every little victory, every good piece of equipment, every accomplishment no matter how impactful, feel special.

Risen 2 has this beautiful blend of old and new. Instead of feeling like a 100 part fetch quest, Risen 2's quests feel unique. They have the new-gen RPG complexity to them with that classic Metroid backtracking. There's a chest in the very first city that requires a thief skill of 90 to lock pick open. Your skill starts at 0, and you soon realize that you gain about 5 points per 3 hours of gameplay. That chest is long away from being opened, so I play Risen 2 with a pen and paper, recording every thing that I wasn't skillful enough to open when I first encountered it. It's a great feeling, bringing me back to those old Ultima or Phantasy Star days where I wrote down everything of importance. I love games that demand your full attention.

I guess what I like most about Risen 2 is that its difficult and slow. It takes forever to build up enough toughness to slay even some of the easiest monsters. Beating this game is something you have to dedicate yourself to, and it takes lots of planning. Gold is precious, you'll never have enough. Everything is extremely expensive and even treasure chest quests give laughably small payouts. Provisions (or health potions) don't actually heal you, they just begin to regenerate you, which is a problem at first because you have no way to save yourself in the middle of a fight-turned-bad. Rum however, heals you completely and instantly. Finally, a pirate game that makes rum the most valuable resource. It's hard to find, expensive, and as soon as you drink it you realize that it is far more important than anything else. 

Risen 2 just has this great feel to it. I don't think modern gamers younger than me will have the patience for it, but I promise that the experience is totally worth it. Do you miss games like Summoner or the original Fable? Jade Empire, Legend of Dragoon? Risen 2 is 5$ on Xbox Live right now. Buy it.