[Totobeni]

I don't know, we can only hope. They changed the system entirely and went for a more Fable-like approach... And I fucking hate Fable, too. Why they attempted to fix something that wasn't broken in the first place is beyond me, to be honest.

Fable like? What in the freaking hell? Wow, I thought it was just some changes in the combat system and not something completely new, I liked the slower and kinda strategic fighting in the first game ( I also like the more slower and realistic like in Mount and Blade and Demon's Souls).

I blame Risen 1 reviews/reviewers here.

[Sinatar]

The combat doesn't feel like fable at all, it feels like Gothic 3, he who stunlocks first wins.

[subversus]

Not feeling the game so far. But I think I'm burned out on gaming in general.

[Derrick01]

I don't know how someone who *actually* made an attempt playing Risen could find it boring in any way. It's pretty much as enjoyable as a modern RPG can go.

Well the thing is if the game doesn't have a good story and writing in general then it better have good gameplay, and Risen 1 had terrible combat that made doing everything a chore and it just wasn't fun to explore or do anything in the villages I came across. I've tried to force myself through all of that but I burn out within a few hours every time.

[Zefah]

Well the thing is if the game doesn't have a good story and writing in general then it better have good gameplay, and Risen 1 had terrible combat that made doing everything a chore and it just wasn't fun to explore or do anything in the villages I came across. I've tried to force myself through all of that but I burn out within a few hours every time.

Damn. I couldn't disagree more.

[subversus]

Well the thing is if the game doesn't have a good story and writing in general then it better have good gameplay, and Risen 1 had terrible combat that made doing everything a chore and it just wasn't fun to explore or do anything in the villages I came across. I've tried to force myself through all of that but I burn out within a few hours every time.

Combat was good
And exploration is what the series is about. Exploration is still good.

[Derrick01]

Damn. I couldn't disagree more.

Yeah I just don't think this series is for me but I was still interested to see what improved in 2. It doesn't look like much did though, at least in the areas that bothered me.

[Reuenthal]

I liked the first Risen but peoples' impressions about this game makes me much less enthusiastic than I used to be when we knew less about it.

So apparently there are no factions and the combat is much worse than the first Risen. Both were important parts of what I liked about the first Risen. Did they at least improve anything? (other than the graphics).

[loganclaws]

In the beta forcing the Crysis crossfire profile boosted FPS for crossfire setups tremendously. Strange that it doesn't work with the full game. Anyone found a working crossfire profile by any chance?

[epmode]

Did they at least improve anything? (other than the graphics).

More pirates?

I really loved the first game but these guys did a bang-up job of keeping me away from this one. Early reports of STREAMLINED small islands plus that pre-order DLC was all it took.

[TucoBenedictoPacifico]

The combat doesn't feel like fable at all, it feels like Gothic 3, he who stunlocks first wins.

The character wandering around, turning in your direction when you move it in the camera's direction (when in Risen he used to walk backward), locking on the closest target when you spam an attack button, etc... Feels pretty much a Fable-like approach to me.

Damn. I couldn't disagree more.

Same. Exploration is what Piranha Bytes' games do at best, and they are pretty much unmatched in that aspect.
I can't think of many modern RPGs that can stand the comparison.

The combat was simple but somehow tactical, challenging and engaging.

The "villages" (the three main quest hubs: Harbor City, The Monastery and the Swamp camp) were also filled with interesting quests and NPC interactions, where every choice you made put you in a better position with some faction, and in a worse one with the opposite.
Even both the writing and the story weren't that bad, actually. At least until the anti-climatic ending. Simplistic, sure, but not terrible. Even clever at moments.

Of course, as production value goes it was hit and miss, like any low budget production, but I can honestly deal pretty fine with that, when at least a developer gives me a game that doesn't play by itself and where the only thing you have to do is clicking when the cursor changes shape (see: Bioware).

Did they at least improve anything? (other than the graphics).

I like the new focus on the pirate setting (they even explain in some pretty convincing way why magic is gone, where fireweapons come from, etc) and there are some clever ideas in the game, but pretty much everything they changed from the first feels like a step back, to me (once again, I'm talking for what I saw in the beta).
They even removed the possibility to climb everywhere, and now you can climb just where there are specific "interactive hotspots"

[B-Dex]

I played a bit last night. I'm liking it so far but yeah, the combat is def. a step back.

Hoping that changes once I get a gun and try out some VooDoo Magic!!!!!!

Storyline seems cool so far. But I've only just gotten to the first island.

[loganclaws]

OK, after much testing, I have some good news. Forcing the crysis.exe application profile will yield a big FPS boost for crossfire setups.

[Eldon]

Still cant see boxed european Risen 2 copy anywhere, this just sucks.

Here, try this

[Of All Trades]

The character wandering around, turning in your direction when you move it in the camera's direction (when in Risen he used to walk backward), locking on the closest target when you spam an attack button, etc... Feels pretty much a Fable-like approach to me.

You're describing most games (although I don't recall Fable requiring lock-on) and Risen would have been better if it had Fable-esque combat if they could figure out a way to keep everything lethal. The combat was one of the worst parts of Risen. There's a reason why summoning Fred is the key to success: the system is broken. Unless there was some missing keystroke you literally couldn't block wolves and goblins without a shield because the combat system didn't understand that a staff can block things at knee level.

Risen's combat is a poor-man's Demon's Souls, which would be a lot more excusable if Demon's Souls didn't come out 7 months prior. The comparison isn't the best as DkS is a lot more sculpted in enemy placement but it's certainly less excusable than in almost every other RPG on the market.

The "villages" (the three main quest hubs: Harbor City, The Monastery and the Swamp camp) were also filled with interesting quests and NPC interactions, where every choice you made put you in a better position with some faction, and in a worse one with the opposite.

Please, I was able to complete 90% of the Thieves quests before switching to Order without any meaningful penalty and few of the quests went anything past "fetch this thing", particularly once Harbor City was finished aka 50% through the game. And the less spoken of the underground sections and the platformer final boss, the better.

You're clearly dead-set on blaming consoles for PB's failings but Gothic 3 showed a clear move towards streamlining from G2 and Risen again from that. Risen did some things excellently and was praised for it; there's no need to pretend that everything else was equally good.

[Gaaraa]

Here, try this

Will that be in english?

[Eldon]

Will that be in english?

It's a Steamworks game, you actually buy the Steam code :D

[Euphor!a]

The impressions of this game have been a real bummer, this was one of my most anticipated games after the first Risen.

Is the exploration at least as good as the first? That was my favorite part of the first, just stumbling upon some non-quest related cave or ruin or something and getting through it and finding some cool gear or something.

[Gassey]

If they can't patch fix the combat, I'm rather afraid this studio won't recover.

[Zefah]

The impressions of this game have been a real bummer, this was one of my most anticipated games after the first Risen. Is the exploration at least as good as the first? That was my favorite part of the first, just stumbling upon some non-quest related cave or ruin or something and getting through it and finding some cool gear or something.

This is what I still have hopes for. I haven't found a ton of meaningful exploration yet (2 hours in), but there have certainly been hints of it.

[TucoBenedictoPacifico]

You're describing most games (although I don't recall Fable requiring lock-on) and Risen would have been better if it had Fable-esque combat if they could figure out a way to keep everything lethal. The combat was one of the worst parts of Risen.

No, just NO.

Please, I was able to complete 90% of the Thieves quests before switching to Order without any meaningful penalty

Which is completely irrelevant, as past a certain stage where you could be somehow neutral, you were essentially forced to take a side, and pushing things you could even have an entire faction moved out of the city. And that's still more than pretty much any other modern RPG around, in terms of choices and consequences.
Plus, all the individual characters who could become ally or enemies according to your behavior with them.

and few of the quests went anything past "fetch this thing"

Which is bullshit. Don't blame the game if you have an unimaginative approach to quests. Plenty of quests in Risen could be approached in many different ways, exactly like in Gothic 2.
Stealth, social, brawler, and when you burned a bridge, there was always another option somewhere. No one in Risen told you how to achieve results, pepole asked for tasks or items and then was up to you to deliver.
For almost any objective you could bribe, fight, persuade, pickpocket, steal from the target's home and so on.

It's easy to claim those were "fetch quests" but at this point you should tell me what other RPG in recent years had better quests, cause I can't think of a single game offering at the same time decent degrees of interaction and freedom, at least in recent times.

You're clearly dead-set on blaming consoles for PB's failings

It's funny because I didn't name consoles ONCE in the whole thread, and in fact if anything I would blame the american press, that ranted a lot for the lack of hand-holding in the game (Holy shit, I read reviews where journalists were outraged by the fact that you could die in any moment even at the beginning of the game or cross opponents that were too strong, as if any of those things was an actual flaw).

but Gothic 3 showed a clear move towards streamlining from G2

Gothic 3 is byfar the worst game made by Piranha Bytes, in fact, and no, it wasn't the "streamlining" the problem, but the poor mechanics and the technical mess.

and Risen again from that. Risen did some things excellently and was praised for it; there's no need to pretend that everything else was equally good.

I don't "pretend" shit, I just don't care for incompetent opinions.

[Zefah]

Gothic 3 is byfar the worst game made by Piranha Bytes, in fact, and no, it wasn't the "streamlining" the problem, but the poor mechanics and the technical mess.

Gothic 3 had such a massive and cool world, though. Too bad about all of the technical issues and broken-ass combat.

[TucoBenedictoPacifico]

Gothic 3 had such a massive and cool world, though. Too bad about all of the technical issues and broken-ass combat.

Yeah, I know, in size and scope it was the most ambitious of their games.
Too bad it was also awful pretty much in every way.
Somehow, despise their efforts to show some technical muscles, even uglier to look at than their previous products.

In the end Gothic 2 plus Night of the Raven still is their "masterpiece".

[mercenar1e]

im starting to like Risen 2 after adventuring further into the game, they need a lot of tweaks/patches to make the experience much more enjoyable

[Orin GA]

Im loving it so far. Concentrating all my glory into Cunning. I want all that phat loot as early as possible. A Rifle is a must for most of the monsters as all your sword abilities means nothing to them. About to leave the Second Island

[pilonv1]

Couldn't load this until I turned my sound card from 8 channels to 6 channels. It's absolutely thrashing my gpu too, constantly at 99%.

Enjoying what I've seen so far though.

[Zefah]

Couldn't load this until I turned my sound card from 8 channels to 6 channels. It's absolutely thrashing my gpu too, constantly at 99%. Enjoying what I've seen so far though.

Got V-sync turned on?

[Kritz]

Anyone who is a fan of English simply must try to buy fighting skills from a trainer without enough gold: I DON'T HAVE GOLD ENOUGH

This game, man. This game.

[Karak]

ARG...black screen total system freeze when trying to start it. Everything updated VC, DX. Damnit to hell.

[pilonv1]

Got V-sync turned on?

Not yet, forgot to put D3D overrider on. Will have it fired up next session

[Pyrrhus]

I don't get the reviews sometimes. I'm still early, but I'm enjoying it so far. It's a sort of abbreviated take on the usual rise from nothing scenario that's common to all PB games, but it's still enjoyable. And being able to wear pieces of armor for all parts of the body is neat.

[AmFreak]

I don't get the reviews sometimes.

Ah, it's not that everyone gave it a bad mark. If u look at metacritic the reviews span from 5.8-8.6. The opinions in this thread seem to be akin to that.

[RadicalRad]

I'm kind of aggravated that you can't loot NPCs when you knock them down. I loved doing that in all the other games! Darn!

[Stallion Free]

I'm kind of aggravated that you can't loot NPCs when you knock them down. I loved doing that in all the other games! Darn!

Weird because you can do it in Risen 1 as well. I hope we get a couple solid patches before I pick it up.

[Zefah]

Anyone who is a fan of English simply must try to buy fighting skills from a trainer without enough gold: I DON'T HAVE GOLD ENOUGH This game, man. This game.

Not to say there's not some funny English here and there, but are you sure that's not the message you get when you lack the skill to learn an ability: "Not good enough!"?

[RadicalRad]

Anyone experiencing CTDs in some conversations? It seems to only happen after specific dialogue points.

[Kritz]

Not to say there's not some funny English here and there, but are you sure that's not the message you get when you lack the skill to learn an ability: "Not good enough!"?

I am absolutely certain.

^ Boring video of this game's wonderful jank.

[subversus]

what really irritates me is how shadows are moving in this game during the day. They don't move gradually like in Rockstar games and not jerky like in Skyrim, they just SWITCH. It's SO IRRITATING. Does anyone know how to fix this?

As for the game I don't find it jarring as people here claim it is. I found myself constantly comparing it to the previous game I finished - ME3. Yeah, dialogue animations aren't as cinematic but they were the same in Divinity II and I enjoyed it. Also the character doesn't look like a passing drunkard who is constantly rolling his eyeballs like my Shepard did in like 30% of conversations. As for the game I enjoy it much more than Mass Effect 3 and I don't see that much junk comparing to this AAAA 90+ metacritic title. Running animations in Mass Effect look much worse for example. As for the game itself it's hard to compare them because Mass Effect 3 is a corridor shooter and this is an RPG but as a game I enjoy Risen 2 much more.

[Clevinger]

I'm enjoying it, despite the extremely rough edges. It really needs better combat though.

I am absolutely certain. ^ Boring video of this game's wonderful jank.

lol

[BeeDog]

Hearing all these impressions is destroying my gaming soul. :( One of the very few games I was looking forward to, and PB decided to take many steps back instead of building on Risen 1's excellent foundation.

[mxgt]

this game would be great if the combat was improved. it's so clunky and awkward

[Hammer24]

I am absolutely certain. ^ Boring video of this game's wonderful jank.

AWESOME! :D

[-SD-]

I am absolutely certain. ^ Boring video of this game's wonderful jank.

Still a million times better and more fun than any Elder Scrolls game.

[TheVampire]

Should I wait before playing this in hopes of them fixing the combat?

[subversus]

Still a million times better and more fun than any Elder Scrolls game.

not to sound like a broken record but I could make a video like this from Mass Effect 3 playthrough. And it would be much, much longer.

[Hammer24]

not to sound like a broken record but I could make a video like this from Mass Effect 3 playthrough. And it would be much, much longer.

Exactly. WRPG´s are by definition so complex, that there will always be some kind of bugs. If you really love the genre, you learn to live with them. And I personally do enjoy them, as long as they are not game breaking.

[subversus]

and you CAN loot corpses. Just go to a corpse and push the button.

I switched to the gamepad.

[Kritz]

not to sound like a broken record but I could make a video like this from Mass Effect 3 playthrough. And it would be much, much longer.

And just to be clear, keep in mind that I fucking love a game with all these little bits of jank. They make experiences memorable! I think STALKER and Witcher are two of the greatest video games ever made, so ain't no way I think buggy games are a bad thing.

[subversus]

And just to be clear, keep in mind that I fucking love a game with all these little bits of jank. They make experiences memorable! I think STALKER and Witcher are two of the greatest video games ever made, so ain't no way I think buggy games are a bad thing.

yeah, I understand this but a lot of people lack your love for this kind of games and consider them just euro-janky. What I find strange is that all other WRPGs are equally janky but they don't get this rep. A power of marketing, I guess.

[SalsaShark]

I am absolutely certain. ^ Boring video of this game's wonderful jank.

oh god dammit that looks terrible :(

so the game is awful? was so looking forward to a cool pirates themed rpg