Peg legs. Eye patches. Parrots. Rum. Think “pirate,” and these images spring immediately to mind. Risen 2: Dark Waters features all these tropes and more, yet this pirate-themed role-playing game handles its inspiration with care. There are some grizzled pirates and ships flying the Jolly Roger to be sure, but Risen 2 never relies on the usual campy cliches to provide entertainment. Instead, it sends you on an island-hopping adventure to unearth treasure and defeat a sexy sea titan called Mara. This tale isn’t just about grog-swilling drunkards sailing the high seas–it’s also about a nobleman seeking political gain, a rambling freak with his soul split in two, and an ambitious tribesman proving his superiority.
Risen 2′s central quest has you scouring the seas searching for magical artifacts to aid you in the battle against Mara. She’s not much of a villain; she appears a few times, but her presence isn’t as strongly felt as you’d expect, considering the role she plays in the plot. But the game is more about the journey than the destination, and there is enough variety and joy to keep you fixated on the continuing tale. You use voodoo dolls to take over a hiccuping boozer and infiltrate an enemy camp. You discover a shocking case of stolen identity. Missions rely a little too often on the same fundamental setups–following a quest-giver to a cave, and killing the creature inside, for example. But there’s a lot to chew on: collecting fur for a wannabe fashion designer, disguising yourself as a messenger, spearing a gigantic kraken, or just searching for buried treasure.
Humorous dialogue and some sparkling voice acting brighten the tone, though it’s unlikely you’ll get attached to any of Risen 2′s characters. Patty returns from the original Risen, refusing to be treated as a weakling simply because she’s a woman. Like other cast members, she’s got attitude to spare, but few of them ever threaten to steal any given scene. They give Risen 2 plenty of foul-mouthed color but never come into their own. That included the returning nameless hero, who speaks in the same monotone as in the previous game. It doesn’t help that sound levels are occasionally off, allowing the soundtrack to overwhelm the main character’s flatness. But at least it’s a wonderful soundtrack: the main Risen theme is riffed on in countless subtle ways, never intruding, yet heightening tension when it’s called for.
