{This is a rewritten version of my 2015 review, obviously the game seems a lot more dated now.}

Intro

Risen 2 is a pirate-themed open-world RPG in which you shoot stuff with muskets (or use swords/voodoo).

The Good

Despite being a middle-budget title Risen 2 looks pretty good (by 2012 standards). There is a lot of dialogue, all of which is voiced quite well. There are a ton of pirate clichés but they do work. While melee combat is a bit wonky due to the removal of Risen 1's shields, firing guns is really satisfying. You can also use voodoo to possess people.

Risen 2 has some unusual elements which give it its own feeling, like "dirty tricks" you can use in combat and a monkey that lets you explore small places. Generally speaking the game shines when it strays from the beaten path. The gnome village is especially amusing.

The Bad

Like a lot of these games Risen 2 likes to waste your time with a limited amount of fast travel points, dialogue-based travel between islands and travel cutscenes. There are also some bugs, unhelpful quest markers, clunky platforming, annoying traps and at least one bad boss fight. The game also kind of funnels you into using guns. They are very powerful and melee combat is poor because animals can stun-lock you. Other minor flaws too include poorly animated humans and non-swordsmithing crafting being almost pointless.

Conclusion

Risen 2 is a flawed game and doesn't have quite the same atmosphere as the first installment. Nevertheless, aside from wonky melee combat and poor animations, it is quite good and well-made. If you want an open-world game with lots of dialogue and cool guns, give it a try.