Gothic 3 vs Risen 2: Dark Waters
Gothic 3 is an action-RPG open-world game from Piranha Bytes (2009) while Risen 2: Dark Waters is an action-RPG open-world game from Piranha Bytes (2012).
What each one is
Steam files Gothic 3 under Action-RPG and Open-World. In contrast, it files Risen 2: Dark Waters under Action-RPG and Open-World.
A nameless hero becomes a legend! Myrtana, a world in upheaval: overrun by orcs from the dark lands in the north, King Rhobar is defending Vengard, the former stronghold of the humans, with his last troop of followers.
Set several years after the end of Risen, raging titans have devastated the world and pushed humanity to the brink of existence. Subsequently, monstrous creatures have risen from the watery depths of the sea and their attacks have brought all seafaring to a grinding halt.
At a glance
| Gothic 3 | Risen 2: Dark Waters | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 6.9/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (82%, 12,375) | Very Positive (80%, 6,790) |
| Critic aggregate | 63/100 | 69/100 |
| Price | $19.99 | $9.99 |
| Install size | 5 GB | — |
| Steam Deck | playable | playable |
| Released | 2009 | 2012 |
| Developer | Piranha Bytes | Piranha Bytes |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Gothic 3 vs Risen 2: Dark Waters, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Gothic 3Action-RPG open-world gameRisen 2: Dark WatersAction-RPG open-world gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Gothic 3RPG, Open World, FantasyRisen 2: Dark WatersRPG, Pirates, Open WorldThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Gothic 3 ✓Score 6.9 · 82% on Steam · 63 criticRisen 2: Dark WatersScore 6.8 · 80% on Steam · 69 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Gothic 312,375 reviews · 5 GBRisen 2: Dark Waters6,790 reviews · 3 add-onsReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Gothic 3$19.99Risen 2: Dark Waters ✓$9.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Gothic 3PlayableRisen 2: Dark WatersPlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Across the rounds a number can settle, it is level at 1 each. Which one is "better" is the part no figure decides, so we leave it to what you want from the two.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueGothic 3 and Risen 2: Dark Waters on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Gothic 3 (GamingPickz Score 6.9)
- The cheaper right now: Risen 2: Dark Waters ($9.99)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
RPGOpen WorldFantasyActionSingleplayerThird PersonAtmosphericGothic
Where they differ
MedievalMagicClassicFirst-PersonReplay Value
PiratesControllerMultiplayer
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Gothic 3 is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Risen 2: Dark Waters is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Gothic 3 | Risen 2: Dark Waters | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | — | — |
| Minimum CPU | — | Dual Core with 2.1 GHz |
| Minimum RAM | — | 2 GB |
| Install size | 5 GB | — |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Gothic 3 · Risen 2: Dark Waters.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 0 accessibility features for Gothic 3 and 1 for Risen 2: Dark Waters. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Gothic 3 and Risen 2: Dark Waters in scope?
Gothic 3 has drawn 12,375 Steam reviews and installs in 5 GB. Risen 2: Dark Waters has drawn 6,790 Steam reviews and ships 3 add-ons.
Is Gothic 3 or Risen 2: Dark Waters better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Gothic 3 rates higher (6.9 to 6.8). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Gothic 3 or Risen 2: Dark Waters?
Risen 2: Dark Waters is cheaper right now at $9.99, against $19.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.