Rise 2: Resurrection - Reception and Controversy

Reception and Controversy

Rise 2: Resurrection was met with very disparate opinion by the press. While critics were quite unanimous about the great graphics, some criticized it for bad or very bad playability while others saluted excellent playability and interest, and the game received grades as low as 2/10 by IGN and as high as 84/100 by Privat Computer PC. Criticism was similar to that levelled at the first game, with critics blaming the game for sacrificing fun and playability for great technical achievement and graphics. Many also criticized the idea of pitting robots against one another instead of human fighters, claiming that the lack of visible damage (e.g. blood) removed satisfaction from playing the game. It has been suggested by some fans that many critics may have barely even tried the game, discarding it on grounds that improved graphics would have to mean equally abysmal gameplay.

Though the core fighting action and interesting stage traps were positively commented on, other features were far weaker. There were very few fully realised 'termination moves' - likened to the Mortal Kombat series' Fatalities - while others merely printed "TERMINATED" on the screen. However, unlike in the original game where multiplayer was kept true to the story - requiring one player to always be the Cyborg - Mirage came up with a scenario that would allow any fight to happen and justify mirror-matches, without compromising continuity, a positive factor picked up on by some reviewers.

Rise 2 was not a commercial success. While the game acquired a small but loyal fanbase, many buyers preferred not risking their money on the sequel of a game with as bad a name as the original.