Review: Rune 2 (Epic Games Store/PC)

by Jim Smale · May 25, 2020

RISE WARRIOR! Ragnarok, the end of days, is upon you. Heed the call of the gods as it’s the only chance to save mankind from the trickster Loki. Slay rival Viking clans, brutally dismember enemies and pillage your way through Midgard to become the God-Slayer.

Pros:

Decent graphics.
31.98gb download size.
3 save slots.
Graphics-presets/fullscreen/v-sync/resolution/scale slider/field of view slider.
Single-player and multiplayer.
Character creator-male/female, hair, tattoos and name your character.
Opening tutorial island with ongoing pop-ups as you play.
Rebind keys and sensitivity sliders.
ARPG gameplay.
Survival action game.
Set in Norse Mythology-based.
Souls-like combat, learn enemy patterns, block, and counter-attacks.
Huge massive open world.
Play how you want.
Harvest trees/animals/rocks for materials.
Earn and learn recipes.
Rune carvings-littered around the world, interact with it for lore, and possible recipes.
Bifrost-respawn point.
Rebuild villages and do villager quests for rewards.
Earn EXP and level up to earn points to increase stats and unlock new recipes.
The world is full of enemies so ambush attacks are very common.
Many many weapons to find and use which all play uniquely.
Big boss battles.
Hidden collectibles.
Hunt wildlife.
Full crafting and cooking menu.
Houses will have storage, fire, crafting table, etc.
Storage-it’s one central system so any storage spot will have your stuff.
Equipment rarities.
Big mythical creatures.
Such a fascinating world to explore.
Weapons and gear have durability.
Brutal combat and harvesting, it’s also very satisfying.
Craft a boat and go around the islands.
When building houses it’s simplified and all you do is click the house and it auto builds.
Loot chests to find.
Drag and drop inventory system.
Many many optional side missions.
Monster fights are almost on the scale of a game like Monster Hunter, it is a proper spectacle.

Cons:

Really long initial load time.
Basic no-frills character creator.
Audio stutters and skips in places.
Not sure when it saves.
Performance issues.
No controller support.
Ai starts a fight then runs away.
The game doesn’t always save mission progress.
Few unhittable enemy issues.
So much crafting material.
Constant difficulty spikes.
Small text.
Hard to follow missions.

8/10

Graphics - 8/10
8/10

Sound - 8/10
7/10

Accessibility - 7/10
7/10

Length - 7/10
8/10

Fun Factor - 8/10

7.6/10

Summary

Rune 2 is a survival game that is very popular at the moment. It’s all set within the Norse Mythology and with that you get a truly gorgeous game world to openly explore. Immediately you are granted a story narrated to you that sets the scene, you get a small island to learn combat and face off against a boss. I was enamored with the game, I have played many survival games but the setting and game world of this one really stuck with me. I loved that they simplified rebuilding houses with simple one clicks, I love how the world feels like a living breathing entity. I however did not like how the enemy Ai would constantly run away from fights, would become unhittable and generally go crazy and broken, every time I turned the game off you could bet your bottom dollar it was to do with Ai jank. Combat takes a leaf out of Dark Souls with the whole counter dodge system but it’s not without its flaws. I overall like the game but it still needs tweaks and updates to refine the many glaring issues, the game is playable but be warned a few tho gs will bug you but overall its a really cool game and I can’t wait to see what they do with it going forward.