Common Sense Media Review
By David Chapman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Buggy, outdated sequel makes you root for Ragnarok.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Rune II
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
The end of the world is just the beginning in RUNE II. Norse mythology has long foretold of the coming of Ragnarok, when the Nine Realms would fall and the time of the gods would come to an end. That's how it should have happened, but the trickster god Loki has discovered a way to bypass his own prophesized death. Finding refuge in the Vigrid Plain, Loki has discovered a way to manipulate time to his own ends, resetting Ragnarok time and again in a perpetual loop of destruction. In response to this travesty of fate, the all-seeing god Heimdall has put his own plan into action: You, a warrior of the past pulled from Valhalla. With the blessing of your chosen god, it's up to you to take to the battlefield once more and bring an end to Loki's machinations once and for all.
Is It Any Good?
It's been nearly two decades since players went on a quest to defeat Loki and put a stop to the apocalyptic events of Ragnarok, and maybe it should've stayed in the past. While Rune II is technically meant to follow up on the events of the original, the game actually serves as more of a reboot. In fact, most of the events of the first game seem relatively pointless and easily ignored. That would be a bit of a disappointment, if not for the fact that the story this time around also seems to have the same issues. Most of the lore is just meant as gameplay hints, and what little plot that's actually there is a convoluted mess that makes little sense.
The gameplay in Rune II doesn't fare too much better than its story. This is a sequel that's technically been in the works for nearly two decades, and yet it still looks like something that was released in the same circa-2000 timeframe as the original. At one point, what was meant to be a snowstorm looked more like bad television reception. Aside from dated graphics, technical glitches also plague the experience. Oftentimes after killing an enemy, its body falls to the ground and spasms non-stop. Collision detection isn't the best either, as it's possible for characters to get stuck in the environment, which can make you feel almost sorry as you hack away at that foe trying to charge you who somehow got stuck merged into a tree. At that point, much like with the rest of the game, you just feel like putting it out of its misery.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in Rune II affected by the gratuitous amounts of blood and gore? When does violence fit the overall theme of a story and when is it just overkill? Could the story of Rune II be told without the same amount of blood or gore?
How do movies, TV shows, games, and the like use classic mythology and folklore to inspire new stories for a modern audience? Do these representations encourage audiences to learn more about the cultures these myths come from?
Game Details
- Platform : Windows
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Ragnarok Games, LLC
- Release date : November 12, 2019
- Genre : Role-Playing
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate