ESRB T, $25 (Base game), $40 (With DLC)
Release Date: February 22nd, 2022
Runs on: PC, Xbox Series X, PS5, PS4, Xbox One
Published By: Hopoo Games
Imagine this: you’re in your freshman dorm room waiting for the Gearbox Software presentation to finally grant you some knowledge on the existence of Borderlands 3. Before that happens, though, a new title being published by Gearbox is shown to the world for the very first time: “Risk of Rain 2.” You have never heard of this game, never knew there was a first one, and weren’t even sold on what kind of game it was. There was something about it though, something mystifying; something new. On the same day of its world premiere, it becomes available for sale through Early Access on Steam; not only that, the damn thing is buy one get one FREE for you and a buddy. Getting it for free like the leech you are, you decide to give it a shot. Little did you know that this would open up a whole new appreciation for games you’ve never played before, and would absolutely blow you away.
It’s incredibly dramatic, but Risk of Rain 2 changed everything for me.
A Fresh Start
Risk of Rain 2 — during the trailers — aimed to boast about its diversity and engaging new gameplay through the use of its whole third dimension. Risk of Rain was a 2D pixel-art roguelike that was known for being on the harder side of games. When the trailers rolled during the premiere, developers Hopoo Games made it explicitly clear that Risk of Rain 2 was no different: You. Will. Die. If you’d like to see for yourself, here is the trailer in question:
Aside from that, another big feature shown off in the trailer was cooperative play, which added a whole new level of depth to the game compared to its predecessor. As a result, the game becomes a unique blend of all the elements that made it special: scaling difficulty, unique classes, build-crafting/item synergy, and endless chaos.
Understanding The Game
That information might be great and all, but what is Risk of Rain 2, you may ask? In short, Risk of Rain 2 [abbreviated as “ROR2" by the community], is a third-person action roguelike that gives the players a sole objective: survive. Using shipping containers that have fallen on various planets, the player(s) must use anything and everything in their arsenal to survive the seemingly endless hordes of hostile wildlife. Weaved together by bits and pieces of lore (and secrets!) scattered throughout the world and on item logs, there is so much to explore and learn in the game; and it feels so fulfilling to do so.
Verdict
Risk of Rain 2 opened up my eyes to the roguelike genre, and lit a spark in me that allowed me to expand my video-game-tastes to new frontiers. It — to me — is the perfect blend of detail, art, gameplay, atmosphere, and difficulty all rolled into one; AND, on top of all of that, features an amazing soundtrack that will stick with me for a very long time. Games like these are hard to come by, especially in today’s market; and for that, I rate this game a perfect 10 out of 10. A masterful execution from Hopoo Games that leaves me waiting in bated breath for each and every update.
