Risk of Rain 2 is a multiplayer roguelike third-person shooter developed by Hopoo Games and published by Gearbox Publishing. It is the sequel to Risk of Rain, released in an early access version on March 28, 2019, on Steam for Microsoft Windows.[1] It was later released August 30, 2019 for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Playstation 4. On August 20, 2020, it officially left Early Access with its 1.0 update. It was also released for Google Stadia on September 29, 2020.
As a sequel to the original game, much of the gameplay is similar, but in a brand new 3D perspective. The player takes on the role of a character tasked with surviving on a hostile alien planet, traveling through teleporters, while collecting items to aid them in their journey.
The game is set an indeterminate amount of time after the events of the original game. In search of the remains of the UES Contact Light, along with any potential survivors, the UES Safe Travels is dispatched to Petrichor V. Under the orders of the ship's Captain, a ragtag group of mercenaries are sent to the surface via drop pods and shuttles before quickly finding themselves overwhelmed by the planet.
As a rogue-like, every run of the game will be different with the environments, monsters, bosses, items and much more being randomly generated. The game also has its multiplayer aspect carried over from the original, including local and online play, along with high score leaderboards in the new Prismatic Trials mode.
Key Features[]
- Play four player co-op seamlessly through Steam — no more port forwarding
- Unlock over 75 items over time, keeping each run fresh and full of new challenges
- Play and unlock new and returning survivors, each with their own abilities to master
- Theorycraft and exploit endless item and character combos
- Encounter challenging monsters and enormous bosses
- Explore massive, handcrafted 3D levels
- Discover lore through the collection of Monster, Item, and Environment Logs
- Challenge your friends—and the world—in all-new Prismatic Trials, a unique seeded run where everyone can race up a global leaderboard[1]
- To prevent loot stealing, as of 08/11/2019 a Multi-player feature prevents players from picking up loot from chest someone else purchased.
Development[]
Hopoo Games announced in May 30th, 2017 that they had been working on Risk of Rain 2, the sequel of the first title, for about the last 6 months.[2] In an interview with PC Gamer, Duncan Drummond explained that the sequel was going to be a 2D game as well, with the player controlling the monsters from the first game. However, the desire to display collected items on the player would have proven difficult using 2D sprites. This eventually led to a 3D approach for the game.[3]
The game uses the Unity engine, and Hopoo had to learn developing 3D worlds from scratch. They finally got to relearn everything before the creation of new games.[3]
Some monsters from Risk of Rain are returning for the sequel, while others make their debut. The shift from 2D to 3D has left a mark on their abilities. For instance, monsters now usually sport a ranged attack of some sort, such as the Lemurians fireball or the Golems laser. The Wisps, both Lesser and Greater, now fly and fire at the player from above.[3]
The multiplayer mode adds improvements using Steam peer-to-peer connectivity, as port-forwarding made the originals multiplayer needlessly difficult. Matchmaking allows the player to search for open games, while private matches and split-screen play are also available.[3]
Hopoo Games anticipated the release of the game into early access in early 2019. On March 28th 2019, this version launched on Steam, published by Gearbox Publishing.[1] The game and the early access were announced during Gearbox's Pax East livestream, which had over 200 000 viewers at the time. This immediately launched the game into top three most played games on Steam.[4]
The early access period lasts for about a year, with three priorities working for the full release: more content (10 characters, 10 stages, 12 bosses, and more than 100 items), a true ending and boss fight, and polish.[5]
A Nintendo Switch version was announced August 19, 2019, during an Indie World Presentation. On August 30, 2019, the game was released for all consoles. On August 20, 2020, the game officially left Early Access with its 1.0 update. It was later released for Google Stadia on September 29, 2020.
System Requirements[]
NOTE: the minimum specifications may change during development!
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 7 or newer, 64-bit
- Processor: Intel Core i3-6100 / AMD FX-8350
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: GTX 580 / AMD HD 7870
- DirectX: Version 11
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 4 GB available space[1]
Screenshots[]
Videos[]
References[]
| Risk of Rain 2 |
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| Challenges · Characters · Monsters · Equipment · Items |