Risk of Rain 2

About Risk of Rain 2

Risk of Rain 2 arrived on August 11, 2020 as the 3D evolution of a beloved 2D indie hit. Hopoo Games led development while Gearbox Publishing handled distribution across PC, consoles, and Switch. You play as one of several survivors crash-landing on Petrichor V, a planet where time itself acts as an enemy. The core loop involves surviving escalating hordes of monsters in randomly generated stages while collecting items that drastically alter your abilities. Every session feels different because the map layout, enemy types, and loot drops shift every time you restart. This title brings the chaotic energy of its predecessor into full 3D space with tight shooting mechanics and a relentless difficulty curve that demands constant adaptation to survive longer than a single minute.

Gameplay

You spawn on a procedural island map and must locate teleporters to reach new zones before the timer runs out. Movement relies on standard WASD controls with precise jump timing, while combat involves aiming specific skills and auto-attacking enemies who scale in power every ten seconds. The longer you stay alive, the stronger your opponents become until a boss spawns to end the current stage. You collect loot piles containing over 75 distinct items that stack multiplicatively rather than additively. A typical run sees you switching between characters like the Artificer or Huntress to exploit different synergies. Multiplayer support allows up to four players to coordinate attacks and revive fallen teammates in real time. The game ends only when you defeat the final boss on the moon or die completely, resetting your progress and forcing a fresh attempt with new item combinations.

What Players Think

Critics and players have responded strongly, with Metacritic holding an 82 out of 100 and IGDB averaging 85.4 from 251 ratings. The community mood leans heavily toward challenging but fair, noting that the scaling system creates genuine tension as matches progress. Average playtime varies wildly depending on luck and skill, often stretching into long sessions during successful runs. Completion rates reflect the game's difficulty, with only 23% of players unlocking achievements on average across the 171 available trophies. The rarest achievement remains "Rex: Accept and Decompile" at a mere 0.90% unlock rate. Most users praise the replay value driven by item synergies while acknowledging that the learning curve can be steep for newcomers unfamiliar with the roguelike genre mechanics.

PlayPile's Take

This title demands patience and precision rather than just reflexes, making it ideal for players who enjoy mastering complex systems over time. At a historical low of $6.95 or roughly $5.79 on Green Man Gaming, the price point offers significant value given the 171 achievements to chase. The community data shows that while many struggle with the difficulty spike, those who persist find deep satisfaction in optimizing their loadouts. You should pick this up if you want a game where every run feels distinct and failure teaches you something new about enemy patterns. Avoid it only if you prefer games with static progression or linear storylines that do not require repeated attempts to reach the end.

Storyline

Risk of Rain 2 follows the crew of UES: Safe Travels as they try to find UES: Contact Light and any survivors along their path. They have to try and survive the hostile wildlife and environment as difficulty increases over time, navigating Petrichor V via the teleporters strewn across the entire planet. The crew loop endlessly through many distinct environments, but end upon the moon to defeat the final boss. With each run, you’ll learn the patterns of your foes, and even the longest odds can be overcome with enough skill. A unique scaling system means both you and your foes limitlessly increase in power over the course of a game–what once was a bossfight will in time become a common enemy. Myriad survivors, items, enemies, and bosses return to Risk 2, and many new ones are joining the fight. Brand new survivors like the Artificer and MUL-T debut alongside classic survivors such as the Engineer, Huntress, and–of course–the Commando. With over 75 items to unlock and exploit, each run will keep you cleverly strategizing your way out of sticky situations.