Risk of Rain 2 survived in early access for over a year, pitting thousands of players against hordes of monstrosities. Many additive patches rebalanced the experience, added new maps, enemies, and loot, and filled out the experience. It was immediately clear that Risk of Rain 2 not only improved upon the original but held on dearly to the systems that define the roguelike game, while simultaneously bringing them into the new decade.
The joy in a roguelike is in overcoming a certain challenge, whether it be through meticulous creation or random generation, and achieving godhood at the hands of various, overpowered items stacking on top of one another. However, many games in the genre are plagued with tediousness for their first few levels while the player attains enough power for their character to begin pumping out impressive damage. This lull, while engaging at first, especially during the time one spends learning the mechanics of the game, begins to be a mandatory slog the player must wade through before the actual fun of the game starts.
Risk of Rain 2 has made strides in innovating upon the old school elements of the roguelike. Instead of simply avoiding them (like the similarly exceptional Dead Cells), Risk of Rain 2 still includes the "fresh start" mentality in a traditional roguelike. Upon death, the player loses everything, and beyond character unlock progress (and item unlocks for future playthroughs), there is nothing to be gained in the post-match lobby. While there is no continuous progression, that is more than made up for by the unique playstyles of almost every unlockable character. The progress players will feel they make in Risk of Rain 2 is in learning the maps, characters, and legendary items.
Risk of Rain 2 has enough stylization to be easily distinguishable. It's far from impressive graphically and the optimization has never been exceptional (especially in later levels where hordes of hundreds attack the player), but the serviceable aesthetic is simply a vehicle for the engaging gameplay. The playthrough is separated by five maps, with the finale launching with the release of the game. Each one has harder monsters to slay and better opportunities at loot. There are also various mysteries to be found which can help unlock permanent items that will be seen in future playthroughs. On top of that, lunar items can be found which provide a Monkey's Paw-like effect. For example, the player can find a glass-cannon item that cuts their health in half but also increases their damage by 200%.
Similar to old-school roguelikes, there is a build-up in Risk of Rain 2, and the first few levels are somewhat slow. Developer Hopoo Games implemented a unique artifact system to solve these issues and spice up the game after a couple dozen hours, however. These must be discovered through a unique realm located in later levels, and once unlocked, they can be activated to create engaging gameplay scenarios not previously found in the game. One affix allows players to choose from a pool of items of equivalent rarity. Another gives monsters their own items. These affixes vary from overpowered fun to hair-pulling difficulty and they can be activated at will. The player can have as many or as few affixes as they want, and for certain fans who have trouble on later levels, these artifacts may assist them in putting together the build they have been wanting to try.
There is also an active Risk of Rain 2 modding scene that gives interested players the ability to further customize their game, although it does hamper one's ability to play cooperatively, which Risk of Rain 2 supports with up to four players in one game. The game adjusts item prices and enemy spawns accordingly, so the experience solo becomes different than with three other people. While there are some balance issues with four-person co-op, it still provides the kind of gameplay Risk of Rain 2 has become known for in early access. Duo play is where the game shines, though, as the balance and itemization is nearly perfect. Items take on a new meaning when paired with another player, as certain lunar items can in fact damage friendly targets as well as the enemies.
Risk of Rain 2 sits comfortably as one of the best roguelikes in recent memory, and while it may not reach the depth of Dead Cells, it's easily worth its price. There are dozens of hours of content available, and the joy of achieving the kind of godlike builds so many genre fans love is unimaginably fun in a 3D arena. The variety of characters, especially the melee ones, provides so much more dynamism to the gameplay than many other comptetitors are able to offer. The adjustable difficulty, while not perfect, makes the game a great entry point for new players and veterans alike. Finally, the glowing reception it has received over the course of the last year will surely mean that future updates can be expected, which means there will be more coming down the pipeline. Risk of Rain 2 doesn't evolve the roguelike genre, but it does iterate on it in exceptional fashion.
Risk of Rain 2 officially launched for PC on August 11, 2020. Screen Rant played on Windows for this review. An official console release is coming later.