Risk of Rain Returns Review (Steam)

by Jim Smale · Published November 28, 2023 · Updated November 27, 2023

For this Risk of Rain Returns Review, Carefully designed, beautifully remastered, and loaded with new ways to play—Risk of Rain is back and better than ever! Dive into the iconic roguelike full of unique loot combinations, enhanced with new Survivors, overhauled multiplayer, fan-favorite content from Risk of Rain 2, and more!

Risk of Rain Returns Review Pros:

Brilliant pixel art graphics.
497.11MB Download size.
Steam achievements.
Full controller support.
Alternative text font.
Cartoon cutscenes.
Graphics settings – fullscreen, windowed resolution, fullscreen display, zoom scale, HUD scale, v-sync, graphics quality preset, and player outlines.
Controller settings – can rebind controls and adjust dead zone with sliders.
Optional tutorial.
Accessibility options – rapid fire, auto jump, up to jump, hold to swap, controls on HUD, mini health HUD, and mini skill HUD.
Full stats, run history, and high scores with an overall game complete percentage bar.
Logs and unlocks for environments, Survivors, monsters, and items.
Three ways to play – single-player, local co-op, and online co-op.
Online play lobby settings – visibility (private/friends only/public), rule voting, force item sharing, per-player intensity settings, game name, password, and custom tags.
Lobby browser for online play and you can filter by tags.
Lightning-fast load times.
Side-scroller shooter gameplay.
Roguelike elements.
Earn exp and cash by killing enemies and opening chests.
Level up to increase your health bar.
Use cash to buy items and open chests or gamble on statues.
Huge selection of game-changing passives. Items like more health, stronger weapons, better luck chances and so much more.
Special move: Find/buy powerful attacks. Comes with its own cooldown.
Massive boss fights that trigger once you select the portal.
Activating the portal will spawn the boss as mentioned along with loads of enemies and a countdown timer.
Over time the difficulty goes up and up.
The items/abilities picked up show briefly on the screen so you know what you have.
You can swap in and out abilities.
All the passives will show as icons down the bottom of the screen.
You are free to roam the level.
2D side scroller view.
Bosses, levels, pickups and everything else are randomized every run.
Still has one of the best soundtracks in the business.
Easy to learn controls.
15 total characters with 2 available initially and the rest requiring unlocking. (you get told the criteria for each character)
Highly addictive and fun.
When starting a new run you choose your character and what skills they use (you can unlock more), game difficulty (drizzle/rainstorm/monsoon), and Artifacts.
Game rules – style (modern/classic/custom), new teleporter mechanics, new interactives, new enemies, new stages, new items, intensity sliders for damage dealt, and damage taken.
You can pause the game in a single-player.
The goal of the game is to find the teleporter, beat the boss, and move on.
Clean easy to read Hud showing current difficulty, perks picked up, and game timer.
End of run breakdown showing stages completed, level, time alive, deaths, kills, boss kills, damage dealt, items collected, total purchases, gold collected, and how you died.
Earn achievements and find items to have them available to drop in future playthroughs.
Level design is excellent and has more depth now with hidden areas.
Enemies will chase you down more than before.
You can shoot enemies to push them back and off cliffs and drops.
EXP and coins come straight to you upon dropping.
You choose when to activate the transporter.
Get drones to fight and heal for you by either buying them or sacrificing some of your health.