Risk of Rain Returns has fully revived the 10-year-old roguelike. The delight you will get from improved graphics and added content aside, the game isn’t one you can relax and play. It’s intense from the moment you drop in, and the risk of death is remarkably high. Perhaps a guide filled with much-needed tips can help get you through Risk of Rain Returns, especially if it’s your first time playing.
Getting Started in Risk of Rain Returns
Roguelike games tend to be fast-paced, and this is no different. It pays to start up the game with some sort of plan in place, which is what our Risk of Rain Returns guide intends to help you do.
Choosing The Right Difficulty
Risk of Rain Returns has three difficulties:
- Drizzle: Easiest difficulty level.
- Rainstorm: Normal level that, according to the game, is the way it’s meant to be played.
- Monsoon: Toughest level and, to quote the game, “You will die.”
Only a masochist will choose Monsoon as a beginner. The best way to guide you through Risk of Rain Returns is for you to live long enough to learn the ropes. And that comes with choosing either Rainstorm or Drizzle.
Drizzle is my personal choice for beginners. Don’t let the difficulty level fool you though. Even at its lowest setting, Risk of Rain Returns remains challenging. Drizzle just gives you room to learn the design of the game despite death still being a probability.
Character Selection in Risk of Rain Returns
When you begin the game, you start with two characters. The other 13 require you to complete various tasks to unlock. Risk of Rain does offer somewhat of a guide to access the locked characters, but in the beginning, the best thing you can do is learn to utilize what you have.
That isn’t to say you shouldn’t work hard to access the other survivors. The more characters you can choose from, the better you will understand what playstyle feels right. Each survivor has strengths and weaknesses, so it never hurts to experiment to see how you want to play the game.
Don’t Stop Moving
A key tip for Risk of Rain Returns is that stagnation means death. Every few seconds or so, enemies will spawn. The longer that timer ticks away, the more enemies arrive, and the stronger they become. If you’re not equipped to handle foes with high HP and strong attacks, you may want to focus on finding that teleporter ASAP. Plus, you only need to defeat the guard, not all of the enemies, to move to the next level.
Of course, you can always run around the level for loot. It never hurts to gain more XP and items. Even so, keep an eye on the timer in the top right corner. It may feel easygoing in the beginning, but Risk of Rain Returns can sneak up on you if you’re not careful, and before you know it, you’re done for.
Abilities and items in Risk of Rain Returns
Each survivor in Risk of Rain Returns has alternate abilities, allowing you to further adapt the characters to suit your playstyle. Unlocking different abilities can take time, but if you don’t want to wait, you can always jump into Providence Trials. They are, by no means, easy. But the challenges are brief and exciting as they offer something unique compared to the normal levels in the game.
When it comes to items, you won’t have much in the beginning. You can unlock more items to drop throughout the game. When you do, sustainable items are vital. These ensure you survive the neverending battle. Medkit is one of those items you want to work toward in that case. For other boosts, consider items like Paul’s Goat Hoof as that greatly increases movement speed.
These Risk of Rain Returns tips should guide you along starting the game. Once you get the hang of the controls, survivors, and map levels, you may find that your playstyle adapts along the way.
Risk of Rain Returns is available on PC and Nintendo Switch.
