Today, I’m exploring Risk of Rain Returns, Hopoo Games’ full remaster courtesy of Gearbox Publishing. Originally released on November 8, 2023, this trip back combines the first game’s pixel charm with top content from Risk of Rain 2. My verdict? It’s a powerful mix of bullet-hell chaos, treasure-hunting depth, and a few wobbly co-op sessions—yet jumping in remains a blast.
Overall Impressions
Right away, Risk of Rain Returns feels like a well-tuned engine, even if it leans heavily on familiar tricks. The core loop—fight, loot, repeat—is just as addictive as before. I especially liked how new survivors and items from Risk of Rain 2 freshen things up without changing the game’s heart. That said, hunting every last chest can slow the pace. Unlike Hades or Dead Cells, Returns focuses less on story urgency and more on raw mechanical depth. In other words, it’s not about a narrative drive-by but an efficiency playground—and I’m here for that.
Gameplay Mechanics
Returns’ core is its item synergy. Stack a few Crowbars, grab a Soldier’s Syringe, and suddenly you shred bosses before they blink. The ramping “time” meter still forces you to balance greed and speed—classic Risk of Rain design. Combat feels tight, whether you’re spamming grenades as the Commando or conjuring lasers as the Artificer. Multiplayer saw a significant overhaul. It now handles four-player runs with fewer disconnects. That said, I spotted occasional rubber-banding in late stages. One more patch should polish that out. Overall, the loop works brilliantly. My only gripe: I sometimes wished teleporters triggered lore events more frequently.
Story and Characters
Risk of Rain Returns leans on emergent story over scripted beats. You’ll collect logs hinting at UES Safe Travels’ doomed expedition. Survivors arrive via shaky holograms with brief bios—no sprawling character arcs here. Fans of deep narrative quests might grumble. But the sparse world-building suits a roguelike survival scorecard. I chuckled at the recurring “Lunar” item descriptions that slyly mock sci-fi clichés. Characters remain wallpaper for your loot-driven chaos. Still, each survivor’s playstyle has enough personality to keep runs feeling distinct.
Visuals and Graphics
The pixel art shines like a rain-slicked alien vista at dawn. Hopoo retained the original palette while boosting frame rates and particle effects. The result? Sharp animations and smoother backgrounds without losing that blocky charm. Fan consensus holds: “super nice pixel art while not losing the original identity.” I concur. New visual flourishes—dynamic lighting, refined shaders—heighten tension in teleport sequences. The art team delivered a master class in how to remaster without over-glossing.
Sound and Music
Composer Chris Christodoulou’s soundtrack remains a high mark. It marries brooding synths with punchy percussion that accelerates as your run grows more frantic. Sound effects pop crisply—the “ping” of a Malachite Prism pickup, the crackle of a Laser Turret, the thud of a legendary beetle. No voice acting here, which suits the spare narrative. Instead, ambient cues whisper buried lore. I found myself rewinding boss encounters just to soak in the score. It crafts mood without ever clashing with the chaos.
Difficulty and Replayability
Risk of Rain Returns trades welcome mats for barbed wire. The adjustable difficulty slider helps, but expect brutal spikes past loop two. I couldn’t count the number of times I stalled at the third Teleporter event. Yet this sting rewards memorization and optimized builds—perfect for my secret speedrun marathons. The addition of artifacts—modifiers that warp the rules—adds fresh replay hooks. Players looking for bragging rights can chase every survivor unlock, item synergy, and challenge stage. Almost 80 hours in, I still crave one more run.
Player Feedback Tie-Ins
User reviews mirror my impressions. One fan noted they “can’t enjoy the original gameplay” but now “love this better version.” Another flagged Gearbox’s shifting EULA as a trust breaker—an issue squarely in the publisher’s court, not my concern as a trope cartographer. I share their frustration over retroactive terms. That aside, most players applaud the balance tweaks and content drop-ins from Risk of Rain 2. “Amazing game,” they say, while condemning corporate shenanigans. You can love the code and hate the contract.
Behind the Scenes & Trivia
Hopoo Games began as a two-person studio in 2013. Their indie romp grew so popular that Gearbox sealed a publishing deal for this remaster. Risk of Rain Returns packs over a decade of fan-driven patches, balancing tests, and speedrun discoveries. The team reportedly logged over 1,000 hours each just tweaking item spawn rates. This attention to detail shows—especially when a lone Bandit blade cuts through hordes of jellyfish drones.
Final Thoughts
Risk of Rain Returns nails its core appeal. It enhances beloved mechanics, sharpens visuals, and layers in new survivors and artifacts. Minor faults—occasional netcode hiccups, a minimal story, and corporate EULA missteps—keep it from perfection. But if you crave a pixel-perfect, loot-crazed roguelike, this one’s your next monthly obsession.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Conspiratorial zinger to cap it off: If Risk of Rain Returns were any more efficient, it’d decrypt your day planner and schedule your speedrun before you even log in.
