Door Reviews: Risk of Rain 2 (2019)

we gonna escape the killer planet with this one

This game crossed my mind the other day. I played this with some friends online some months ago, and had a lot of fun. I realized I haven’t really written a review for it! So let’s write one, shall we?

What’s it about? You are just a lil guy, stranded in a planet named Petrichor V. And you have to get out!! You fight enemies, find treasure, and with said treasure grow more powerful in an effort to free yourself from this dangerous planet.

STYLE (Gameplay, Graphics, Music)

Gameplay revolves around you controlling a character of your choice. You start in a character select screen where you can choose from different survivors with different playstyles. You then get loaded into a random stage, where you have to amass money to open chests that give your character various items that can improve their stats. You amass money mainly by dealing with enemies, so it’s important for you to keep exploring and to keep fighting foes.

It’s simple enough, but I nonetheless find it refreshing. The playstyles are varied enough, and the upgrades improve and alter them in unique ways. I’ve had various fun runs with this game! And you definitely have to be careful with different enemy types. It lends itself to a style of gameplay that has you think on your feet a lot. Pumps the adrenaline and rewards your alertness and quick decisions.

The game has a somewhat refreshing style, in that it isn’t all the way dark and drab. It has a nice 3d aesthetic that still has the colors pop. I can clearly see enemies and can see what they drop. I can also see the various interactables and can differentiate them.

The music SLAPS. It can be chill, and it can be tense. It fits most of the time. I love the music usage, especially at the last stage.

Overall, I enjoy it a lot!! A lot of variety between games, and fights can be so exciting.

SUBSTANCE (Story, Characters, Impact)

The story of this game isn’t explicitly told to you. You can glean information from the environments themselves while playing, and by filling up your Logbook. You fill this up by killing enemies and having them drop their associated monster logs, finding environmental logs from each stage, finding and equipping various items, and unlocking more survivors.

It feels like bonus content, the story, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. Altogether it tells of a tragic story between siblings, and the people caught in the middle of it. There is a melancholy to it… one that I can’t help but be affected by.

I wouldn’t say it’s a phenomenal story, but I still appreciate it nonetheless. The world the game creates is cohesive enough that I get sucked into its charms.

VERDICT

All in all, Risk of Rain 2 is a fun third-person shooter roguelike! A lot of variety in gameplay, and a lot of exciting games to be had. I like it a fair bit!

Door Rates Risk of Rain 2: 4/5!