Risk of Rain 2 is one of the most promising indie games of 2019 and it's out now

Risk of Rain was one of the best and most successful 2D games of 2013, so the news that it's getting a 3D sequel raised more than a few eyebrows. Well, here's another eyebrow-raiser: after years of vague updates and cryptic teasers, Risk of Rain 2 is now available. You can get it on Steam Early Access right now for $20, and you'll even get a free copy you can gift to a friend if you buy in by Saturday, March 30.

Risk of Rain 2 is essentially an expanded, 3D adaptation of the original game. It features some familiar characters, enemies, and items, but they've all been given the 3D treatment, with many of them receiving dramatic overhauls. Some abilities work differently and many enemies also have new attacks, which makes sense seeing as how Risk of Rain 2 is a 3D action game while the original game was a side-scroller. The replayable roguelike formula is still there though, and the scaling difficulty of the original game is back too. Basically, the longer you stay alive, the more challenging it gets.

Developer Hopoo Games says the infamously finicky multiplayer of the original game has been sharpened for Risk of Rain 2. Its newly minted Steam page also boasts of "Prismatic Trials, a unique seeded run where everyone can race up a global leaderboard."

This is just the Early Access release, of course, so Risk of Rain 2 still needs some work. Hopoo says "the core game loop and multiplayer suite is fully implemented but will continue being polished throughout Early Access," and that the current version of the game includes "over 75 items and equipment, six playable classes and six bosses to keep the game fresh for many, many hours."

"We believe our experience with beta phases of development in the past means we can thoughtfully and consistently support Risk of Rain 2 during Early Access," Hopoo said. "We know it's a big deal to ask for your money for an unfinished project, so we want to consistently deliver great updates like new characters, items, enemies, bosses, and environments."

Those updates will focus on reaching three milestone. The first will be content, specifically reaching 10 characters, 10 stages, 12 bosses, and 100 items. Hopoo will also prioritize "delivering a true ending and boss fight to match." The final step for the full release will be overall polish, including non-English localization work.

The Risk of Rain 2 Steam page says it'll likely remain in Early Access for around a year. I played the first Risk of Rain to death, so while I'm excited for the full release, I'll probably have to dive in soon.

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.