The original 2D Risk of Rain was released on November 8, 2013, and it's still one of the best roguelikes you can play today. 10 years later, an expanded remake appropriately named Risk of Rain Returns is bringing the game up to speed with a fresh coat of paint and a big bag of new content, and it's launching on PC and Switch on the game's big anniversary: November 8, 2023.
Developer Hopoo Games and publisher Gearbox Publishing, which previously published the megahit sequel Risk of Rain 2 and formally bought the Risk of Rain IP last year, announced the news today. The updated roguelike will launch at $14.99, with a 15% launch discount knocking it down to $12.75 for a limited time – which is sure to be an absolute steal assuming the remake matches or surpasses the original.
Risk of Rain 2 is the game I've played more, but Risk of Rain still holds a special place in my heart for its wild buildcrafting, impressively varied classes that feel great to play, and ingenious difficulty scaling. The game gets more difficult and chaotic as time ticks by, encouraging you to explore quickly, but not so quickly that you don't give yourself any time to loot items and get stronger. This creates a constant sense of pressure and a do-it-yourself difficulty curve, ratcheting up the intensity of fights. It's not the only roguelike with this kind of system, but like Risk of Rain 2, it does it better than almost anyone.
"All of us at Hopoo Games want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you for both following along during the development of Risk of Rain Returns and all the support you’ve given us over the last ten years," the announcement reads. "It’s been a wild ride and we have plenty of plans for the future... but that’s a story for another day."
The remake's long-awaited release date is the headliner, but today's update also brought another major tidbit for ROR Returns: a new playable character called the Pilot, specifically the pilot of the Contact Light ship. Pilot joins a few other new Survivors alongside the original game's cast of 12.
The Pilot is described as a "highly mobile and context-sensitive" Survivor with some real juggling potential. Their kit includes a piercing, three-burst normal attack, a jump-into-parachute utility ability that enables air assaults, an impressive leap for mobility, and a true-blue airstrike for AoE. Pilot sounds pretty well-rounded, and might be my new main after I inevitably beat the game as Sniper 20 times.
Risk of Rain Returns' November 8 launch will also see a special "Festival of Gup" celebration stream, seemingly pulling back the curtain on the future of Risk of Rain now that it has a new home at Gearbox. On the same day, Xbox, PS4, and Switch Risk of Rain 2 players will finally get access to its Survivors of the Void expansion, which makes the game even better through more items, stages, and characters.
Acclaimed roguelike dev from the original Spelunky says the genre is "more interesting" to develop than other games.
