Risk of Rain Returns News

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Hey!

Thanks again for joining us for the Dev Thoughts, today we're going to take a look at a brand new survivor for Risk of Rain Returns and talking to Hopoo Games composer Chris Christodoulou about the soundtrack.

The majority of this content, along with the great new survivor trailer, are contained in the video version of the Dev Thoughts linked above, so make sure you watch it so you don't miss out!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1337520/Risk_of_Rain_Returns/

For the words-n-gifs fans among us, let's get acquainted with Risk of Rain's newest survivor...



[h3]Drifter[/h3]

The first brand new survivor debuting in Risk of Rain Returns is Drifter. This resourceful brawler got more than she bargained for when she stowed away on the ill-fated Contact Light - luckily she has some unique skills to not only handle the dangerous inhabitants of Petrichor V but she also has some powerful tools to empower herself and her fellow Survivors.



Key to Drifter’s power is her ability to utilise Scrap generated by her primary ability Blunt Force. This may appear as useless rubbish to the other survivors - but to Drifter it’s a valuable resource.



Blunt Force is a 3 hit combo melee attack that hits enemies in a wide area - each successful hit generates lumps of Scrap which litter the floor near Drifter - gather these quickly to fuel your more powerful abilities.

Blunt Force isn't the only way to generate Scrap - Drifter’s Utility ability Suffocate also fills your meter without having to collect Scrap from the environment - This large melee strike stuns and does 200% damage - any enemy below 20% health when attacked with Suffocate is immediately consumed and converted to Scrap.



Once you have gathered Scrap you have everything you need to fuel Drifter’s other two abilities - including her secondary attack Cleanup. This ability tosses out some of your Scrap as piercing projectiles in a short-range burst - imagine a trash powered shotgun that makes mincemeat of even the toughest enemies.



Finally her special ability makes her a true powerhouse on the battlefield - not only to herself but her allies - when your Scrap meter is 75% full you gain access to Salvage.

Salvage allows Drifter to generate 4 temporary items - these can then be collected by any player making her the survivor with the strongest support abilities in Risk of Rain. Have your teammates not been as fortunate as you when rolling the dice at chance shrines? Create some temporary items to share among your team before facing the tough challenges that await you.



Of course there is nothing stopping you from just taking all the items for yourself and becoming the most powerful Survivor on the planet - key to success as Drifter is to keep churning out temporary items as quickly as you can - they only last a short time in your inventory so continuing to replace them as they expire will maintain your strength.



Like all the other survivors, Drifter has a trio of alternate abilities to unlock, but I won't spoil those for you today, you can discover them yourself when Risk of Rain Returns is released later this year!





[h3]Chris Chrisodoulou Interview[/h3]

I interviewed Hopoo Games composer Chris Christodoulou about his approach to the Risk of Rain Returns soundtrack - what changes he has made to the original OST, the approach he has taken to the new tracks coming in the game and much much more! .... You still here? Expecting some more words-n-gifs of a video interview?? Go watch the video Dev Thoughts linked at the top of the page! The interview is there!!



Thanks again everyone for your continued support, all of us at Hopoo Games are very excited for you to play Risk of Rain Returns soon! In the meantime don’t forget to join our Discord and follow us on Twitter, Twitch, Youtube or TikTok to keep up to date with the latest on the game - next time we’ll be taking a look at the final new character dropping into Risk of Rain Returns…



Cya then!

Jonathan
Hopoo Games
Community Manager

There was a specific satisfaction in Risk of Rain that I could never get in its fantastic sequel: putting my back to the wall as the riot cop-esque Enforcer, planting my shield in the ground and tanking an endless stream of enemies for my entire co-op squad. That just didn't work in 3D, which is maybe why the Enforcer was one of the few characters not to reappear in the sequel. When I played a short demo of Risk of Rain Returns this week I immediately picked Enforcer and slammed my shield to the earth...
Read more.

Hi!

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Thanks for joining us once again for the Hopoo Games Dev Thoughts! Today we’ll be taking a closer look at the new game mode coming in Risk of Rain Returns: Providence Trials.

I’d recommend watching the video version of the Dev Thoughts as you’ll be able to fully appreciate the footage of the trials as well as seeing an exclusive gameplay sample at the end, but if the written version is your cup of tea let’s dive in and take a quick look at the big guy himself…



[h3]Providence Fan Art[/h3]

A couple of weeks ago we reached out to the community asking for some fan art of Providence to celebrate the reveal of the Providence Trials, and as always you didn't disappoint! Here are some of my faves…

First up is the artwork by DragonRoIlZ that was so good I’ve used it as the header image for the Dev Thoughts, this fantastic piece of Providence and his Gilded Wurms:



Here's a fantastic piece by NF89 titled “Bulwark’s Mourning” - I wonder what Providence is upset about here, I hope he didn't do something completely diabolical with that teleporter…



And lastly this comic book inspired piece by w0ahdood really grabbed my attention:



Thank you to everyone who submitted fan-art, you’ve all been given a unique role on Discord to flex with!

If you want to see all the submissions make sure you join the Risk of Rain Discord and follow this link!

https://discord.com/channels/417739215355510784/559901517985873921/1088441451442086038

...and you can browse all the submissions! - and now on to the main event…



[h3]Providence Trials[/h3]

New to Risk of Rain Returns are the brand new Providence Trials - dozens of fun single player mini-game challenges each using a different Survivor with a different set of abilities, each on a custom stage.

Some trials test your mobility skills, others your combat effectiveness and others your survivability, all skills that serve you well in Risk of Rain Returns. Many of the trials even unlock alternate abilities for the Survivors for use in the main game, along with some other secret unlockables…



There are over 40 different trials planned for release - today I'm going to showcase three of my personal favorites with you, starting with a mobility-focused trial for Loader.

Racing against the clock the goal of this Trial is to gain points by collecting as many coins as you possibly can scattered throughout the custom stage while avoiding attacks from Swifts and Mushrooms.



Along with points you can also collect items to speed up your progress, a combination of Hardlight Afterburners, Hopoo Feathers and Backup Magazines can be found to aid you, along with some custom Bonus Stock pickups for your skills.



Utilise your grapple hook and your new ability Short Circuit to navigate the stage as fast as possible - A passing grade for this trial currently sits at 40 points - but the truly skilled can aim for the golden crown score of 70 points.

Next up, test your combat effectiveness against 4 rows of slowly encroaching enemies with this trial featuring Sniper.

Confined to a small section in the centre of the stage you must use your abilities carefully to inflict damage to as many enemies as you can while carefully prioritising which row you think poses the greatest threat - if any enemy reaches the centre its game over.



When you reach certain point thresholds, items (with a small degree of randomness) spawn in your cage to help you reach the higher scores.

As time marches on the enemies that spawn get stronger and faster making some real panic moments where a perfectly executed active reload can make the difference between success and failure.



Finally let's take a look at a strategy-focussed trial featuring Engineer. Set on a small custom stage the start of the trial is triggered by collecting either ATG Missiles or Prison Shackles from the center platform.

Once started, groups of enemies spawn on the stage in waves and you have full use of your abilities to defeat them. Between waves 2 new items spawn and you have to pick between them before increasingly difficult enemies start to spawn. If either you or one of your turrets dies before you achieve the target score, you fail the trial.



Will you increase your survivability by picking healing and utility items? Or will you focus on increasing your damage to kill the enemies as efficiently as possible? Pick carefully and plan your strategy to ensure success in this trial!



Don’t forget these are just three of the 40+ of Providence Trials coming in Risk of Rain Returns. We can’t wait for you to try them all later this year!



[h3]50 Facts about Risk of Rain Returns[/h3]

Hungry for more information about Risk of Rain Returns? Starting tomorrow on the Hopoo Games YouTube and Tiktok every few days I'll be posting a new mini video giving exclusive info on different aspects and content in Risk of Rain Returns.

There will be 50 videos in total each showcasing different parts of the game, new items, new monsters, new features and much much more - make sure you’re following us on the platform of your choice to not miss out!


YouTube
TikTok



A couple of reminders before we draw todays Dev Thoughts to a close:

Don’t forget to give the game a Wishlist on Steam -

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1337520/Risk_of_Rain_Returns/

Make sure you’re following us on our
YouTube and TikTok linked above as well as our Twitch and Twitter for the latest on Risk of Rain Returns

Make sure you check out the video Dev Thoughts at the top of the page for an exclusive gameplay clip featuring Artificer who is making her 2d debut after first appearing in Risk of Rain 2…

…and speaking of new Survivors, join us next time when you’ll get an exclusive reveal of the first all new Survivor joining the roster in Risk of Rain Returns…



Cya then!

Jonathan
Hopoo Games
Community Manager

Risk Of Rain Returns is a remaster of the 2013, side-scrolling roguelike, but it's adding plenty that's new. The latest 'dev thoughts' video from developers Hopoo Games demonstrates some of the new alternate attack abilities available for every character, from sniper shots to turning your enemies into food.

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Hello! Welcome to Hopoo Games Dev Thoughts 29

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Before we get into the main topic of today's Dev Thoughts, I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone for the amazing reception and reaction to the announcement of Risk of Rain Returns - the entire development team has loved reading all your comments and sharing in the excitement of the reveal of our latest game.

To keep discussing Risk of Rain Returns you can join me and the rest of Hopoo Games right on our Discord, and don't forget the rest of our Hopoo social media like Twitch, Twitter, and Tiktok, and the official Risk of Rain twitter account right here!

While you're busy clickin' links please visit the store page and give the game a wishlist - it really helps us get the game in front of as many new eyes as possible - with your support we’ve already made the top 75 most wishlisted games on Steam!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1337520/Risk_of_Rain_Returns/

And without further ado, the subject of today's Dev Thoughts...



One of our biggest new features in Risk of Rain Returns that breathes new life and replayability into the game are the new Alternate Abilities for each survivor.

Each survivor has three extra abilities to use as alternates - today I'm going to showcase one from each of the returning survivors leaving plenty for you to discover yourself when we release the game!

Let's start off with the face of Risk of Rain - the Commando.

The alternate to his secondary attack Phase Round is the Combat Knife. The Combat Knife is a close range melee attack that deals 150% damage and also wounds the enemy - Wounded enemies take an additional 50% damage from all attacks.



Great when used in concert with the rest of his moves, slash your enemies with the Combat Knife, create some distance then blast away with your long range abilities for devastating effect.

Next up is Huntress (who, by the way, is now unlocked by default like in Risk of Rain 2) - the alternative to her Laser Glaive is the new Laser Cyclone. This large slow-moving attack deals damage over time before returning back to the Huntress. The trick with this ability is to carefully kite the Laser Cyclone in and around enemies that are attacking you while continuing to pelt them with your other abilities.



While on paper this ability is lower damage than the Laser Glaive - with skillful movement you can achieve near 100% uptime on this ability doing huge damage over the course of a full run.

Enforcer comes racing into Risk of Rain Returns with his new secondary ability Shield Tackle.



Starting to get overwhelmed by a group of enemies overrunning your defences? Put them back in their place and under your control by charging into them, knocking them back, stunning them & dealing 5 x 100% damage on the way.

One alternate ability we gave a short glimpse of in last month's dev thoughts is Bandit's new primary alternate - the Whip. This ability switches Bandit into a melee/ranged hybrid - the Whip deals 200% damage while pushing enemies back.



A more powerful alternative to Blast - use your evasive abilities to avoid damage while cracking the Whip then finish them off with Lights out.

Everyone's favorite robot survivor, HAN-D, returns with an alternate to its special ability FORCED_REASSEMBLY called... DISASSEMBLE. Instead of a massive hammer HAN-D whips out a giant buzz saw which tears combatants apart and hits more times the more attack speed you have - perfect when used in conjunction with Overclock.



Another advantage of DISASSEMBLE is the ability to slowly move while casting which allows you maximum damage especially against conga-lines of chasing enemies.

Engineer returns with one of the strongest single abilities in the game - you can now replace his standard Auto Turrets with the experimental V.0.2 Prototype Laser Turret. You can drop one of these huge hulking sentries down, inheriting all of your items just like your regular turrets, which charges up over 8 seconds before letting loose with a huge 1200% damage laser blast.



Being able to 1-shot most enemies in the game does come with a drawback - firing this turret rapidly damages itself and will be completely destroyed after a single shot needing to be replaced to fire again - Unless you can find a Dios Best Friend!

The Survivor with the biggest amount of changes between Risk 1 and Risk of Rain Returns is Miner with his new heat meter that allows him to dish out more and more damage the hotter he becomes - On top of this new mechanic he has a new set of moves including a replacement for his primary where he throws his pickaxe towards his enemies.



When your heat meter is full and you start Scorching these Throwing Axes pierce enemies and are thrown more rapidly making Miner deal a huge amount of damage at mid range.

One of the trickier aspects of playing as Sniper in Risk 1 was hitting specific targets with your strongest abilities when the level fills up with enemies quite quickly on later stages. With the alternative to Steady Aim you can overcome this: introducing the Quick Scope.



While it does a lower but still impressive 600% damage compared to Steady Aim the biggest benefit of this shot is the ability to pick exactly where it lands by releasing the fire button when the aiming reticle is over your desired target.

Acrid returns once again to spread poison to the inhabitants of Petrichor V with the alternative to his secondary ability - the Toxic Bubble.



One of the most diverse abilities in the game, the Toxic Bubble does 60% damage over time to any enemy it touches and also does 600% damage to any enemies in range when it explodes after 5 seconds. Need to infect more enemies than you can kite into the bubble? Simply give it a whack with your melee primary and it’ll float through the crowd. Finally use the Toxic Bubble to help bridge large gaps or leap over enemies as you and your teammates can use it as a bouncy jump-pad!

Master of melee the Mercenary has a new way to slip around his enemy's attacks with his alternate secondary Focused Strike.



Holding down this attack sheathes your weapon and places you into an immobile stance - release the moment an enemy strikes and you will completely deflect the attack doing a huge burst of 1000% retaliatory damage.

We’ve improved Loader as standard by now allowing you to grapple diagonally upwards regardless of the other abilities you pick. One ability that perfectly complements this newfound mobility is the new secondary attack - Short Circuit.



Crash down and stun enemies in a large radius for 350% damage. This move can be performed mid air for a diagonal downwards dash or on the ground for an immediate devastating slam.

Aaaaaand last - but by no means least - it’s Chef. Y’know what - for a robot whose only reason to exist is to cook stuff for people it seems to spend zero time in the preparation of delicious treats for us all. Selfish. Dumb.

This isn’t a problem in Risk of Rain Returns! Chef now has an alternative to his special ability: Cook.



After tenderising your enemies by getting them to low health, gather your ingredients by slicing and dicing any nearby monsters - any killed are turned into a buffet of delectable meals that you can save for yourself or share with your fellow survivors.



Each meal is its own special item that gives its own unique effect - but surviving the challenges of Petrichor V is hungry work - each of these items only lasts a short amount of time, so you’ll need to keep cooking to reap the benefits!



Thanks for tuning in to the Dev Thoughts again everyone! We’ll be back in touch soon to let you know exactly who you need to impress to unlock some of these alternate abilities…



Bye for now!

Jonathan
Community Manager
Hopoo Games