Risk of Rain 2 - Indie Game Hidden Gems

Looking for value for money in terms of replayability? Look no further than Risk of Rain 2, an excellent buy for anyone that likes roguelike and/or looter/shooter games. First off, it is difficult to place the game in a single genre as it spans a few genres successfully. At the simplest level Risk of Rain 2 is a 3^rd person shooter with progression meaning the more you play the more you unlock, allowing you to get further in the game and thus unlock more items and characters, and so on. If you haven't played the original Risk of Rain, not to worry, neither have I, and I thoroughly enjoyed the sequel anyway.

Unlocking and collecting items is where the main appeal of the game lies, the various loot you collect stacks to affect your abilities such as movement speed and attack damage and changes the gameplay every time (run) you play. This means that, whilst at first the levels will seem very similar and repetitive, as there are only small variations, the way each level unfolds differs dependent on what loot you have acquired along the way.

This is a game that you really have to spend a few hours playing to understand the mechanics of. The levels may seem quite barren at first however there is a lot, and I mean a lot, hidden under the surface with many secrets to discover, legendary items to unlock and ways to play the game. 

Risk of Rain 2 will probably not be for everyone, there is no way to save, meaning that after an hour of playing if you die, you die and will have to start from the beginning again. Anything you have unlocked along the way will however now be available to collect in your next run. The levels can be repetitive, which is my main criticism of the game as, whilst the loot and enemies are random, the levels are always identical with just a few small minor differences. To finish the game in one sitting you may have to play for close to, or over, an hour with no saving. Added to this, it can be incredibly difficult at times, sometimes impossible if you don't collect the right items. 

However, the fun of the game does not lie in exploration and discovery, it relates more to 'having a good run', completing the level quickly with a lot of loot. Completing levels quickly is a good idea, because as time progresses so the difficulty of the game increases. This means that if you spend too long on the first few levels by the time you get to the later levels they will considerably more difficult, enemies will have higher HP and can do more damage.

All round if you are looking for a game that has a lot of replay value then Risk of Rain 2 has a lot too offer and if you haven't had the chance to play it then definitely worth a look - Risk of Rain 2 on Steam

THE GOOD:

• Excellent value for money in terms of replayability
• Support for multiplayer & mods
• Many different characters to unlock
• Easy to play, not much of a learning curve
• Cheap to buy

THE BAD:

• Not the most stunning graphics
• Levels can be repetitive
• No way of saving mid-game
• Some runs are impossibly difficult
• Not for everyone