Risk of Rain 2 review by Chandler Wang

 Risk of Rain 2 recreates the complete mayhem and destruction of the original, but completely reformats the game, going from 2D to 3D. The transition is done incredibly well, and the game only gets better with the added depth, vastness, and chaos of an extra dimension. Like the first, Risk of Rain 2 is a roguelike - you enter the game, collect loot as you kill enemies and progress through levels, then lose it all when you die. It's a bit stressful, but fun, and no run is the same. Risk of Rain 2 has multiple characters, enemies, bosses, items, and stages, ensuring that you'll find something new in each playthrough. Perhaps you'll fight a massive stone golem as a teleporting archer, or a beady-eyed, spider-legged clay monstrosity as a nail gun-wielding robot, or a tunneling giant lava worm as a beefy trooper with robotic gauntlets and a grappling hook. The possibilities are endless, especially when you look at the selection of items. You've got basic ones that increase health or attack speed, but one of my favorite things about Risk of Rain 2 is its crazy items. Make enemies explode on death? Sure. Gain a chance to turn enemies into allied ghosts on kill? Awesome! Create a black hole? Why not! Gain two giant eyeball drones that shoot lasers? Fantastic! There's no limit on how many items you can have, so you can even explode enemies, turn them into ghosts, summon a black hole, and have eyeball drones ALL AT THE SAME TIME. As you transform into an abomination of firepower, so will your foes - the more time you spend killing enemies and opening chests, the harder the game gets. As you collect drones and black holes, you'll start facing giant metal bell contraptions instead of beetles, divine, shining titans instead of lizards, and multi-eyed demon overlords instead of jellyfish. It's a fun and addicting experience, not only during the fighting and looting, but also the exploring. Despite being created by a small indie company, the 3D worlds of Risk of Rain 2 look fantastic, and sometimes you'll want to just look around and admire the scenery even as bullets, lasers, and bodies fly around you. From desert ruins to icy mountains to massive rainforests, Risk of Rain 2's levels are almost as fun to look at as they are to play. The visuals are supported by great music, which may not be as iconic as the first's, but are solid in their own right. Risk of Rain 2 is a fantastic, addicting game that hits just about every mark and has made it difficult for me to find time to pursue other forms of entertainment this spring break. 9/10.