Character customization in Risk of Rain Returns: How does it work?

Whereas the original Risk of Rain didn’t have all that many creature comforts and customization options to choose from, the new Risk of Rain Returns has got all the contemporary trimmings, including skins and alternative skills.

What’s really cool about the new customization setup in Returns is not only that it introduces loads of variety into any given Risk of Rain match, but also that it’s all really easily accessible. Notably, each of the game’s 15 unique characters (including the new ones) comes with four unique colourways to choose from, and some of them even show off pointed references to other video game media, such as the snazzy Halo-esque Master Chief colourway for the Commando, as featured below.

Changing your character colourway and skills in Risk of Rain Returns

Switching around how your Risk of Rain Returns character looks is way easier than it was in Risk of Rain 2, for one. Whereas the latter didn’t give players any alternative skins from the get-go, Returns opens up all four colourways as soon as you’ve got your character unlocked. From that point on, you’ll be able to switch between different colour schemes before each run, simply by choosing the appropriate character icon during the mission loadout screen.

This is all neat, of course, but it’s not mechanically important for the game in the grand scheme of things. That’s where Risk of Rain Returns‘ alternative skills come into the picture.

Featured prominently right underneath the colourway widget is your character’s skill loadout, and veteran ROR players will immediately notice that the vast majority of the characters’ abilities come with locked-out alternatives, to boot.

In the case of the Commando, for example, players can replace his akimbo burst-fire ability with a rapid-fire shotgun, while the combat roll ability can be switched out for a fairly delightful combat slide. Unlocking these requires some elbow grease, mind: either by completing the all-new Providence Trials missions, or by ticking off grindy objectives in regular missions.

Once you’ve got some alternative skills unlocked for your favorite Risk of Rain Returns character, though, switching them out is as easy as switching the custom colourways, as it too is completed in the very same pre-mission interface. Handy stuff!