Is Risk of Rain Returns a remaster?

In late 2022, Gearbox acquired the Risk of Rain franchise from its developer, Hopoo Games, which included taking over the ongoing development of post-launch content for Risk of Rain 2, specifically. In the interim, Hopoo decided to develop Risk of Rain Returns, but what is it, really?

While many fans of the original Risk of Rain found Risk of Rain 2 to be a phenomenal perspective shift and upgrade in most respects, the massive change from 2D to 3D makes it plainly obvious that not everyone was happy with this development. Enter Risk of Rain Returns: a true remaster of the first game with stellar quality-of-life improvements and a wealth of additional content. Indeed, Returns is a true-to-form remaster of 2013’s seminal indie smash hit, but it is also something more.

Risk of Rain Returns is an expanded and remastered version of the original

It goes without saying that not everyone’s going to be hugely keen on Gearbox’s chibification of Risk of Rain for mobile phones. That’s okay, though, because not only is Risk of Rain 2 continuing its impressive post-launch development under Gearbox Software’s umbrella, but Hopoo’s swan song for the franchise, Returns, offers precisely the same hardcore sidescrolling combat that veteran fans will know and love.

What’s on offer here is effectively the same game that was present back in 2013, except with an updated code backend, improved netcode, and HD pixel art visuals. Combined with some well-produced intro and outro cinematics, these boons make an objectively old title feel new again.

That being said, Risk of Rain Returns comes with its fair share of true novelties, as well, which some might not expect from a regular remastered re-release. Not only has Hopoo added several all-new Survivors to the game’s roster of playable characters, then, but there’s a bunch of new items to pick up, too, as well as some other key boons.

The novelties present in Risk of Rain Returns

The introduction of new characters and items is, of course, the crux of the reasoning to buy Returns in the first place, as these make for the meat and bones of a Risk of Rain title. However, Hopoo thought to look ahead and some extra goodies into the mix.

Providence Trials are the obvious highlight of these, one might argue, as they’re especially curated and customized levels that task players with specific objectives. Some might be traversal-oriented, while others focus purely on a particular kind of ability. They all force the player to think outside of Risk of Rain‘s baseline survival-oriented gameplay loop, and the rewards are well worth the trouble.

It’s the rewards that bring us to Returns‘s other notable novelty: the new abilities and skins for Survivors. By completing various objectives and/or specific Providence Trials, players can unlock entirely new alternative abilities for their characters. The Commando’s combat roll can, for example, be replaced with a forward slide that maintains his momentum. This, combined with custom new colorways – four per character – makes for a Risk of Rain game that delivers a fair bit more than just some remastered visuals.