A classic of the roguelike genre, Risk of Rain has just received a complete remaster with new pixel art and a lot of new content.
After garnering plenty of success with Risk of Rain 2, which turned the game into a third-person shooter, the developers have returned to the first game with a complete remaster. The graphics have been improved, with new pixel art for all the characters and environments. And there are also plenty of new enemies, items, and secrets to uncover. The only thing that is exactly the same is the soundtrack which makes sense since the original still sounds great and is iconic for the series. The classes that you can play as are a big part of the game, so let me try and give you a quick rundown of each of them and how they can be unlocked.
Commando
This is one of the base characters that is available from the get-go. He is a decent all-rounder who can deal plenty of damage despite lacking any real defensive abilities. The Commando thrives when he can gather a pack of enemies and make quick work of them with his AOE ability. As far as items go, any items that add effects to your attacks are great since he has a pretty good rate of fire.
Huntress
The Huntress is also unlocked from the start, and she is a very mobile ranged combatant. Her dash ability is one of the best in the game, especially when you get more uses of it from items. Outside of that, her most powerful ability is that she can shoot on the move while maintaining full speed. The biggest downside to this character is how squishy she is at the start of the game, which can be easily fixed with healing or shield items.
Enforcer
In order to unlock the Enforcer you need to take down the Wandering Vagrant, Magma Worm, and Colossus bosses at least once. You can do this in multiple runs meaning you will eventually unlock him. While the Enforcer might seem like a lackluster character at first, after getting used to his skills, things will start to click. He is a slow moving character with a very limited range, which makes any items that increase movement speed extremely important.
Bandit
The Bandit can be unlocked by finishing Stage 3 of the game. He is a fast attacking character that can clear waves with ease. His main attack will shoot faster the faster you click the button, which might become quite tiresome in the long run. But if you can get past that downside, you will discover one of the best characters in the game.
Pilot
One of the new characters added to the game, the Pilot will be unlocked after you collect 15 Monster Logs. He is an interesting character that can jump in the air and then slowly parachute down, all the while shooting his enemies with impunity. If you get the rhythm of gliding while taking down enemies, you will find this character very enjoyable.
Loader
The Loader can be unlocked by gathering 30 unique items in a single run. He is a great melee character who focuses on setting up lightning rods to take down packs of enemies. You might struggle with him due to his low survivability, but healing or shield items can help fix this.
Engineer
To unlock the Engineer you will have to purchase 40 drones throughout multiple runs. The engineer can dish out a lot of damage with his grenades while relying on his turrets for safety. The only real downside to this class is that he’s not very mobile, and most of his damage output is static, meaning you must choose your battles correctly.
Chef
If you pick up a Meat Nugget, Bustling Fungus, Foreign Fruit, and Bitter Root in the same run you will unlock the Chef. The Chef is a great character who can buff his abilities with his ultimate, turning them into more destructive versions.
Acrid
Acrid can be unlocked by finding his cage during a run and setting him free. Generally, he will be located in the Sunken tombs somewhere in the top right of the map. Acrid is a pretty strong melee character who focuses on dealing damage over time with most of his abilities while also healing himself.
Miner
The Miner can be unlocked by taking down the Direseeker Elder Lemurian in the Magma Barracks. Even though he has a limited range, the Miner does get multiple dashes and the Crush skill which deals a lot of damage. Time it correctly and you can make short work of entire packs of enemies.
Artificer
After you visit 10 unique stages throughout multiple runs you’ll unlock the Artificer. This character has been brought over from Risk of Rain 2, and he performs pretty much the same. His focus is elemental attacks that can set enemies on fire or freeze them.
Drifter
After recycling 6 Drones during one run, you will unlock the Drifter. This is a melee class that can deal plenty of damage by swinging her backpack. Your hits will increase your Scrap counter, which can spawn items for you when using your Ultimate skill.
HAN-D
To unlock this character, you will have to use the grey door in Cargo area two of the final level. This close-quarter combatant has a trick up his sleeve with the ability to summon multiple drones. Even though you’re limited to only ten at a time, that is still a scary prospect for any enemies facing you.
Sniper
After beating the game once you’ll gain access to the Sniper. The Sniper can deal insane amounts of damage over long ranges but struggles with mobility and enemies getting close to him. But trust me, the Sniper can quickly become your favorite after you get the hang of things.
Mercenary
The toughest character to unlock, you will have to beat the game five times to access him. But it’s all worth it since the Mercenary is one of the strongest characters in the game, quickly dishing out huge amounts of damage while also being extremely mobile with his dash ability.
