Risk of Rain: Frantic, but rewarding desolation
Noirit Mustapha
Hopoo Games entered the industry with a small, but potent bang, with their debut game Risk of Rain. It is an action platformer with rougelike elements, such as randomly generated levels and enemy patterns and permanent death. The story, what little there is of it at least, begins when the transport ship UES Contact Light crash lands on a seemingly barren planet, carrying with it useful cargo that can be used on the fly, and one lone survivor. The game does come with a variety of unique characters and the option for multiplayer though, should one decide to venture through this nightmare of an ordeal with others?
Risk of Rain carries little in the artistic and graphical aspect, opting to go for a minimalistic and somewhat pixel art style, though there have been others which look much better in the same style. However, what the game lacks in aesthetics, it more than makes up for in its soundtrack. Every track used in the game perfectly fits the bleak atmosphere in the game, with some being used for the calmer stage sections and others for the boss fights.
Gameplay takes place over the course of six stages and each unique character has four distinct abilities. The first of which is a basic attack, and the last is a sort of ultimate, so they all control similar to those in MOBA games like Dota or League of Legends. The objective is to find the teleporter in each stage, kill the boss that appears as the teleporter charges up, and head to the next stage, with the ultimate goal being the Contact Lights cockpit. This is no ordinary challenge however, as the difficulty rises as time passes as well, resulting in hordes of enemies all out for your skin. In the end, only the hardiest and most well-equipped fighter will be able to leave this hellish land alive, albeit with something missing by the end. This is definitely one for those who love a good challenge every now and then.
