Whether you intend to play it with all-classic rules or with the latest selection of quality-of-life improvements, Risk of Rain Returns is a true return to form. Before you truly get to enjoy its considerable scope of content, though, you’re going to need to unlock all the unique survivors.
Indeed, much as is the case with both the original Risk of Rain and its widely acclaimed 3D sequel, Risk of Rain 2, your initial roster of characters and items is relatively limited when you start playing. For example, Risk of Rain Returns features a grand total of 15 unique survivors to choose from, three of whom are entirely new. Yet, you only get access to two of them when you start the game. This, note, is an upgrade compared to the original, which had you begin with the Commando and literally no one else.
How to unlock all Risk of Rain Returns characters?
In true Risk of Rain fashion, each and every one of the 15 unique survivors comes with their own set of unlock requirements. In some instances, the requirement may be as simple as finishing a full Returns match once, while in others, you may need to collect a whole slew of specific items all at once. Take the Acrid, for example, who you’ll need to fight and beat before it’s added to your roster of playable characters!
- Commando: Default unlock.
- Huntress: Default unlock.
- Enforcer: Kill the Magma Worm, Wandering Vagrant, and Colossus bosses. As these are fully randomized encounters, you’ll need to keep playing until you’ve taken all of them down, but they don’t need to be killed in a single run, so it’s not a big deal.
- Bandit: Beat the 3rd stage in a Risk of Rain Returns run.
- Miner: This one is fairly obtuse, but we’ve figured it out! Find the Magma Barracks map and reach the lower rightmost corner of the map. There, you’ll find a small lava tunnel, at the end of which is a boss. Kill the boss, and you’ll unlock the Miner.
- HAN-D: Reach the final level, UES Contact Light, and go to the ‘Cargo 2’ area. Look for a grey interactive door, and use it to unlock HAN-D.
- Engineer: Purchase a grand total of 40 drones over the course of multiple runs
- Sniper: Beat the game on any difficulty.
- Acrid: Look for an interactive metal cage in the Sunken Tombs or Underwater levels. Open it up to release the Acrid, who you’ll need to take down for it to unlock.
- Loader: Equip a grand total of 30 unique items over the course of a single run.
- Mercenary. Beat the game five times on any difficulty.
- CHEF: Equip the Meat Nugget, Bustling Fungus, Sprouting Egg, Bitter Root, and Foreign Fruit items over the course of a single run.
- Pilot: Collect a grand total of 15 unique Monster Logs, which randomly drop after defeating enemies.
- Artificer: Visit 10 unique stages over the course of multiple runs.
- Drifter: Recycle 6 drones over the course of a single playthrough.
None of these are necessarily all that difficult, as you’ve surely noticed by now. Getting the Chef, however, or the Loader could take a while, as you’ll need to rely on RNG to give you access to all the items you need. Still, it’s all in good fun, and the characters themselves are all competent in action. Certainly worth the effort!
