Risk of Rain 2 Articles RSS Feed | GameSkinny.com Risk of Rain 2 RSS Feed on GameSkinny.com https://www.gameskinny.com/ en Launch Media Network Risk of Rain 2 Egocentrism: What Does It Do? https://www.gameskinny.com/ha2lz/risk-of-rain-2-egocentrism-what-does-it-do https://www.gameskinny.com/ha2lz/risk-of-rain-2-egocentrism-what-does-it-do Mon, 07 Mar 2022 15:34:45 -0500 Ashley Shankle

The list of new items in Risk of Rain 2: Survivors of the Void is rather extensive, but few are as confusing as the new Egocentrism, a Lunar Item that completely makes a build — because it gives you no choice.

This Risk of Rain 2 guide will tell you everything you need to know about Egocentrism, including its gimmick and a few other tips and tricks. 

What is Egocentrism in Risk of Rain 2?

Every Lunar Items has a gimmick, and Egocentrism is no different. Instead of altering your health and damage, your attack type, or any of the other bizarre effects of the Lunar Item pool, Egocentrism consumes random items in your inventory for a particularly strong effect.

Once you pick up Egocentrism, a bomb will spawn and orbit around you and will home in on nearby enemies for 360% damage. At base, up to three can be orbiting you at a time.

This sounds great, but there is a big catch to Egocentrism: every 60 seconds, a random item in your inventory is consumed and converted into another stack of Egocentrism.

It's worth noting that the range on them isn't particularly large, so it may be better to use it on melee survivors. Additionally, stacking this Lunar Item does not increase its damage. Instead, each stack reduces the amount of time it takes for a new bomb to spawn and increases the number of bombs you have at a time.

As you'll be rolling in bombs and lacking in items after just a few minutes with Egocentrism, you'll want to make sure you've got stacks of items necessary for your current build before spending your Lunar Coin on it. It's probably best to pick it up on loop, rather than the initial stages of a run.

That's all you need to know about one of the newest Lunar Items in Risk of Rain 2: Survivors of the Void. Egocentrism is just one of many surprises to be found in Hopoo's expansion. If you found this guide useful, check out some of our other Risk of Rain 2 guides here on GameSkinny.

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How to Escape Planetarium in Risk of Rain 2 https://www.gameskinny.com/cnuwk/how-to-escape-planetarium-in-risk-of-rain-2 https://www.gameskinny.com/cnuwk/how-to-escape-planetarium-in-risk-of-rain-2 Thu, 03 Mar 2022 08:53:51 -0500 Serhii Patskan

The Survivors of the Void expansion for Risk of Rain 2 is out now. Not many players know that there is an alternative hidden final stage at the end of the story known as "The Planetarium" and a challenge "Escape The Planetarium". How to get there and and how to escape are two separate problems you'll have to solve and survive in real time.

Our guide will answer the questions of how to escape Planetarium in Risk of Rain 2, and help you find your way in and out. This final stage of the game involves not only platforming, but also a boss fight with the Voidling.

Risk of Rain 2: How to Escape Planetarium

You're going to need to enter a Purple Portal to make your way through the Void Fields and get to the Planetarium.

There is a Purple Portal to be found in the Bazaar Between Time, in a tunnel underneath the Blue Portal within the Bazaar. It's not your only option to encounter a Purple Portal, though.

A Purple Portal may spawn after you clear a teleporter event. Some say this only happens on loop, but it is truly random. I've encountered one Purple Portal pre-loop, but.. only one.

Alternatively, and strangely enough, you can also get a Purple Portal by killing Mithrix and petting a purple frog at the start of the stage. This is the most effort-intensive option and requires 10 Lunar Coins to do. Simply kill Mithrix and run back to the start of the stage as you would otherwise, and pet the frog instead of charging your ship.

Enter the Void Locus

You should make sure to have some recovery items before attempting this.

In order to enter the Void Locus, you need to follow these steps:

  1. Breach all nine cells in the Void Fields
  2. Fight all enemy waves
  3. Approach the Null Portal
  4. Wait for the Void Portal to open next to it
  5. Choose the Void Locus realm

Once, you're inside the Void Locus, you will get the chance to finally enter The Planetarium, if you do the following:

  1. Activate all four Deep Void Signals (similar to Void Fields cells)
  2. Fight all enemy waves
  3. Wait for another Void Portal to spawn at the top level of Void Locus
  4. Enter the portal to the Planetarium

Defeat the Voidling

Now players can finally fight the alternate boss Voidling and escape Planetarium. Here are a few tips on how to defeat him:

  • Use your sniper rifle to aim at his eye for maximum damage
  • You can easily dodge his projectiles, as they're quite slow
  • Look out for a cover, once he shoots his laser
  • If you see him rotating, take cover, since an even larger laser shot coming in
  • Also take cover, once he activates his Black Hole that sucks everything in

There are three phases in total, at the end of each you need to go through portals and finish platforming stages. You will also encounter some imps and lemurians that you need to fight off. But other than that, all phases follow the same pattern.

Once you enter the final portal after defeating Voidling, the "Escape the Planetarium" challenge will be complete.

Related guides

Now you know how to escape Planetarium in Risk of Rain 2. For more Risk of Rain 2 tips and tricks articles, please visit our dedicated hub page.

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Risk of Rain 2: Survivors of the Void Bringing Second New Survivor https://www.gameskinny.com/mdipq/risk-of-rain-2-survivors-of-the-void-bringing-second-new-survivor https://www.gameskinny.com/mdipq/risk-of-rain-2-survivors-of-the-void-bringing-second-new-survivor Tue, 15 Feb 2022 16:51:54 -0500 Ashley Shankle

We're getting ever closer to the release of Risk of Rain 2: Survivors of the Void on March 1. Fans of the roguelite have a lot to look forward to with the expansion, which will undoubtedly add some much-needed variety to runs for those who have already dumped hundreds of hours into RoR2. (cough)

Survivors of the Void promises to bring 40 new items to the table to give some real build variety, along with five new stages, new enemies, and an alternate end boss that will surely be more interesting than fighting Mithrix. Because nobody — nobody — likes Mithrix or the base game's final stage.

Along with all of the above are the new Railgunner survivor, who will bring a kit akin to the Sniper from the first Risk of Rain, and the newly announced Void Fiend. Both will offer high risk and dynamic gameplay, for the chance to dole out some serious damage and feel like a total badass in the process.


The Railgunner being unable to fire for a short time after using her biggest damage-dealing shot and the Void Fiend being able to swap forms once overflowing with corruption both sound and look like interesting mechanics to add some extra spice to an already brutal game.

Along with the Void Field reveal is the announcement that Risk of Rain 2: Survivors of the Void will be releasing on the Epic Game Store at the same time as it releases on Steam.

There's so much to look forward to in Survivors of the Void that even someone like me with over 400 hours in the base game is absolutely vibrating in excitement! What are you looking forward to most in the Risk of Rain 2 expansion? Let us know in the comments below, and look for Risk of Rain 2: Survivors of the Void on March 1 on PC and in the second quarter of the year on console platforms.

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Risk of Rain 2: Survivors of the Void Releasing with Railgunner https://www.gameskinny.com/a2ydl/risk-of-rain-2-survivors-of-the-void-releasing-with-railgunner https://www.gameskinny.com/a2ydl/risk-of-rain-2-survivors-of-the-void-releasing-with-railgunner Mon, 31 Jan 2022 13:01:32 -0500 Ashley Shankle

The survivor roster in Risk of Rain 2 is about to get a little bigger with the upcoming Survivors of the Void expansion. New items, maps, and gameplay elements are coming along with the new Railgunner survivor.

Reminiscent of the Sniper from the original Risk of Rain, the Railgunner boasts an M99 Sniper that switches the player's perspective to first-person for ridiculously powerful shots to targets.

To stay safe, the Railgunner brings two abilities to the table to move herself to safety or to keep enemies at bay; though the real tastiness of her kit lies in Supercharge, which overloads her railgun and boosts her damage to insane heights — at the cost of being unable to fire her M99 for five seconds.

Survivors of the Void will be bringing a lot more with it than the new Railgunner survivor. A whole list of new enemies, including deadly void enemies, at least one new map, new items, and new features will come with the expansion.

We won't have to wait long to play the next evolution in Hopoo's Risk of Rain 2, at least on PC. Survivors of the Void is scheduled to release on March 1 on Steam, giving us a mere month to hone our skills to prep for the new challenges coming in the expansion.

Those who play on console will have to be patient to get their hands on Survivors of the Void, though, as the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Stadia ports of the game will be receiving the expansion sometime in the second quarter of the year.

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Risk of Rain 2 Anniversary Update Brings Bandit, QoL Changes https://www.gameskinny.com/xqc8s/risk-of-rain-2-anniversary-update-brings-bandit-qol-changes https://www.gameskinny.com/xqc8s/risk-of-rain-2-anniversary-update-brings-bandit-qol-changes Thu, 25 Mar 2021 13:45:39 -0400 Ashley Shankle

You didn't think Hopoo Games were done with Risk of Rain 2, did you? To celebrate the game's second anniversary since entering Early Access, Hopoo are granting the game's players another hefty update that includes the community's most requested survivor since Acrid.

The Risk of Rain 2 anniversary update brings the rootin' tootin' Bandit to the roster, the survivor being a fan-favorite from the first game with his crit-heavy boomstick. That's not all today's update brings; a chunk of new items and quality of life changes make it less of a risk of rain and more of a "make it rain" situation.

Two new Lunar Items and Boss Items have been added in this update, along with a new boss and a new type of elite. It seems the lore entries have finally been finished as well, adding some flavor as seen in the first game. A handful of items have been rebalanced or reworked, making some items more (or less) viable. Mostly more viable.

Some of the most exciting changes don't have to do with the items or characters at all, but instead with drones and other player minions like the Squid Polyp and the ghosts that spawn from Happiest Mask.

Now minions will disappear and teleport to the player when they are separated by 400 meters, and they will now scale with time-based difficulty. This means they'll no longer be utterly useless once you reach a certain point, and that is a huge deal.

No matter how you play or what survivors you like best, there's something to love in the Risk of Rain 2 anniversary update. Check out the full patch notes on Steam, and console players sit tight: you'll be getting the update soon enough.

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Risk of Rain 2: How to Loop With or Without a Mithrix Clear https://www.gameskinny.com/kpf5p/risk-of-rain-2-how-to-loop-with-or-without-a-mithrix-clear https://www.gameskinny.com/kpf5p/risk-of-rain-2-how-to-loop-with-or-without-a-mithrix-clear Mon, 15 Feb 2021 17:07:59 -0500 Ashley Shankle

Beating Providence wasn't the goal for most players of the original Risk of Rain, and beating Mithrix is certainly not the goal for most players in Risk of Rain 2. The name of the game has always been to loop, and with luck, loop until the run is over.

As with the first game, you'll need to beat the final boss at least once to be able to easily loop to your heart's content in later runs.

However, it is possible to loop without beating Mithrix at all. It's also possible for the normal, intended way to loop in post-Mithrix RoR2 runs to not be available if the game is feeling particularly cruel. Either way, it's good to know your options to skip the big guy regardless of whether you've beaten him or not.

How to Loop in Risk of Rain 2

Option 1: Change the Alignment of Sky Meadow's Primordial Teleporter

The first way we're going to go over is the intended method, which is only available after you beat Mithrix once.

It's quite simple: Interact with the outermost pillars surrounding the Primordial Teleporter to shift its destination from the moon to the planet. You must shift the Primordial Teleporter's destination before the teleporter event.

RoR2 shift Primordial Teleporter alignment.

Once you've shifted the teleporter's alignment, you can use it to be whisked back to the start, either to the Distant Roost or Titanic Plains, and avoid Mithrix and his terribly bleak moon.

In an ideal world, you would never have trouble with this process, but unfortunately, it is possible for the Primordial Teleporter to spawn in such a way that you can't interact with the pillars to change the its alignment.

RoR2 Primordial Teleporter clipped into wall.

To say this is infuriating is an understatement. Luckily it's not your only option.

Option 2: Pop a Newt Altar and Enter the Lunar Shop

You must do this before you initiate the teleporter event. Find a Newt Altar somewhere in Sky Meadow and interact with it to make a blue orb appear, which will allow you to enter the Lunar Shop via blue portal after the teleporter event.

Newt Altar

You get to skip Mithrix, loop, and go shopping if you go this route! Perhaps the more appealing option of the four.

Option 3: Use the Compound Generator

Unlike hitting a Newt Altar to enter the Lunar Shop, you can engage the Compound Generator before or after the teleporter event. This is not a convenient option.

The Compound Generator is the area below the map used to go into Bulwark's Ambry to unlock Artifacts. Enter one of the codes in this Risk of Rain 2 Artifact unlock guide and be on your way, but do be prepared to fight.

Option 4: Spend on the Altar of Gold and Go to the Gilded Coast

The cost of activating the Altar of Gold is quite high, and there's a chance there won't even be one in Sky Meadow. But this is an option if there is an Altar of Gold available, and it has the added benefit of having Aurelionite help you with teleporter events moving forward, provided you clear the Gilded Coast.

Just activate the altar and use the gold portal after the teleporter event, rather than using the teleporter, to enter the Gilded Coast and hopefully move onto the next loop.

Those are all of the primary methods for skipping the Mithrix fight in Risk of Rain 2, for those who have and have not beaten him into the ground yet.

Though the intended method is the easiest, the other methods of skipping the moon and Mithrix completely are viable for players who haven't beaten the boss yet and don't want to bother, or for those who get unlucky with their Primordial Teleporter spawn that run. If you found this guide helpful, check out our other Risk of Rain 2 guides here on GameSkinny.

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Risk of Rain 2: All Red Items Guide https://www.gameskinny.com/5xbca/risk-of-rain-2-all-red-items-guide https://www.gameskinny.com/5xbca/risk-of-rain-2-all-red-items-guide Mon, 31 Aug 2020 17:15:21 -0400 Ashley Shankle

Red items aren't absolutely necessary for a good Risk of Rain 2 run, but they definitely help. Reds add some extra oomph to your build no matter your skill level, the survivor you've chosen, or the difficulty you're running on.

If you're playing with the Command artifact on, you can choose which red items you get, but even without Command, getting a random red is a welcome surprise to a run.

Below are all of the red items in Risk of Rain 2, along with what they do, how they stack, and my recommendations for use with my over 300 hours of game time. Not all red items are created equal, but they're all welcome additions to an item spread.

All Risk of Rain 2 Red Items

57 Leaf Clover

Though the 57 Leaf Clover's effects may not be obvious at first glance, you'll feel its effects if you've got any on-hit items.

The Clover increases the proc chance for most of the game's on-hit items, such as Ukelele, Tri-tip Dagger, Happiest Mask, and so on. It also affects crit chance. It doesn't affect Tougher Times or the Rusted Key, however; nor does it affect chest spawn rates. The Clover does stack.

Aegis

With this artifact, you'll be granted a barrier as you are healed past full health, starting at 50% of the amount healed. Each Aegis after the first increases the percentage of healing converted, with two granting 100% shielding, three granting 150% shielding, and so on.

Some items go better with this than others, notably the Rejuvenation Rack. On characters that attack quickly and often (Commando, Huntress, etc.) this can be a huge lifesaver when paired with Leeching Seed and Harvester's Scythe.

Alien Head

You want cooldown reduction? Because the Alien Head is how you get perpetual cooldown reduction.

The Alien Head decreases your cooldowns by 25% at base, but it gives diminishing benefits with each one as you stack them.

Brainstalks

Even more cooldown reduction, you say? Later in a run, particularly on Monsoon, Brainstalks makes the Alien Head almost obsolete. Here's how:

When you have Brainstalks and kill an elite enemy, you enter a frenzied state for four seconds that chops your skill cooldowns down to nearly nothing. Brainstalks enables you to spam like nothing else.

Each Brainstalks you have on-hand increases its duration by four seconds.

Brilliant Behemoth

A carryover from the first game, the Brilliant Behemoth enables all your attacks to explode on hit, dealing an additional 60% damage to nearby enemies. Each stack of Behemoth increases the explosion radius.

The Brilliant Behemoth is a very straightforward item to increase your overall damage output, particularly if you're using a very spammy survivor. It's not necessarily a must-have on long runs, but it sure helps you get further easier. It does not proc on-hits.

Ceremonial Dagger

Unlike the Brilliant Behemoth, the Ceremonial Dagger does proc on-hits; though it only comes into play once you kill something.

The Ceremonial Dagger releases three daggers when an enemy dies, which then seek out and deal damage to other enemies. Each stack increases the damage, with the first one dealing 150% damage and subsequent stacks adding another 150% on top for each one.

Dio's Best Friend

Dio's Best Friend revives you at full health once you die, after a brief death animation. You'll have a couple of seconds to move around with invincibility before being set loose and able to die once again.

This one's a sleeper hit, but can be a total run saver. Once you revive, however, it is consumed.

Frost Relic

Don't worry, Risk of Rain players. This thing won't crash your game if you have a few stacks here in Risk of Rain 2.

Frost Relic surrounds you with an ice field upon killing an enemy, which deals 600% damage per second to enemies within its radius. Its damage doesn't increase per stack, but its maximum radius does increase and it does proc on-hits.

It's not recommended you bother getting a Frost Relic when playing a ranged character, but melee survivors like Loader, Acrid, and Mercenary can get a huge damage boost from this red.

H3AD-5T v2

Either you love H3AD-5T v2 or you hate it, I'm in the latter camp but it does have its uses.

This item passively increases jump height, negates falling damage in general, and has a built-in stomp attack that can deal a massive amount of damage and in a huge radius depending on how quickly you're moving.

Stacking the H3AD-5T v2 decreases its cooldown, but does not increase its damage or jump height. You'll have to stack Hopoo Feathers like the rest of us for that.

Happiest Mask

If you want an army but are dissatisfied with drones, the Happiest Mask should be your go-to. This item has a low chance of spawning a ghost of any enemy you kill, whether normal, elite, or even a boss.

Enemy ghosts deal much higher damage than their living counterparts, but only last 30 seconds by default. Each stack increases the duration they stick around by 30 seconds.

Hardlight Afterburner

If you're playing someone like Huntress, Acrid, or Mercenary with a huge reliance on your utility skill for safety, you could do with a lot worse than the Hardlight Afterburner.

This item adds two charges to your utility skill, and reduces its cooldown by 33%. It's easy to see why the Afterburner is so great.

Each stack grants two additional utility skill charges, but that might be overkill.

Interstellar Desk Plant

This is a weird one, but it can be a lifesaver in the case of melee survivors.

Five seconds after killing an enemy, a plant will spawn in its place to grant 10% maximum HP healing each second for 10 seconds. Each stack only grants radius on this one, and it's certainly not as useful as some other items, but can be a potent aid if you have an Aegis or N'kuhana's Opinion.

N'kuhana's Opinion

How this one actually works is a little strange, but let's put it this way: Your healing fires skills at nearby enemies, each one dealing 250% damage. But only once you reach a healing threshold.

N'kuhana's Opinion needs a chunk of healing items to be worthwhile, and a Rejuvenation Rack to be especially effective. Each stack increases skull damage.

Rejuvenation Rack

What this item does is simple: doubles your healing. Each stack increases the amount, and it affects all healing sources.

Resonance Disc

The Resonance Disc is a little strange, but stick with me here.

Each time you kill an enemy, the Resonance Disc gains a charge. At full charge, it launches out from you toward a random enemy target. It pierces all enemies in transit, then returns to you. Ultimately dealing two hits to enemies along the way, and a single large hit to the target.

The damage on this increases per stack, without diminishing returns. The piercing hits do proc on-hits, but the hit on the target enemy does not.

Sentient Meat Hook

The Sentient Meat Hook has a chance to latch onto up to ten nearby enemies when attacking, with the hook dragging them along with you and dealing damage.

This item stacks with diminishing returns, but each stack increases the amount of enemies it grabs by five. It's not too shabby, and it can be very useful for AoE skills.

Shattering Justice

Shattering Justice can equate to one of the overall highest damage increases in the game if it's held by a survivor with particularly high attack speed or multiple multi-hit skills that can go off in succession all the time.

Each hit with Shattering Justice adds a counter up to five on a target, and when the counter is full the enemy gets a flat armor reduction of 60, for a base eight seconds. A Huntress Flurry critical hit applies it instantly.

This gets to be one of the best party-wide items in the game, but it should be picked up by any rapid attacker even when solo.

Soulbound Catalyst

The Soulbound Catalyst is perfect for the player who loves their equipment items, as kills reduce a player's equipment cooldowns by 4 seconds each. It eventually boils down to your equipment being up almost all the time.

With a couple of these babies, your equipment really will be up and ready to use all the time. Missiles? Accumulator? Whatever else? Bam! You've got it right there to use, all the time. Each stack increases the cooldown reduction by an additional two seconds.

Unstable Tesla Coil

Is the Tesla the best item in the game? I like to think so, but it might not be.

The Unstable Tesla Coil deals damage to three enemies every half a second when it's on, and switches off every ten seconds. Then switches back on and does it again. Its benefit lies in there being absolutely no requirement for it to zap your foes, it just does it.

Each stack adds two targets at a time. There's really no downside to this thing.

Wake of Vultures

If you haven't gotten a Wake of Vultures and delved deep into a run, you haven't lived.

Wake of Vultures grants you the power of any elite enemies you kill for 8 seconds after the fact. That's quite the benefit considering the number of elites and their effects. You'll leave fire trails behind you like burning elites, have half your health converted to a shield like an overloading, and even get the invisibility bubble of celestine enemies on kill with this item.

Thanks for reading my guide on all of Risk of Rain 2's red items and their effects. Take a look at some of our other RoR2 guides, including an artifact unlock guide if you're still on the journey to all the game's unlocks.

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Risk of Rain 2 Artifact Code and Unlock Guide https://www.gameskinny.com/51ior/risk-of-rain-2-artifact-code-and-unlock-guide https://www.gameskinny.com/51ior/risk-of-rain-2-artifact-code-and-unlock-guide Mon, 10 Aug 2020 14:42:29 -0400 Ashley Shankle

Any dedicated Risk of Rain 2 player will tell you that slapping a bunch of artifacts onto a run is the best way to stay interested once you're a few hundred runs in. You'll feel like a god of inclement weather.

There are two routes you can take for unlocking Risk of Rain 2's artifacts.

The first route is to seek out the codes hidden throughout the game's stages, which you can then use at a particular mechanism found in Sky Meadow. The second is to just look up the codes and do the exact same thing at Sky Meadow.

We're going to go with the second option here and only display the codes, along with each artifact's function.

How to Unlock Artifacts in Risk of Rain 2

So, where is the mechanism you need to unlock artifacts found in Sky Meadow?

The mechanism can be found on the bottom rung of the stage. Usually, there are two holes the player can fall into to reach it, as pictured above.

If you're mostly safe and can't find its location, try to fall off the side of the map and look around to find the platform. It is always there.

Once you reach the mechanism, you'll need to configure a six-model display to a valid artifact code.

In this guide, we'll be listing from left to right and from top to bottom as seen in the image above.

Once you input a valid code, go to the terminal across from the input array and choose "Submit Code". If the code you have entered is valid, a large portal will appear on the platform for you to enter.

What's to come is the hardest part, as you'll have to fight in the Bulwark's Ambry to unlock the artifact for good.

The artifact will be enabled in the Ambry, giving you a glimpse of the challenge that awaits when using the artifact and, in many cases, giving you a run for your money in even attempting the thing.

You'll have to use the first Artifact Key you find (which is a yellow item) on the artifact's cell in the middle of the stage to begin the challenge. From there, you'll need to stay alive and slay enemies until another key drops.

You will have to insert a total of four keys to complete the challenge and unlock the artifact.

Risk of Rain 2 Artifact Codes and Effects

Artifact of Chaos Pattern

This artifact enables friendly fire for survivors and for enemies, which dramatically increases the difficulty in multiplayer and seems to decrease it a bit in singleplayer (as there are no friends to shoot you). The code is as follows:

  • Circle, Triangle, Circle
  • Circle, Triangle, Circle
  • Circle, Triangle, Circle
Artifact of Command Pattern

This artifact allows you to choose the items you get out of chests and boss drops rather than depending entirely on luck. However, you cannot affect the rarity of the item drops. You can choose yellow and blue items just as you would the others, and you can even choose your reds from the Lunar Shop.

  • Square, Square, Square
  • Square, Square, Square
  • Triangle, Triangle, Triangle
Artifact of Death Pattern

When enabled, this artifact makes it so that a single player death means the whole team dies. This doesn't do anything in single-player but is an interesting addition to a dedicated team's artifact array.

  • Circle, Circle, Circle
  • Square, Triangle, Square
  • Circle, Triangle, Circle
Artifact of Dissonance Pattern

Another artifact that really shakes things up, Dissonance makes it so monsters appear outside of their usual environments. Bison in the Abyssal Depths? Sure! Clay Templars in Siren's Call? Sure! This one makes things less predictable, which is a boon to long time players.

  • Circle, Square, Square
  • Square, Square, Square
  • Square, Square, Circle
Artifact of Enigma Pattern

If you find yourself getting bored using those predictable equipment items, why not get Enigma and its random equipment item effect? Enigma randomizes your equipment item each time you use it, so you never know what you're going to get. Equipment cooldown reduction effects do still apply.

  • Diamond, Square, Square
  • Triangle, Square, Triangle
  • Circle, Diamond, Diamond
Artifact of Evolution Pattern

Ever wanted the pain of Burning Elite Lemurians, but instead, it's regular Lemurians with Tri-tip Daggers? This artifact's for you! Evolution gives enemies items between stages, making them a more varied and potent threat as you push through a run. Golems with Razorwire? Brrr.

  • Diamond, Diamond, Diamond
  • Square, Square, Square
  • Circle, Circle, Circle

Artifact of Frailty Pattern

Frailty doubles fall damage and makes it lethal. Falling a bit too far when you're deep into a run isn't just risky with this artifact, it can be a downright run-ender.

  • Circle, Circle, Circle
  • Triangle, Circle, Triangle
  • Triangle, Triangle, Triangle
Artifact of Glass Pattern

This one would be even more aptly named "Artifact of Glass Cannon," because that's exactly what it does. Glass makes it so allies deal 500% damage, but only have 10% health. Pair this with Artifact of Swarms to see enemies pop like balloons, but you'll have to work extra hard to stay alive.

  • Diamond, Diamond, Diamond
  • Diamond, Diamond, Diamond
  • Diamond, Diamond, Diamond
Artifact of Honor Pattern

This artifact makes it so enemies only spawn as elites, which isn't as terrible as it sounds if you stack some Old Guillotines early on to make them pop like balloons after reaching half health.

  • Square, Square, Square
  • Square, Triangle, Square
  • Square, Square, Square
Artifact of Kin Pattern

With Kin enabled, only one enemy type will spawn per stage. You may have to fend off just a bunch of Lemurians, but you could also be bombarded with Golems, Elder Wisps, or whatever else the game decides to torture you with. This one gets incredibly dangerous deep into a run.

  • Circle, Triangle, Triangle
  • Diamond, Circle, Triangle
  • Diamond, Diamond, Circle
Artifact of Metamorphosis Pattern

Why stress about who to play, when you can just use this artifact? Metamorphosis spawns players as a random survivor at each stage, ensuring no build goes too perfect. This is more of a funsies one than some others but can be an entertaining challenge whether you want to learn the entire roster or just want to keep things dynamic.

  • Diamond, Square, Circle
  • Diamond, Square, Circle
  • Diamond, Square, Circle
Artifact of Sacrifice Pattern

Sacrifice causes all chests to disappear, and instead enemies drop items on death. This is a great artifact for players who like to rush the teleporter, and it sets you up for very speedy loop times. Make sure to use Shrines of Combat for extra item opportunities.

  • Triangle, Triangle, Triangle
  • Triangle, Triangle, Triangle
  • Triangle, Diamond, Triangle
Artifact of Soul Pattern

Soul puts the bane of most Risk of Rain 2 players at the forefront: Wisps. This artifact causes wisps to emerge from defeated enemies. The wisps are blue and drop no money (and no items with Sacrifice enabled), but are just as annoying as their regular orange counterparts.

  • Circle, Square, Circle
  • Circle, Diamond, Circle
  • Square, Diamond, Square
Artifact of Spite Pattern

Melee characters beware, as Spite causes enemies to drop a cluster of exploding bombs on death. This is a particularly dangerous artifact for players who aren't the best at positioning, and it can unceremoniously turn a great run into a finished run.

  • Triangle, Circle, Triangle
  • Circle, Circle, Circle
  • Triangle, Circle, Triangle
Artifact of Swarms Pattern

A personal favorite, this artifact halves enemy health and doubles their spawns. Enemies can be taken down far more easily with this artifact enabled, but it's just as easy to be overwhelmed by their numbers.

  • Circle, Circle, Triangle
  • Triangle, Diamond, Triangle
  • Triangle, Circle, Circle
Artifact of Vengeance Pattern

Vengeance causes a doppelganger to spawn every 10 minutes, with the items of the player it copies. This is a challenge, particularly once you are stacked with items, for a variety of reasons.

  • Diamond, Square, Square
  • Diamond, Circle, Square
  • Diamond, Square, Square

---

That's the end of the artifacts we have available in Risk of Rain 2. Every player has their favorite combination, though many less experienced players simply opt to unlock and use Command to choose their own items. Playing with an optimal build, or even a purposefully gimmicky one, is fun in its own right.

Check out our other Risk of Rain 2 guides here on GameSkinny, the list of which growing fast with the game's full 1.0 release.

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Risk of Rain 2 Bringing Server Browser in 1.0, Update Delayed https://www.gameskinny.com/vbd8z/risk-of-rain-2-bringing-server-browser-in-10-update-delayed https://www.gameskinny.com/vbd8z/risk-of-rain-2-bringing-server-browser-in-10-update-delayed Fri, 22 May 2020 14:42:03 -0400 Ashley Shankle

Hopoo's track record with Risk of Rain 2's Early Access content updates has been nearly spotless, but with 1.0 looming, the developer finally needs that little bit of extra time to get the game to a full release state.

The full Risk of Rain 2 1.0 release date has been delayed to August 2020, promising to peel out of its relatively short Early Access period in full bravado with a brand new server browser and hosting system.

Tossing the current quickplay system to the side, the new server browser will allow players to browse servers by active artifacts, specific player caps, difficulty, and ping.

The image Hopoo showed of the server browser also shows that rooms holding up to 16 players will be possible, which is an exciting prospect.

They also mentioned Risk of Rain 2 players on console will still be receiving the artifact update on time in June, but the console release of 1.0 will be delayed similar to the PC version.

Keep your eyes on GameSkinny for further Risk of Rain 2 news, as well as guides for the game.

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PlayStation 4 Hidden Gems Sale Sparkles With Big Deals https://www.gameskinny.com/ptan3/playstation-4-hidden-gems-sale-sparkles-with-big-deals https://www.gameskinny.com/ptan3/playstation-4-hidden-gems-sale-sparkles-with-big-deals Thu, 07 May 2020 20:25:39 -0400 GS_Staff

Sony is keeping the PS4 sales coming with PlayStation 4's Hidden Gems Sale, which is live now through May 20 at 11 a.m. EST. 

There are several hundred games on sale, spanning almost every genre one can think of, from action-adventure to strategy, RPG, shooters, and VR. Some are incredibly obscure, while others are household names. 

Almost all of the discounts are worth checking out, while some are 75%, making them quite the steal. Here's a list of just a few of the bargain-bin games, with a link to the entire sale at the bottom of the page. 

Note that the Destiny 2 discounts below are only available until May 13. 

Game Sale Price Reg. Price
Absolver $7.49 $29.99
Abzu $9.99 $19.99
Age of Wonders: Planetfall $24.99 $49.99
Arizona Sunshine $11.99 $39.99
Banner Saga Trilogy $19.99 $49.99
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night $19.99 $39.99
Child of Light $4.49 $14.99
Children of Morta $14.73 $21.99
Control $29.99 $59.99
Dandara: Trials of Fear Ed. $5.99 $14.99
Darkwood $7.49 $14.99
Destiny 2: Forsaken $14.99 $24.99
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep $20.99 $34.99
Don't Starve Together Console Ed. $7.49 $14.99
Enter the Gungeon $7.49 $14.99
Farming Simulator 17 $7.99 $19.99
Gris $8.49 $16.99
Guacamelee 2 Complete $5.74 $22.99
Journey to the Savage Planet $17.99 $29.99
Layers of Fear + Observer Bundle $11.99 $39.99
Life is Strange Complete Season 1 $3.99 $19.99
Mark of the Ninja: Remastered $9.99 $19.99
Mutant Year Zero Road to Eden $17.49 $34.99
Nidhogg 2 $3.74 $14.99
Overcooked + Overcooked 2 $17.49 $34.99
Payday 2 Crimewave Ed. $4.99 $19.99
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Ultimate Ed. $38.99 $59.99
Risk of Rain 2 $14.99 $29.99
Shadow Warrior 2 $9.99 $39.99
Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom $2.49 $9.99
Sparklite $14.99 $24.99
Subnautica $17.99 $29.99
Terraria PS4 Ed. $5.99 $19.99
The Jackbox Party Pack $12.49 $24.99
The Surge $5.99 $19.99
The Talos Principle Deluxe Ed. $4.99 $49.99
Trine Ultimate Collection $19.99 $49.99
Yakuza 3, 4, 5 Remastered $19.99 $24.99

 

That's just a very small sampling of what's on offer during the PlayStation Hidden Gems sale. Head over to the sale's PlayStation Store page for more. The store's Big in Japan Sale and Games Under $20 are also live as well for even more savings. 

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How to Unlock Acrid in Risk of Rain 2 https://www.gameskinny.com/1awwp/how-to-unlock-acrid-in-risk-of-rain-2 https://www.gameskinny.com/1awwp/how-to-unlock-acrid-in-risk-of-rain-2 Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:45:01 -0500 Ashley Shankle

Hopoo promised we'd see a substantial update to Risk of Rain 2 in December, and as usual, they have stayed true to their word. The new Hidden Realms update is out and allows players to unlock the survivor Acrid, among other things.

The Hidden Realms update brings a lot more than Acrid. There are new hidden stages, new items, new stage variants, new chest types, and more. Read the patch notes on Steam; they're enough for any Risk of Rain 2 player to get excited about.

As an Acrid main in the original Risk of Rain, his addition to the sequel is a huge surprise, as Hopoo had previously mentioned the poison pup wasn't going to be making it into Risk of Rain 2. He's here now, though, and doesn't play that much different from the first game.

How to Unlock Acrid in Risk of Rain 2

Acrid is the hardest survivor to unlock so far, save for trying to get the Loader deep into a run. We're going to go into this step by step, because it is a huge pain.

You probably do not want to try this after hitting the Lunar Shrine on the very first stage unless you are on Drizzle. I have no idea what the difficulty of this is like on Rainstorm or Drizzle as I did it on Monsoon out of habit, and it was incredibly difficult.

The reason for this is you need healing. You absolutely must have some decent regeneration to deal with this challenge. Even just fungus  you need something to help keep you alive.

Step 1. Pop a Lunar Shrine to Gain Access to the Bazaar Between Worlds and Find the Null Portal

Walk down like you normally would to enter the bazaar, but don't enter it. Instead, turn your camera and look below the platforms to see the platform below. It's circled in the following image.

Drop down onto the platform. Don't worry too much if you fall all the way down; you can just try again.

From here, turn your camera down and look for the light green area shown in this image.

Jump to the platform pictured, then make your way into the tunnel. You will come across a purple Null Portal within. Enter the portal.

Step 2. Complete the Void Fields

Entering the Null Portal will take you to the Void Fields, a desolate and harsh environment that drains your health persistently while outside the Cell Vent fields. Hence my warning that you need healing.

This area is tricky to navigate and hard to deal with.

You must activate all nine of the area's Cell Vents, which sounds easy enough. It's not.

When you open a Cell Vent, you will have to defeat enemies in a fashion similar to regular teleporter events.

The difference here is that enemies will absorb the powers of random items when you open some Cell Vents, and you take persistent damage outside of the Cell Vent fields.

Once you finish one of these events, the field will rapidly disperse and leave you to hunt down the next one.

You don't have to wander around here completely aimlessly, luckily enough. Keep your eye on the sky and look for a purple beam of light to find the next Cell Vent each time.

Once you have activated the ninth Cell Vent, you will receive the "...To Be Left Alone" achievement, which finally unlocks Acrid.

This all sounds a bit trivial written out, but I had a very hard time doing this on Monsoon, and it took about 15 minutes. If you're not a confident Risk of Rain 2 player, unlock Acrid on a lower difficulty.

---

Acrid is a fan favorite from the first Risk of Rain, and my personal main in the original. His kit hasn't changed too much here in Risk of Rain 2, but how does he compare to the rest of the lineup? That's something I'm about to test out myself.

Good luck unlocking Acrid in Risk of Rain 2! If you found this guide helpful, take a look at our other Risk of Rain 2 guides here on GameSkinny.

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Risk of Rain 2 on Console to Get Skills 2.0 Update https://www.gameskinny.com/4dm1z/risk-of-rain-2-on-console-to-get-skills-20-update https://www.gameskinny.com/4dm1z/risk-of-rain-2-on-console-to-get-skills-20-update Fri, 06 Dec 2019 11:10:05 -0500 Ashley Shankle

Those playing Risk of Rain 2 on console won't have to wait much longer for the game's big skill update to land. The game's official Twitter revealed yesterday that the Skills 2.0 content update will be released for the console versions of Risk of Rain 2 on Tuesday, December 10.

The Skills 2.0 update arrived on PC in September, and with it came the Siren's Call stage, skill variants for skill loadout customization, skins, new items, and the Loader survivor, who's a punching powerhouse.

In just a few days, players on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One will get access to the update's many new features that may or may not have added an extra 60 hours to my personal playtime already.

The Loader may seem like the most exciting addition to Risk of Rain 2 in this update, but the real boon is the inclusion of skill variants.

Risk of Rain 2's skill variants are unlocked by completing special challenges for a survivor. Once completed, players can see the 'Loadout' button in character select. Players will then be able to swap their base skills for their alternative counterparts.

The new stage with the update, Siren's Call, is one I've come to hate as an alternative to Abyssal Depths thanks to the stage's alloy vultures and the bosses that come with them. If you have trouble finding the teleporter on Abyssal Depths, though, this addition may be very welcome.

If you're on PC, though, you should still have something to look forward to. The Early Access forecast for Risk of Rain 2 makes mention of a December update including a new survivor, hidden realms, bosses, and items. There's no official word on its release date yet, though Hopoo's track record thus far gives hope it will be released on time.

Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more Risk of Rain 2 news and information as it drops. 

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Risk of Rain 2 Now on PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One https://www.gameskinny.com/imw88/risk-of-rain-2-now-on-ps4-nintendo-switch-and-xbox-one https://www.gameskinny.com/imw88/risk-of-rain-2-now-on-ps4-nintendo-switch-and-xbox-one Fri, 30 Aug 2019 17:07:59 -0400 Ashley Shankle

The theories within the community that today's Risk of Rain 2 news was going to be a surprise console release were right: RoR2 is now available on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One!

Risk of Rain 2 had a very successful Early Access launch on Steam earlier this year and received its last large update in early July, introducing the new character Rex to the roster as well as a new change and a chunk of other new content.

Though I'm usually not a supporter of PC Early Access titles jumping to console while still in an unfinished state, Risk of Rain 2 proves to be a worthy successor to the original 2013 indie darling even without all the bells and whistles promised down the line. Unlike some Early Access titles, your adversary is in the gameplay  not in a slew of bugs.

Risk of Rain 2's is now on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One for $29.99, a small price to pay for one of the most engrossing multiplayer roguelites currently available.

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Indie World Showcase Reveals Ori, Risk of Rain 2, Eastward, and Much More https://www.gameskinny.com/dzd53/indie-world-showcase-reveals-ori-risk-of-rain-2-eastward-and-much-more https://www.gameskinny.com/dzd53/indie-world-showcase-reveals-ori-risk-of-rain-2-eastward-and-much-more Mon, 19 Aug 2019 10:06:42 -0400 Josh Broadwell

Nintendo aired its fall Nindies showcase today, just in time for the start of Gamescom this week. It's the usual mix of existing titles and brand-new indie offerings, with some big surprises and hits thrown in for good measure.

Let's get started.

Ori and the Blind Forest

The rumors were true. Moon Studios and Microsoft are bringing Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition to Nintendo Switch on September 27. This evocative metroidvania features gorgeous art, atmospheric music, and all the challenge you'd expect from a finely crafted game in the genre.

Risk of Rain 2

Another high-demand title is coming to the Switch as well: Risk of Rain 2. It's the 3D follow up to Hoopoo Games' smash-hit original roguelike Risk of Rain. It's set to launch sometime this summer after an outpouring of requests from fans asking the game to be ported.

Check out our early impressions of the game on PC here

Upcoming Releases

Eastward

Chucklefish's latest game is called Eastward. It takes a Stardew Valley approach to building community and relationships — but sets it in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. It also places a greater emphasis on combat and resource management.

There's also a central story based on a mysterious young girl living in an underground facility. Eastward is set for a 2020 launch date.

Roki

Roki from Polygon Treehouse is another dark fairytale game, but unlike others that place the player squarely in the protagonist role, the player might just be the monster in Roki. Boasting gorgeous graphics and a mysterious story — plus friendly animals — Roki will launch sometime in winter.

Youropa

Another new announcement is Youropa, from Frecle a gravity-based puzzle platformer. It's set in a surreal, seemingly post-apocalyptic world that needs rebuilding — and you can rebuild it however you want alongside your customizable avatar. Youropa releases sometime this winter.

Dungeon Defenders: Awakened

The hit tower defense game Dungeon Defenders is getting a sequel of sorts called Dungeon Defenders: Awakened. It puts up to four players together to build their way to victory and cut through mobs of invading enemies across a plethora of locales and environments.

It's a timed exclusive on the Switch and will launch in February 2020.

The Touryst

Shin-en is bringing another game to the Switch with The TourystThe Touryst is a blocky sim-and-exploration game that sees the tiny protagonist exploring a strange island with a split personality.

On the surface, the island is the average tourist destination, but underneath is a set of ruins and bizarre puzzles hiding a big mystery. The Touryst will release in November 2019.

Earth Night

The endless runner genre has seen a bit of a lull recently, but that's about to change with Earth Night. Featuring lovely 2D pixel art, over-the-top environments, and dragons — lots of dragons — Earth Night challenges players with the usual endless runner material: make it through alive, and gather as much as possible. Expect it sometime later this year.

Old Favorites

Skellboy

Skellboy isn't exactly a new release — sort of. It's been up for a while on Steam and was first shown off last December.

Part average Zelda-like exploration and action game, part body-swapping simulator, Skellboy lets players exchange body parts to overcome challenges and save the world. Skellboy will finally be available for purchase December 3.

Torchlight II

Torchlight II is also making its way to Nintendo Switch, with its signature manic action and quirky settings. It'll also have an exclusive pet unicorn when it launches on September 3.

Today's Releases

Superhot

Superhot is a shoot-and-slash physics game, letting players take control of time and space to try and survive in a world full of heat signatures and death. It's out today on the Nintendo eShop.

Hotline Miami Collection

Devolver Digital's Hotline Miami Collection has been around on other platforms for a while, and it's making its way to the Switch today. It contains both classic Hotline Miami games on one download — and that's a lot of explosive action.

---

The indie scene on the Switch has been vibrant from the beginning. Nintendo is apparently keeping its promise to cultivate good relationships with a variety of developers, even former rivals, with something for almost everyone on the way in the next six months.

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Risk of Rain 2: How to Unlock the New Character Rex https://www.gameskinny.com/dft1u/risk-of-rain-2-how-to-unlock-the-new-character-rex https://www.gameskinny.com/dft1u/risk-of-rain-2-how-to-unlock-the-new-character-rex Tue, 25 Jun 2019 14:04:30 -0400 Ashley Shankle

If you've already put dozens of hours into Risk of Rain 2 like yours truly (some of you in the several hundred hours range by now), you are surely chomping at the bit for the update including the new character Rex, who you surely would like to unlock.

The new biome is super cool, but our focus here is on unlocking Rex, the newest addition to the Risk of Rain 2 roster. Rex is a little different, but a new character is a new character.

There are three basic steps to unlocking Rex:

  1. Grab the Fuel Array
  2. Don't take too much damage
  3. Reach Abyssal Depths and find him

Of course, there are some things to know.

Where to Grab the Fuel Array

The Fuel Array should be the very first item you grab if you're trying to add Rex to your roster.

Check out the back of your Escape Pod and you should find a panel. Open the panel to reveal the Fuel Array, then grab it to take with you.

The Fuel Array takes up your use item slot and has no function on its own, making it effective dead weight while you're on the way to the Abyssal Depths.

Don't Take Too Much Damage

No, for real. Don't.

Taking too much damage will cause the Fuel Array to explode and kill you.

This also counts when using Blood Shrines, so steer clear of those when holding the Fuel Array as they will probably kill you instantly.

Find Rex in the Abyssal Depths

Rex is a hard bot to find, I'll give him that.

It's in your best interest to focus on finding Rex before you really do anything else in the Abyssal Depths, which can be a task even if you're loading in there around the 11- to 15-minute mark.

I died my first time trying to get to Rex and conveniently forgot to grab the Fuel Array on restart, so I actually made my way to Rex... without the Array. I'm very clever, clearly.

Here are a few shots of him from that shameful run at varying angles and distances so you know what to look for.

Rex can be found nearly anywhere in the level, including the overhead platforms, which is where the above shots were taken). You may have to go over the entire stage before you'll find him  I know I did both times.

Once you reach him with the Fuel Array, you can repair the robot and receive the Power Plant achievement, which unlocks Rex for future playthroughs. Congratulations and good luck on future runs with this crabby boy!

Check out our other Risk of Rain 2 guides on GameSkinny.

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GameSkinny Weekend Download: Days Gone, Sea of Thieves, Borderlands 3, More https://www.gameskinny.com/jg80y/gameskinny-weekend-download-days-gone-sea-of-thieves-borderlands-3-more https://www.gameskinny.com/jg80y/gameskinny-weekend-download-days-gone-sea-of-thieves-borderlands-3-more Sat, 04 May 2019 09:48:22 -0400 GS_Staff

GameSkinny's Weekend Download is back to bring you the week that was here on the site.  

Here's most of everything we published this week in one easy to digest roundup. While we didn't cover everything, we did report on Borderlands 3 microtransactions; we reviewed Days Gone, even if it isn't exactly what we thought it might be; and we talked about why Sea of Thieves is still relevant a year later. 

We also wrote guides on Mortal Kombat 11, Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, Days Gone, and Katana ZERO. That's not to mention a handful of reviews and features. 

Sit back. Relax. Enjoy. It's the weekend. What else are you gonna' do? Play video games? 

News

  • Borderlands 3 Gameplay Streams to Show ECHOcast, Give Viewers In-Game Rewards
    A special Borderlands 3 gameplay reveal stream will allow viewers to experience ECHOcast as well as enter for the chance to win in-game items. Read more

  • Borderlands 3 Gameplay Stream Reveals Co-Op Features, Plot, and More
    The Borderlands 3 gameplay stream showed off a number of features, from skill trees to alternate gun modes. And there might not be microtransactions? Read more

  • Borderlands 3 Will Have Cosmetic Microtransactions, Not Pay-to-Win
    2K releases statement clarifying microtransactions in Borderlands 3. Read more

  • Mortal Kombat 11 Getting Multiple Patches Across All Platforms
    New Mortal Kombat 11 patches will tweak Towers of Time difficulty, address some bugs, and offer a special gift to players. Read more.
     
  • Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Gets Release Date, New Trailer
    The newest IGA-vania game is set for a launch date that's a lot sooner than many might have expected, though the Switch version's release date is a bit later. Read more

  • Valve Opens Pre-Orders for Next-Gen VR Headset
    Steam is jumping back into VR hardware with the updated Index system, available to pre-order for a cool grand. Read more

  • The Sinking City Shows Off Investigative Mechanics In New Gameplay Video
    Watch 12 minutes of non-linear investigative gameplay in this new clip featuring developer commentary from Frogwares. Read more.

  • Figment, Musical Indie Adventure of the Mind, Comes to PS4 Soon
    Bedtime Digital Games' acclaimed musical indie adventure is launching in May on its most requested platform. Read more

  • Sea of Thieves Anniversary Update Adds New Story, PvP, and More
    The new Sea of Thieves update adds a variety of gameplay elements and hopes to give players reason to keep exploring the high seas for a long time to come. Read more

  • Star Citizen Goes Temporarily Free to Play Following 3.5 Update
    Play Star Citizen for free until May 8 and test out everything released in the recent 3.5 update. Read more

  • Download The Pokemon Pass And Get Cool Digital Content
    The Pokemon Company is offering fans a chance to get special goodies using the Pokemon Pass app. Read more

  • Razer Announces Dual Driver In-Ear Hedset For Mobile Entertainment
    Razer adds headset perfect for games on the go to its lineup, the Hammerhead Duo. Read more

  • Activision to Announce New Call of Duty, Hopes to Retain More Players
    Activision Blizzard's financial report provides a few teases about the newest Call of Duty game, including how the company plans to support it more than other CoD games. Read more

  • Respawn Outlines Anti-Cheater Plans, Bans 770K+ Players
    Respawn's project lead gave an update on Apex Legends' anti-cheater war, with some big numbers to show how their efforts have paid off. Read more

  • Risk of Rain 2 Floods Early Access With More Than 1 Million Units Sold
    Shortly after its launch on Steam's Early Access, roguelike shooter Risk of Rain 2 sells a whopping 33% of its predecessor's total sales. Read more

Reviews

  • Mortal Kombat 11 Review: (Nearly) Flawless Victory
    Almost three decades since the original, Mortal Kombat 11 proves the fighter's might is still strong. Read more

  • VA-11 HALL-A Review: A Stylish Visual Novel That Feels at Home on Nintendo Switch
    The visual novel VA-11 HALL-A arrived on Nintendo Switch, mixing drinks and changing lives with great characters and tons of style. Read more

  • Turtle Beach Recon 70 Headset Review: A Thrifty Option for PS4 Owners
    Turtle Beach's Recon 70 gaming headset is cheap but effective — a headset for somebody who wants a bargain and has nothing to prove. Read more

  • Days Gone Review: Gone Killin'
    Days Gone may not be game-changing like other PlayStation exclusives, but it's still a well put together title. Read more

Culture

  • ALpixel Games Discusses Open-World Narrative Game A Place For The Unwilling
    Spanish development team ALpixel games gives us an up close and personal look at the creation of an inspired 2D indie title. Read more

  • Pandemic Express: Currently (Train)Wrecking Through Early Access
    Pandemic Express's decent gameplay hooks aren't enough to salvage what is a broken, unfinished, and above all, unfun game. Read more

  • Why Sea of Thieves is More Relevant Than Ever
    Despite the odds, Sea of Thieves is still one of the most relevant, enjoyable live games out there. Here's why. Read more

  • How Long is Borderlands 3's Campaign? We Now Have a Better Idea
    How long is Borderlands 3? Gearbox Creative Director, Paul Sage, reveals that the looter-shooter's as big as you'd expect — and then some. Read more

  • What's Does the Future Have in Store for PSVR? 6 Changes We Need to See
    From less clutter to better camera tracking and the ability to see your surroundings, we look at the must-have features that Sony needs to implement with the next PSVR. Read more

  • Lust From Beyond Beta Impressions: Bigger, Squishier, Sexier
    Nearly everything about the first game has been drastically improved and taken to a new level of sexy horror in this brief demo for Lust From Beyond. Read more

Guides

  • How to Make a Blast Furnace in Minecraft
    The blast furnace is finally in Minecraft Java, here's the recipe and how you get the components. Read more

  • Minecraft: How to Remove Bad Omen
    Learn about the bad omen status effect and how you can get rid of it. Read more

  • The Top 20 Minecraft 1.14 Seeds for May 2019
    Minecraft 1.14 is officially here! Now you can explore all of the latest features in the fullest with the help of our monthly selection of top Minecraft seeds. Read more

  • Survive in Days Gone With Our Beginner Tips
    Days Gone can be deadly for newcomers, so here are our best survival tips. Read more

  • Days Gone Collectibles Part One: Characters, NERO Intel, and Lab Notes
    Days Gone features hours of gameplay, thousands of angry running zombies, and a couple of hundred collectible items crammed into every corner of the map. Here are a bunch of them. Read more

  • Days Gone Collectibles Part Two: Radio Free Copeland, RIP Sermons, and Tourism
    Next up in our search for Days Gone's collectibles is a bunch of paranoid ranting as we talk about Radio Free Copeland, RIP Sermons, and the tourist attractions of post-apocalyptic Oregon. Read more

  • Days Gone Collectibles Part Three: Historical Markers, Herbology, and Camp Guitarist
    Music, plants, and local stories: our big guide to all 240 collectibles in 'Days Gone' wraps up with its historical markers, herbology, and music. Read more

  • How to Find All Krypt Key Items in Mortal Kombat 11
    Discover the locations of the key items you'll need to fully unlock the Krypt in Mortal Kombat 11. Read more

  • Sea of Thieves The Arena: A Tips and Tricks Beginner's Guide
    Sea of Thieves' new PVP mode, The Arena, is 24 minutes of sheer pirate chaos. Use our guide to get the pegleg up on your rivals. Read more

  • Sea of Thieves The Hunter's Call Guide: Fishing, Hunting, and Cooking
    If Sea of Thieves' new trading company, The Hunter's Call, has you stumped, follow our guide on all things fishing, cooking, and using that awesome new harpoon gun. Read more

  • Where to Find Merrick of the Hunter's Call in Sea of Thieves
    Learn how to find Merrick, Master of the Hunter's Call, in this guide to the new Sea of Thieves Anniversary Update. Read more

  • Katana ZERO: Where to Find All Keys
    These are all the secret key locations to unlock new weapons in Katana ZERO. Read more

  • Borderlands 3 Complete Siren & Operative Skill Tree Lists
    Amara and Zane each get three distinct skill trees to choose from based on whether you want to focus on melee, ranged, elemental, or drone-based combat. Read more

Check back next weekend for another roundup of news, reviews, guides, and features. 

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Risk of Rain 2 Floods Early Access With More Than 1 Million Units Sold https://www.gameskinny.com/z5zss/risk-of-rain-2-floods-early-access-with-more-than-1-million-units-sold https://www.gameskinny.com/z5zss/risk-of-rain-2-floods-early-access-with-more-than-1-million-units-sold Fri, 03 May 2019 15:33:54 -0400 GS_Staff

Risk of Rain 2 has achieved a monumental milestone. In barely more than five weeks, the roguelike shooter from Hopoo Games and Gearbox Publishing has shifted more than 1 million units as of a recent tally.

To put that into greater perspective, the original Risk of Rain has sold roughly 3 million+ units since launching in 2013. 

Paul Morse and Duncan Drummond, the two developers behind Risk of Rain and Risk of Rain 2, said they are "beyond excited" about the news, as well as the reception the sequel has garnered in a relatively short time. 

In a statement, they said: 

First off, we are beyond excited to announce that Risk of Rain 2 has surpassed one million sales on Steam alone in the month following our Early Access launch!

To give you guys a little bit of context, it took us almost five years to hit that same number on Steam for Risk of Rain 1. We are so excited to see how many of you are jumping into RoR 2 and bringing your friends with you, thank you all so much.

Last week, Morse and Drummond revealed Risk of Rain 2's content roadmap, showcasing what they hope to bring to the game between now and launch sometime in 2020. Updates are planned to include new survivors, new stages, new bosses, new items, new skills, and much more. 

The full roadmap, as it currently stands, can be seen below. 

Risk of Rain 2 roadmap

However, those larger updates aren't all Hopoo is doing to keep Risk of Rain 2 fresh for old and new players alike. Two weeks ago, the team released a patch that, among several bug fixes and enemy adjustments, overhauled the game's Magma Worm boss. 

Additionally, the team also released a patch shortly after launch that fixed issues with teleporters, Prismatic Trials, survivor Mul-T, and several other vexing bugs and hiccups. For those interested in keeping up with Risk of Rain 2's updates, be sure to check out Hopoo Games' Dev Blog

It's no surprise that RoR2 has sold as many units as it has. The game currently has a "Very Positive" rating on Steam across more than 14,000 reviews. We praised the game for being "immensely refreshing," saying that it is "already a truly stellar sequel to an already outstanding first attempt." 

Risk of Rain 2 is currently $19.99 on Steam. For players looking for tips about the roguelike shooter, be sure to head over to our Risk of Rain 2 guides page.

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How to Find Your Risk of Rain 2 Save Location and Behold Loads of Stats https://www.gameskinny.com/9v4ff/how-to-find-your-risk-of-rain-2-save-location-and-behold-loads-of-stats https://www.gameskinny.com/9v4ff/how-to-find-your-risk-of-rain-2-save-location-and-behold-loads-of-stats Fri, 19 Apr 2019 15:35:51 -0400 Ashley Shankle

If you're like me and have been playing a ton of Risk of Rain 2 lately, you may be interested in getting your hands on your overall game stats. For now, that has to be done by looking into your save file.

Within your save file are more stats than you can shake a stick at. Want to know how many Alien Heads you've picked up, how many times you've died to Golems, or the total amount of time you've played as your favorite character? You can check out all that data and more right there in your save. Nice.

It's very likely all or a fair number of these stats will be available in-game in a later update, but this is your only option at this point in Early Access. At least we have this method to take a gander at how we're doing for now, right?

Of course, you may want to alter your save file instead. That's really up to you.

Where Is Your Save Data?

Your Risk of Rain 2 save file location isn't hidden in the game's steamapps folder like you might expect. Instead, you have to delve into your userdata folder to get your hands on the file.

For me, the file can be found in the following location...

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\X\632360\remote\UserProfiles

... with the 'X' being my Steam profile number.

Your number will be different, so just make your way to the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata folder and figure out which profile is yours. From there, seek out the 632360 folder and you'll be well on your way.

Your save file will look pretty similar to mine in the image below.

Now:

  1. Right-click the file
  2. Mouse over 'Open with'
  3. Choose a text editor to open your save

I use Notepad since it's all plaintext. Whatever program you use, make sure you have word wrapping enabled to be able to properly see the data.

Doing this, you can see stats like:

  • Total kills
  • Total damage dealt and taken
  • Highest damage dealt
  • Loads of item stats
  • Total time alive with individual survivors
  • Total damage dealt to each enemy type
  • Total damage dealt/taken to/from each enemy type with individual survivors
  • Total kills on each enemy type

Honestly, it's a bit wild to be able to see all this stuff. The first Risk of Rain doesn't offer this amount of data in its in-game stats, so I'm curious whether all these Risk of Rain 2 stats will make it into the game at a later date. Even if not all of them get shown in the client, you'll always be able to take a look at the save file.

That's really about it. We've got a few Risk of Rain 2 guides to check out if you want to know more about Lunar Coins, how to unlock characters, and more. Enjoy the flurry of stats you're about to behold, and look out for those Elite Golem boss spawns. Those things are killer.

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How to Clear the Long Road as Fast as Possible in Risk of Rain 2 https://www.gameskinny.com/yta2p/how-to-clear-the-long-road-as-fast-as-possible-in-risk-of-rain-2 https://www.gameskinny.com/yta2p/how-to-clear-the-long-road-as-fast-as-possible-in-risk-of-rain-2 Wed, 10 Apr 2019 15:21:59 -0400 Jason Coles

Among the plethora of challenges that the fantastic Risk of Rain 2 presents you with, there is one which feels like the most skill intensive. While some merely ask you to survive and others have you hunting secrets, one, in particular, asks you to get really good at the game. 

I am, of course, talking about the Long Road challenge.

This is a challenge that asks you to complete 20 levels in a single run. For the record, that is just an awful lot of levels in a single run. 

Regardless, if you're a completionist or just love the game and want to get everything you can out of it, here are some tips on finishing this challenge. 

The Easiest Way to Clear the Long Road in Risk of Rain 2

Initially, there are two strategies for completing the Long Road challenge.

  1. You can grind out the first couple of levels to become as powerful as possible; this is fine except that the difficulty is always creeping up on you.

  2. Alternatively, you can rush through as quickly as possible and just hope for the best. 

As it turns out, there is another way. Though, you're going to need some Lunar Coins in order to have the best chance.

It turns out that going into a portal counts as a level. So, if you activate one Newt Shrine per level, you can effectively double your "levels" per level and finish this challenge after just 10 levels.  

If you use this little trick, you can make this frankly brutal challenge a little bit easier to achieve. This is well worth your time, too. Your reward for sticking with this challenge is the mighty 57 Leaf Clover.

The 57 Leaf Clover is a Red Tier item that adds an extra roll whenever something involving luck occurs. It also makes luck outcomes more favorable to you. So, if you attempt to get an item out of a Shrine, it doubles the chances of it working.

Roughly, I'm not a rocket scientist. 

Easiest Ways to Beat Bosses in Risk of Rain 2

There are a few ways to really make your path through levels easier, but it all takes a little bit of luck.

First things first, you want to play as the Engineer. He feels a little sluggish compared to some of the other characters, but his shield and turrets give a fantastic degree of survivability. 

Next, you need to get as many of the Bustling Fungus item as you can. This is the one that heals you if you stand still. This effect transfers to your turrets, so if you place them next to each other, then stand in the healing circles yourself, you can heal for an absurd amount. This will keep you alive. 

Ideally, you want to do this with a group of friends. The Engineer has the role of healer here; use the shield to protect from damage as often as you can. While you do this, have your friends take the attacking items and then get them to stand in your healing aura. You should have no issues taking everything out while staying alive yourself. 

Make sure nobody chooses the Mercenary for this particular run. Running out of the healing fields, later on, will get you destroyed very quickly, so you really want a team of long-range fighters in order to make the most of it.

With a little bit of grinding, this challenge is easy to do. Of course, you could just get really really good at the game and fight every boss along the way, but who has the time for that? Hopefully, these tips will cut down the time it takes to complete the Long Road. 

To see what we think about Risk of Rain 2 so far, head over to our Early Access impressions article here. And for more tips, check out our other Risk of Rain 2 guides

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GameSkinny Weekend Download: More Borderlands 3, Risk of Rain 2, Outward, and More https://www.gameskinny.com/55i4v/gameskinny-weekend-download-more-borderlands-3-risk-of-rain-2-outward-and-more https://www.gameskinny.com/55i4v/gameskinny-weekend-download-more-borderlands-3-risk-of-rain-2-outward-and-more Sat, 06 Apr 2019 09:50:39 -0400 GS_Staff

It's Saturday morning, and GameSkinny's Weekend Download is back again. 

Here's most of everything we published this week in one easy to digest roundup, including the official Borderlands 3 release date, that Borderlands: The Handsom Collection is F2P this weekend, tons of Outward and Risk of Rain 2 coverage, Nintendo Labo, and a lot more reviews than we've done in a while.  

As usual, we've added links in case you find a headline that tickles your fancy and want to read more. We've also broken things down by category to make it easy to find what you're looking for. And finally, we've left out posts that are now meaningless because the event or sale has already ended. 

Sit back. Relax. Enjoy.  

News

  • Borderlands 3 Launches September 13, Will Be Epic Store Exclusive on PC
    2K games officially announced Borderlands 3's release date and editions today, confirming it will be a timed exclusive on the Epic Games Store. Read more

  • Play Borderlands: The Handsome Collection for Free This Weekend on Xbox, PC
    The bundle, which includes Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, is also on sale on PC, PS4, and Xbox One from multiple storefronts. Read more

  • Super Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild Will Support Labo VR
    Hot on the heels of Labo VR's initial announcement comes news that Super Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild will support the Toy-Con VR Goggles in different ways starting April 25. Read more

  • 20 Minutes of New The Outer Worlds Footage from PAX East
    Obsidian Entertainment's latest RPG gets a lengthy new gameplay video from PAX East, showcasing branching dialogue, varied action, and some gorgeous graphics. Read more

  • Dataminers Uncover New Gameplay Mechanics in The Division 2's Dark Hours Raid
    New details emerge about The Division 2's Raids, including a new signature weapon. Read more

  • Gameloft Partners With CARE For Special Dragon Mania Legends Charity Event
    Help fight poverty during a special charity event in Dragon Mania Legends. Read more

  • The Elder Scrolls Legends: Alliance War Gets New Details, Content Roadmap
    Alliance War is out April 15 and offers new cards, mechanics, and factions, and the game is set to receive multiple new rounds of content throughout the year. Read more

  • CD Projekt Red Announces New (Non-Digital) Store
    Soon, CDPR fans will be able to get all kind of sweet merch for their favorite games directly from the source. Read more

  • Unbound: Worlds Apart Announced, Kickstarter Campaign Begins in May
    Alien Pixel Studios' new indie platformer features reality warping as its main mechanic, a unique art style, and plenty of atmospheric environments. Read more

  • Civilization 6 Update Brings Cross-Platform Cloud Saves for PC and Switch
    The update implements seamless cloud saves for Switch and PC, although there is no word about iOS support yet. Read more

  • Nintendo Switch Online’s April NES Games Announced
    Nintendo Switch Online gets three new NES games on April 10 as part of its monthly update. Read more

  • Risk of Rain 2 Nears 650,000 Players in First Week After Release
    Hopoo Games said the numbers smashed all expectations and provided an outline of how it will support the game in the coming months. Read more

  • League of Legends Champions Korea Spring Playoffs 2019: What to Know
    Everything you need to know about LCK Spring Playoffs 2019. Read more

  • International Rating Suggests Octopath Traveler Could Get a PC Port Soon
    Octopath Traveler received a rating for release in Korea — on PC. Could that mean it will no longer be Switch exclusive, or is there something else in store for the fledgling franchise? Read more

Reviews

  • Yoshi's Crafted World Review: Crafting a New Classic
    Don't let the green dino's mid-tier status fool you. With fluid platforming, incredible attention to detail, and a huge variety of content, Yoshi's Crafted World is a must-have Switch game. Read more

  • ATOM RPG Review: A Fallout Clone That Never Takes Itself Too Seriously
    ATOM RPG is trashy, yet hilarious; clunky, yet addictive. It's a fun Fallout clone that at times makes you laugh, and at others yell at your screen. Read more

  • Risk of Rain 2 Early Access Impressions: Simply a Huge Amount of Fun
    So far, Risk of Rain 2 is a worthy successor to the original, with its fully 3D design opening up new avenues of play. Read more

  • SteelSeries Stratus Duo Controller Review: Hard to Put Down
    The Stratus Duo stands tall alongside other mobile controllers and rivals the best that are currently available for PC. Read more

  • Logitech MX518 Review: The Greatest Gaming Mouse is Still Pretty Fab
    The MX518 might be a throwback, but it has plenty of modern bells and whistles to make its legend relevant today. Read more

  • We. The Revolution Review: Social Strategy on a Guillotine's Edge
    All told, We. The Revolution comes together to make a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Read more

  • Mechstermination Force Review: Fun, but Flawed
    When it works, Mechstermination Force is an enjoyable experience, but those moments are marred by some faulty design and monotonous grinding. Read more

  • MLB The Show 19 Review: Another Season of Your Favorite Show
    The Show is back with the latest, but just barely the greatest, addition to the world of baseball video games. Read more

Culture

  • Mystery Dungeon is a Criminally Underrated Series — And That's a Shame
    With Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy releasing recently, we take a look at why Mystery Dungeon games are worth your time (and sanity). Read more

  • Outward's Biggest Problem on Console Is Load Times
    Of all the challenges found in Outward, the load screens may be console players' biggest hurdle. Read more

  • The Top 20 Minecraft 1.14 Seeds for April 2019
    Prepare for the official release of a new Village and Pillage update for Minecraft 1.14 with this month's best selection of seeds. Read more

  • Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s Conquest Battles Were a Missed Opportunity
    Assassin's Creed Odyssey is a fantastic game that didn't quite manage to live up to its lofty potential, and conquest battles were a primary victim of this. Read more

  • To Leave Shines an Unabashed Light on Mental Health
    To Leave may be a hard experience for some, but it's another title that helps us understand that living with mental health issues is not easy. Read more

  • Niantic Announces Dates for Pokemon GO's 2019 Summer Tour
    The first leg of the tour kicks off in Chicago's Grant Park from June 13-16 and will feature local and global challenges to connect players around the world. Read more

  • Trailer Details The Division 2's World Tier 5, Reveals Raid Release Date
    The Division 2's latest trailer provides more information on the impending World Tier 5, as well as a release date for the game's first raid. Read more. 

Guides

  • Borderlands 3 Pre-Order Guide: What's In Every Edition
    Borderlands 3 finally has a release date, and pre-orders are open now for all four editions. We've rounded up where you can find each, including the diamond loot chest edition. Read more

  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Headless Boss Guide
    Having trouble taking down the Headless minibosses in Sekiro? This guide shows you all headless locations, as well as the best tactics for beating them and the items they drop. Read more

  • Trails of Cold Steel Romance and Bonding Guide
    If you're wondering about Trails of Cold Steel's characters, romance, and bonding, who you can romance, and how your romantic and bonding choices carry over into Trails of Cold Steel II, you're in the right place. Read more

  • Outward: How to get The Discipline Boon (Brace or Focus)
    Only two skills grant the Discipline boon, luckily they're both in the same place. Read more

  • Outward: How to Get to Levant (and Berg) from Chersonese
    The less stressful route from Chersonese to Levant in Outward, through Berg. Read more.

  • Best Weapons in Outward and How to Get Them
    Here are some of the most powerful weapons in Outward, and short instructions on how to find them all. Read more

  • The Elder Scrolls Online: Get The Most Out of The 2019 Jubilee Event
    How to roll in Jubilee Gift Boxes during ESO's 2019 Jubilee Event starting this week. Read more

  • Elder Scrolls Blades Not Letting Me Play, Device Not Supported Help
    The Elder Scrolls finally has a proper mobile entry, but most players can't login quite yet. These tips will try to help you fix the issue until more info becomes available. Read more

  • Generation Zero Guide: All Weapons Locations
    Here are the exact locations of all weapon types in Generation Zero, including their coordinates. Read more

  • Yoshi’s Crafted World: All Poochy Pup Locations In the First Dream Gem Path
    Need help getting all the Poochy Pups in the first path of Yoshi's Crafted World? This guide has all their locations! Read more

  • How to Unlock All of the Characters in Risk of Rain 2
    A quick guide to unlocking the characters of Risk of Rain 2. We chucked in some tips for using each of them, too. We are just nice like that. Read more

  • Risk of Rain 2 Lunar Coins: Where to Use, What Items to Buy
    A guide to Risk of Rain 2's rarest currency, what to spend it on first, and why you should do so. Read more

  • Teleporters and You: A Risk of Rain 2 Guide
    RoR2's teleporters aren't that hard to find if you know what you're looking for. Read more

  • Dota Auto Chess Gods Strategy Guide: Mars and Zeus
    Learn about the two new gods Mars and Zeus, their abilities, synergies, and combos with the help of this guide to Dota Auto Chess. Read more

  • 15 Best Hearthstone Cards from Rise of Shadows
    The Year of the Dragon has begun with the new Hearthstone expansion Rise of Shadows. Here are the 15 best cards of the new set. Read more

Check back next Saturday morning for more. 

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