Parents' Guide to

Risk of Rain 2

By David Chapman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Repetitive, fast-paced loot shooter best played with others.

Game Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox One 2019
Risk of Rain 2 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Risk of Rain 2 screenshot #1
  • Risk of Rain 2 screenshot #2
  • Risk of Rain 2 screenshot #3
  • Risk of Rain 2 screenshot #4
  • Risk of Rain 2 screenshot #5

Community Reviews

See all
age 8+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Coco8-9
Coco8-9 Adult
May 14, 2023
age 9+

good for kids and not to bad.

Its a very good game and its not too bad for kids. The blood is very, very mild and the mature things in the game most kids don't notice. The people in the game don't dress bad and the monsters are kid friendly.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
Joer'ct D.
Joer'ct D. Adult
November 7, 2019
age 7+

Fantastic game overall

As a 19 year old with a little sister. I've come to expect that each time I get a new game she will want to play it alongside me, and Risk of Rain 2 is no different. First of all, this game does have teamwork involved whenever your playing in multiplayer. Speaking of multiplayer, there is only online multiplayer available to the PS4, Xbox One, and PC versions of the game, and Online and Local multiplayer on Switch. Each version has a chatbox for players to talk to each other through, and on PC/PS4/Xbox One there is also the party system that players may elect to use. I personally play on Switch, so if I choose to speak to teammates I use Discord (Nintendo really needs to learn how to do online, but that's not why I'm here, is it?) Second: violence. How violent is this game really? Not really. This game could actually pass with an E10+ rating just like the original if the ESRB didnt take offense to the presence of blood (which very rarely even shows itself.) Language: very mild, very minimal. Something that someone 7 and up could handle, no f-bombs. Lore still isn't fully written for all of the items. Is it educational? Outside of multiplayer, it's not. I dont necessarily like educational games to begin with (I didnt like them as a kid either, they where boring and I'd only play them once for about 5 minutes before booting up TF2) so I'd understand if you dont get it because it isnt educational. But I will say this, this is a really fun game if rougelikes and 3rd person shooters are your thing!!

This title has:

Easy to play/use
See all 3 parent reviews

What’s It About?

RISK OF RAIN 2 adds a new dimension to the indie hit, Risk of Rain, taking the shoot for loot game 2D gameplay and transforming it into a full 3D third-person shooter. Once again, you're dropped onto a hostile alien world and tasked with exploring for unique artifacts scattered throughout the harsh environment. You'll seek out and activate teleportation devices to move from one map to the next, fighting against ever increasing swarms of enemies. You'll have to grab power-ups and become a one-man wrecking machine in a marathon quest for survival. Die and you lose it all, starting from scratch once again. Players can take the challenge on solo or join up with up to three friends in manic multiplayer mayhem. With the odds stacked against you, how long can you hold out?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (10 ):

The original game in this series was a frantic 2D race for survival but the sequel transforms into a 3D third-person experience that's both fresh and frustrating at the same time. For starters, although you can play Risk of Rain 2 solo, it's infinitely better when played with friends. The constant stream of enemies and the increasing difficulty can quickly overwhelm a solo player, even on the lightest difficulty setting. It's also a pain to try and cover the massive amount of real estate in each map alone, running in circles and backtracking constantly to search for the teleport beacon. That's when the real fight begins, as players have to stay within a certain area while the teleporter charges at the same time that they're trying to defeat a massive boss guarding the exit. This is where having a full squad makes a world of difference.

Risk of Rain 2 feels like a game that would be right at home in an arcade, with people crowding around to tag in for a round. There's no shortage of action at any given moment and the difficult scaling ensures that players have to earn each victory. Unfortunately, that's about all there is to the game. There's no real story to speak of and players never really make any progress from match to match. While it's possible to unlock new characters to use, the game doesn't offer any hints on how to do so (guides can be found online, though). Players can earn artifacts that can change up some elements of the gameplay, but these are just slight modifications to the repetitive formula. Risk of Rain 2 is great for short bursts of play with friends, but lacks the substance to hold players' interests for the long haul.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in games like Risk of Rain 2 affected by the art style and setting of the on-screen action? Would it be intensified if the visuals were more realistic?

  • What are some positive ways to play games with others? How can working together overcome different obstacles in games, and what are some positive traits to have or look for in a teammate?

Game Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended game lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate