Games that have some sort of roster of people you can choose from are pretty controversial at times. Whether it be Apex Legends with its Legend system or Rainbow Six Siege with its Operator system, there are plenty of games out there with this type of system. Not all these games work since the community is usually split.
Risk of Rain 2 is not one of those games that people hate. It is actually one of the highest-rated games on Steam with an Overwhelmingly Positive number of good reviews. Yes, the game does have a roster system, but they did it correctly in this game.
Determining what Survivor or character to choose in the game can be pretty difficult. It mostly comes down to what characters you prefer. We all play the game and we all have different Survivors we like to play. Whether you like slow, tanky characters or fast, weak characters, there is a character for you if you play the game today.
As of this article, there are a total of 13 different Survivors you can choose from in the game and it gives you a ton of options once you fully unlock them all. We will go over each one, how to unlock them, and what they are all best for in the rest of the article.
What makes Risk of Rain 2 replayable?
The amount of content in the game makes it very replayable. Not only does it give you different characters to choose from that all have different playstyles to them, but the game also gives you artifacts that you can earn. If you don’t know what these artifacts are, we will explain them to you.
You can get these artifacts by completing specific challenges for each one. We aren’t going to go over these artifacts in this article since that can be a whole new article, but they are basically other ways to play. You could make the game easier or harder, or even switch up how the base game works with them.
They are a crucial part of making the game replayable since there are thousands of different variations you can do with them. If you are curious about how to get each artifact, then make sure to consult the Risk of Rain 2 wikis and question pages. It will give you all the necessary information you will need.
What are the Survivors you can choose from?
As we said before, there are a total of 13 Survivors that you can choose from once you have them unlocked. There is actually a 14 Survivor that is sort of an easter egg, but it is extremely difficult to get. To be able to play as the Heretic, you will have to be holding the four Heresy items at the same time.
You will need to have the Visions of Heresy, the Hooks of Heresy, the Strides of Heresy, and the Essence of Heresy. Once you have all four of those items, you will be turned into the Heretic. The downside to this Survivor is that they have negative health regeneration.
You need to use your abilities to keep yourself alive while trying to beat the stages. It isn’t easy to do, but it is a very fun way to play the game. It also is very difficult to even trigger in the first place so good luck with that. Here are the main Survivors you can just choose from the menu once you unlock them.
Here are the 13 Survivors you get to unlock and choose from in Risk of Rain 2:
1. Commando
Survivor Type: The Commando is a jack-of-all-trades character that is reliable in all situations of the game.
This is one of the first Survivors that you unlock in the game. Technically, it is already unlocked when you purchase the game. You will have to use this Survivor most of the time to unlock all the others. It can be a bit hard to understand at first, but you will eventually get the hang of the game.
It is an all-around good Survivor even if you have the other ones unlocked. It might seem basic, but it is definitely a great character to use with other players. It has a decently powerful weapon and the abilities are great for taking down regular enemies and bosses alike.
How to unlock them? – This character is unlocked by default when you purchase the game.
2. Huntress
Survivor Type: The Huntress is an extremely mobile but fragile survivor with high damage output.
This is the other Survivor that you will unlock when you get the game. Not only does it have the lowest health out of every other Survivor, but the damage output is actually insane. As the name suggests, the Survivor is a literal archer.
The abilities are great for dealing with enemies that are very far away and it is a great option for players who might want to have other players with them. It is not a good option for solo players since you won’t want every single enemy damaging you at once.
How to unlock them? – This character is unlocked by default when you purchase the game.
3. Bandit
Survivor Type: The Bandit is a high-skill combo character that can dish out devastating backstabs while weaving in and out of stealth.
This Survivor is a relatively new one. It was added way after the game was fully released and it is a great character to choose. It is based on a western cowboy with a Winchester weapon. The abilities are great too since you can shoot a revolver with some insanely high damage.
It is actually a pretty easy Survivor to get since you will probably unlock it within the first couple of hours of playing the game. As we said before, he has a revolver that deals massive damage and it is super satisfying to use if you use it correctly.
How to unlock them? – This character is unlocked by completing the Warrior challenge. To do this you will have to complete the first three stages of the game without dying.
4. MUL-T
Survivor Type: MUL-T is an aggressive survivor who has the tools necessary for any job.
This Survivor is actually a robot. It is one of the more unique ones in the game and it has some serious firepower. It is actually pretty easy to get since you just have to beat the first stage 5 times in different playthroughs.
It has some decent health and it is relatively fast. You can obviously get items that will help increase the weaknesses, so you don’t really have to worry too much about it. It has some really good health regeneration so if you like to regenerate your health quicker, then you might like this character.
How to unlock them? – This character is unlocked by completing the Verified challenge. To do this you will have to beat the first level of the game 5 times in different playthroughs.
5. Engineer
Survivor Type: The Engineer is a unique class that requires planning and positioning to be successful.
This is a Survivor that is hard to use. Not only do you need to be strategic on where you place your items, but it also doesn’t have a lot of health. signature ability is his deployable turrets, which gain the same Items that Engineer himself has.
This makes him unique, as item selection doesn’t necessarily come down to what benefits himself, but also what can benefit his turrets. It can be difficult to determine what you should use with your Survivor, but you will slowly start to understand what each of them needs.
How to unlock them? – This character is unlocked by completing the Engineering Perfected challenge. To do this you will have to complete a total of 30 stages, and it doesn’t matter what stages they are.
6. Artificer
Survivor Type: The Artificer is a high burst damage survivor who excels in fighting large groups and bosses alike.
This Survivor is the Mage of the group. It has multiple ways to fight including fireballs that you can throw at your enemies. It is a great option if you like to take on massive bunches or groups of enemies. It is also very good versus bosses.
If you like to float around and deal massive damage, then you might want to think about using this character. It can be tricky to get since you do need at least 11 Lunar Coins just to get them, but once you do, it is totally worth the time you put in to get it.
How to unlock them? – This character is unlocked by completing the Pause challenge. To do this you will have to collect a total of 11 Lunar Coins. You then need to open the portal to the Bazaar Between Time through the Newt Alter and you can free the Survivor.
7. Mercenary
Survivor Type: The Mercenary is a high-skill melee survivor that uses his many dodges to weave in and out of combat.
This Survivor is one of the more annoying ones to use in our opinion. If you are going to play Vanilla Risk of Rain 2, then it is not a great idea unless you really know what you are doing. You need to get extremely close and the abilities aren’t that great.
The plus to this is that it is extremely fast. It can also jump pretty high without any items. Due to his skills’ low cooldowns, his playstyle focuses on repeatedly chaining together attacks to stay on the offensive whenever possible, taking full advantage of the invulnerability afforded by his skills.
How to unlock them? – This character is unlocked by completing the True Respite challenge. To do this you will have to obliterate by entering a Celestial Portal. You can do this by completing a single loop and getting entering the portal once you complete the third stage in that loop.
8. REX
Survivor Type: REX is a half-robot, half-plant that uses HP to cast devastating skills from a distance.
This Survivor is one of the hardest to get. We have put a smaller description of how to get this character below, but it is much harder than you think. You need to get the fuel cells out of your drop pod when you land and take it all the way to the abyssal depths.
It seems easy, but you need to carry these fuel cells all the way through multiple stages. It took us a couple of tries to get it right since it is not guaranteed to get the specific stage it is on. Once you are in the abyssal depths, climb all the way to the top and use the fuel cells on the robot.
How to unlock them? – This character is unlocked by completing the Power Plant challenge. To do this you will have to find REX in the Abyssal Depths stage and then use a Fuel Array from your drop pod in the beginning and take it to the REX. Fill it and you will unlock the Survivor.
9. Loader
Survivor Type: The Loader is a slow but powerful bruiser that can use her grappling hook to uniquely navigate the environment.
This Survivor is a very odd one to use. Not only are the weapons they use melee, but you also get a grappling hook to use to get up to higher areas on each map. They have a pretty high health count since it is basically a tank and it is a decently powerful character to choose.
The reason we said it is odd is the fact that it is hard to use. It is a tank so you will most likely have a better time with another person with you. Playing this character solo is not a fun thing to do unless you really know what you are doing.
How to unlock them? – This character is unlocked by completing the Guidance Offline challenge. To do this you will have to defeat the Alloy Worship Unit in the Siren’s Call stage. To do this, you will have to destroy five eggs around the map and defeat the boss when it spawns.
10. Acrid
Survivor Type: Acrid is a melee-range hybrid who uses powerful poisons to melt tanky enemies.
Acrid is by far the hardest Survivor to get. Not only do you have to go through the Void Fields. This is difficult since you will lose health if you are outside of the mission area. You will have to get from point A to point B without dying.
At the same time, there will be enemies that will try to attack you. Once you finally get this character, then you will actually enjoy the movesets it has. It is primarily melee-based with some really cool attacks. It also looks like a dinosaur, which makes it even cooler.
How to unlock them? – This character is unlocked by completing the To Be Left Alone challenge. To do this you will have to clear the Void Fields stage. This is difficult since you will have to go to the Bazaar Between Time and then drop down to the portal below. You will then need to complete the stage once you enter the portal to unlock the Survivor.
11. Captain
Survivor Type: The Captain is a unique survivor that can control the battlefield with utility and damage – with help from the UES Safe Travels.
This Survivor is one of the most powerful in the game. They have a really good weapon that deals more damage the more you charge it. They also have access to massive drone if you can find them in the world. It does take a while to get him through.
To get this character, you need to defeat the final boss of the game and successfully extract. Once you do this, the character will be unlocked and you can use him. It is not an easy fight though so be ready for a challenge.
How to unlock them? – This character is unlocked by completing the Washed Away challenge. To do this you will have to beat the final boss of the game. You will need to get past five stages to unlock the boss fight and then successfully extract once the boss is defeated to get this Survivor.
12. Railgunner
Survivor Type: The Railgunner is a long-range, single-target survivor that can instantly kill any high-priority target – and from any range.
This is the first DLC Survivor the game has ever had. The only way you can use the character is if you own the Survivors of the Void DLC. It sucks, but the DLC is actually pretty cheap. Once you own it, this character will be available to play.
They have a railgun, obviously because of the name, and it is fun to use. You can zoom in and take out enemies like a sniper. It is a bit tricky to use, but once you get the hang of it, you won’t regret the DLC purchase at all.
How to unlock them? – This character is unlocked by default when you purchase the Survivors of the Void DLC.
13. Void Fiend
Survivor Type: The Void Fiend is a corrupted survivor that fluctuates between a controlled and corrupted form, each with different strengths and weaknesses.
This is the second DLC character from the Survivors of the Void DLC. Not only is it difficult to get, but it is also really difficult to use. To get the character, you have to own the DLC, and then you need to complete wave 50 of the new mode Simulacrum.
Once you unlock the character, it is a very unique one to use. It swaps from its corrupted form back to its uncorrupted form and it is one of those very unique characters. It is hard to use, but once you get the hang of it, it is totally worth using.
How to unlock them? – This character is unlocked by completing the Dragged Below challenge. To do this you will either have to escape the Planetarium or complete Wave 50 in the Simulacrum game mode.
Which Survivor should you choose?
This is a very difficult question to answer. Not only is everyone’s taste in games different from one another, but how they play a game is totally different as well. All we can really say is to get the game and try out all the Survivors for yourself.
We would recommend unlocking every single one of the Survivors and just testing out all of them in multiple playthroughs. This will give you the time you need to determine which one you prefer playing. It could also be good to switch up the gameplay every once and a while with a new Survivor.
To end this article, we just want to tell you to experiment with the game and see what you can accomplish. There is a lot to this game if you really dive deep, so don’t hesitate to try new things. Get all the artifacts and unlock every Survivor. It will give you more than enough time to see what you prefer.