Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm, the latest DLC release for the popular co-op roguelite, has not been well-received by fans. Its current 79% ‘mostly negative’ rating on Steam speaks volumes about the dissatisfaction among players. The chief complaints seem to be centered around a multitude of bugs and issues that have plagued the game since the release of the DLC.
One of the major grievances highlighted by players is the abundance of bugs that have disrupted the core systems of the base game. The DLC has introduced numerous issues, including a boss named Mithrix becoming invincible (which was deemed “definitely not intentional”) and a strange bug that caused players to get stuck while interacting with in-game elements. These bugs have significantly affected the overall gameplay experience for fans of the game.
In response to the backlash, Gearbox, the company that acquired Risk of Rain from Hopoo Games, has acknowledged the problems and issued a blog post addressing the known issues. They have urged players to continue submitting bug reports to help improve the game. Co-creator Duncan Drummond expressed his mixed feelings about the situation, stating that while it is great to see new content for the game, it is disheartening to witness the struggles of the new development team in real-time.
Positive Outlook
Despite the challenges faced by the development team, Drummond remains optimistic about Gearbox’s commitment to fixing the issues and listening to player feedback. He believes that the team at Gearbox cares deeply about Risk of Rain and is dedicated to improving the game. Lead programmer, co-designer, and concept artist Jeffrey Hunt also acknowledged the difficulties faced by the team in developing the DLC with limited time and resources, noting that seeing rushed changes impacting their hard work is tough.
Randolph P. Itchford, a representative from the development team, took to social media to assure fans that efforts were being made to address and resolve the issues with the game. Despite the recent struggles with the DLC, Gearbox had previously received praise for their handling of the game, including the addition of free content updates that were well-received by the player base. However, the recent acquisition of Gearbox by Rockstar parent company Take-Two resulted in layoffs, raising concerns about the future of the development team.
The release of Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm has been a turbulent experience for both players and developers. While the game has faced significant challenges and backlash due to bugs and issues, there remains hope that the development team will address these issues and improve the overall gameplay experience for fans of the series. It is a reminder of the complexities and difficulties involved in game development, and the importance of listening to player feedback to create a more enjoyable gaming experience.