Info about Risk of Rain (2013):

Official game description:
Risk of Rain 2 Steam Page
=========================
Risk of Rain 2 Steam Store Page Now Live!
Risk of Rain 2 is a 3D action multiplayer rogue-lite that brings you back to the mysterious crash site of the Contact Light. No run will ever be the same with randomized stages, monsters, bosses, items, and more. Play solo or team up with friends online to fight your way through hordes of monsters and find a way to escape the planet.
About the Game
==============
Risk of Rain is an **action platformer** with **roguelike elements**. With **permanent death** as a primary feature, players will have to play their best to get as far as possible. Fight on a mysterious planet with **randomly spawning enemies and bosses**, either alone or with 3 friends in **online co-op**. With over **100 items** at your disposal, you will find the tools you need to find the teleporter back home. Discover a myriad of **randomly chosen stages**, from the desolate forest to the frozen tundra.  
The three main goals for our game are simple:  
1\. Design a game that is randomly generated every play-through, to keep replayability high and fresh.  
2\. Time = difficulty. The higher the in-game time gets, the harder the difficulty gets. Keeping a sense of urgency keeps the game exciting!  
3\. Be enjoyable, regardless of whether you win or lose. No more fussing with complex and non-intuitive gameplay patterns. Players should not blame the game for their loss!  
_''..joy comes from amassing items, gaining experience and watching your character evolve into a godly killing machine.''_ - **Joystiq**  
_''This game is immaculate. The enemy design, the sound effects, the powers, the fights, all of it feels wonderful.''_ - **Eurogamer**  
_"..a ridiculously compelling procedurally generated side-scrolling platform survivor-me-do, with multiple characters to play as, single and co-op play, and some of the hardest-hitting deaths I've experienced in such games"_ - **RockPaperShotgun**
Key Features
------------
*   Engage in local and online multiplayer with friends and other players from around the world!  
*   Play and unlock 12 unique characters, from the Commando to the Miner to the Engineer.  
*   Fight through hordes of different enemies and bosses, randomly chosen by the game with random abilities and powers.
*   Get lost and discover 10 massive levels with different enemies, shrines, and chests on each one!
*   Recruit the help of a wide variety of drones, from missile drones to healing drones!  
*   Unlock the lore of the game through the item and monster logs!  
*   Unlock new items and characters through difficult achievements to keep the game fresh with each playthrough.  
*   Save your best highscores and stats!

Release date: Nov 8, 2013

Categories: Roguelike, Action Platformer, Cooperative Multiplayer, Character Progression, Procedural Generation, Permadeath, 2D Platformer, Horde Shooter

Feature scans:
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Needs Improvement; summary: The primary user complaints revolve around the game's complex and hidden mechanics, technical issues, and the reliance on external resources like the wiki to understand game systems. These issues significantly impact the user experience, making it difficult to progress and enjoy the game without additional support.
- Steam Deck: score 60; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game faces several significant issues on the Steam Deck, including UI/UX problems, technical stability issues, and compatibility challenges. These issues collectively degrade the user experience, making it difficult to play the game seamlessly on the Steam Deck.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Variety of characters and builds (weight 0.92): Each playable character has a completely different gameplay experience, with unique abilities and playstyles. This variety, along with interesting item combos, adds to the game's replayability and enjoyment.
- Deep and addictive gameplay (weight 0.86): The game offers a deep and tense gameplay experience with roguelike elements, stacking items, and becoming powerful. It is fast-paced and chaotic, providing exciting runs and tons of replay value.
- Excellent soundtrack and music (weight 0.39): The game has an incredible soundtrack that blends well with the art style. The music is atmospheric, haunting, and adds to the immersive experience.
- Beautiful pixel art and graphics (weight 0.29): The game features a charming pixel art style with beautifully rendered environments and atmospheric locations. The graphics are well-designed and contribute to the overall aesthetic appeal.
- Good value for money (weight 0.26): The game is worth the price and offers good value for money. It can be bought for a reasonable price and provides a rich and enjoyable gaming experience.
- Fun multiplayer experience (weight 0.15): The game is enjoyable in a multiplayer setting, offering engaging multiplayer modes and fun gameplay after the learning curve. It is great for both single-player and multiplayer experiences.
- Modding community and content (weight 0.05): The game has a great modding community that extends the game's content. Mods like Starstorm add significant new content and enhance the gaming experience.
- Positive player experiences (weight 0.04): The game has made players fall in love with roguelikes and 2D games. It is one of the most enjoyed roguelikes and has garnered love for the Risk of Rain games.

Common complaints:
- Multiplayer issues and lack of support (weight 0.69): Multiplayer mode is plagued with various issues, including bugs, lack of online matchmaking, and the need for port-forwarding. These problems make it difficult to enjoy the game with friends.
- High difficulty and steep learning curve (weight 0.69): The game is noted for its high difficulty level and steep learning curve, which can be frustrating for many players. The controls are often cited as awkward and unintuitive, adding to the challenge.
- Technical issues and bugs (weight 0.61): The game suffers from various technical issues, including bugs, crashes, and problems with saving progress. These issues can significantly impact the overall experience.
- Visual and control problems (weight 0.6): The game's visual style and small sprites can make it difficult to see enemies and paths. Additionally, the controls are often criticized for being awkward and unintuitive.
- Repetitive and grindy gameplay (weight 0.58): The gameplay can become repetitive over time, with levels and objectives feeling similar. The grindy progression can be tiring and may not appeal to all players.
- Lack of guidance and unclear mechanics (weight 0.5): The game is criticized for not providing enough guidance to players, making it difficult to understand mechanics and progress through the game.
- Controller and configuration issues (weight 0.16): The game has issues with controller support and network configuration. These problems can make it difficult to set up and play the game as intended.
- Lack of balance and unfair gameplay (weight 0.11): The game is seen as unbalanced and unfair, especially in the early stages. Players often feel overwhelmed by the number of enemies and the difficulty spikes.
- Luck-dependent gameplay (weight 0.06): Success in the game is often dependent on luck, with certain runs being decided by chance. This reliance on luck can be frustrating for players.
- Poor replay value and enjoyment (weight 0.04): The game's replay value may not last as long as expected, and it can be less enjoyable than other similar games. This can make it a less appealing choice for players.

Gameplay feedback:
- Roguelike mechanics and progression (weight 0.55): The game features roguelike elements such as permadeath, randomized levels, and item collection. Players can unlock new characters and items, adding to the replayability and progression system.
- Control and combat issues (weight 0.17): Some players find the controls unintuitive and uncomfortable, affecting the combat experience. The game's difficulty and control scheme can be challenging for new players.
- Artifacts and gameplay modifiers (weight 0.17): Artifacts serve as run modifiers, significantly altering the gameplay experience. These artifacts can change the speed, difficulty, and other aspects of the game, providing unique challenges.
- Diverse character abilities (weight 0.15): The game offers a variety of characters, each with unique abilities and playstyles. This diversity allows players to experiment with different strategies and find characters that suit their preferences.
- Resource and item collection (weight 0.06): Efficient collection of resources and items is crucial for progression. Players must strategize their item collection and map traversal to optimize their gameplay.
- 2D combat and level design (weight 0.06): The game features 2D combat mechanics and level design, with a focus on action-platform elements. The graphics are praised for their pixel-art style, adding to the visual appeal.
- Luck-based gameplay elements (weight 0.04): The game heavily relies on luck for successful runs. Players often depend on getting good items and upgrades to progress, which can be unpredictable.
- Easy to learn, hard to master (weight 0.04): The game is designed to be easy to learn but difficult to master. It offers a variety of techniques and strategies for players to explore and improve their skills.
- Variety of levels and worlds (weight 0.04): The game features a variety of levels and worlds, each with unique designs and challenges. Levels are semi-randomly generated, providing a fresh experience with each playthrough.
- Teleporter and enemy waves (weight 0.04): Players must survive waves of enemies before finding a teleporter to advance to the next level. This mechanic adds an endurance challenge to the gameplay.

Performance notes:
- Frequent game crashes (weight 0.13): The game experiences frequent crashes, particularly in multiplayer mode and after successful runs. These crashes occur without clear reasons and can happen during server searches or due to performance issues with too many on-screen elements.
- Visual clarity issues (weight 0.05): Players report difficulties with visual clarity, including small and hard-to-see elements, visual clutter from excessive effects, and screen resolution issues on high-resolution monitors and Windows 10.
- Outdated technical requirements (weight 0.04): The game has outdated technical requirements, such as needing additional software like Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Service Pack 1 and running on a 32-bit architecture, which can be problematic for modern systems.
- Lack of technical polish (weight 0.04): The game suffers from various technical issues, including optimization problems and multiplayer bugs, indicating a lack of overall technical polish.
- Controller support issues (weight 0.03): There are issues with controller support, particularly on the Steam Deck, and general compatibility problems with Linux.
- Linux-specific crashes (weight 0.03): The Linux build of the game has specific issues, such as crashes related to the spike strip item, causing the game to hang.
- Data loss bug (weight 0.01): There is a data loss bug related to the vcredist packs, which can affect game progress and stability.
- Unstable co-op connections (weight 0.01): Co-op connections are reported to be unstable, leading to frequent disconnections and connectivity issues.

Recommendations:
- Consider playing newer versions (weight 0.27): Many players suggest playing the remastered versions or sequels instead of the original game for a better experience. This feedback indicates a preference for updated gameplay, improved features, and overall enhanced enjoyment found in later installments.
- Highly recommended for fans (weight 0.17): The game is highly recommended for fans of roguelike and challenging games. Players appreciate its replay value, cooperative play, and the overall fun and immersive experience it offers.
- Worth playing despite flaws (weight 0.09): Despite some occasional unfair moments, many players find the game worth playing and purchasing. The positive aspects, such as fun gameplay and replayability, outweigh the minor issues.
- Looking forward to deeper engagement (weight 0.02): Players express interest in getting deeper into the game, indicating a desire to explore more content and fully experience what the game has to offer. This shows a positive outlook on the game's depth and engagement potential.

Other player notes:
- Limited language support (weight 0.03): The game currently only supports English, which can be limiting for non-English speaking players. This includes aspects like trading cards.
- Mod support in Steam version (weight 0.02): The Steam version of the game supported mods, which can enhance gameplay and provide additional content created by the community.
- Projector compatibility (weight 0.01): Players have successfully used a projector to play the game in a university setting, indicating good compatibility with different display setups.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.33): Players are frustrated primarily due to game balance and difficulty issues, which make the game feel overly challenging and sometimes unfair. Additional frustrations stem from technical problems such as lack of proper controller support, poor keyboard and mouse controls, and issues with game saving and multiplayer connectivity.
- Excitement (weight 0.27): The excitement comes from the game's chaotic and fast-paced gameplay, which players find enjoyable and addictive. The variety of items, characters, and challenging gameplay modes contribute to a tense and rewarding experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.16): Players enjoy the core mechanics, gameplay, and music, finding them incredibly engaging and fun. The co-op experience and the variety of characters and items also enhance the overall enjoyment.
- Joy (weight 0.15): The joy stems from the engaging gameplay, beautiful graphics, and excellent soundtrack. Players also appreciate the character progression, item collection, and the overall fun and satisfying gameplay experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.09): Disappointment arises from the game not meeting expectations, with criticisms directed at poor visual design, ugly controls, and comparisons to newer versions like Risk of Rain 2. Multiplayer issues and the perception of the game relying too much on randomness also contribute to this sentiment.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.07): Nostalgia is driven by memories of playing the game in the past, often with friends or in specific settings like university. The game's classic status and its association with the early 2010s indie game scene evoke a sense of nostalgia.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Players feel satisfied with the smooth animations, character sprites, and the enjoyment derived from understanding the game mechanics. Unlocking characters and improved controls also contribute to this satisfaction.
- Frustration (weight 0.03): A frustração é causada principalmente por problemas técnicos como a exclusão de saves, dependência excessiva de RNG e controles ruins, que prejudicam a experiência do jogador.
- Sadness (weight 0.02): Sadness is evoked by the game's outdated updates and glitches, as well as the reduction of mod support. The emotional impact of the game's ending also contributes to this feeling.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the game for its great modding community and for paving the way for its successors. The Starstorm mod's content and secrets are also highly valued.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.02): A diversão é gerada pela gameplay divertida e pela experiência agradável em coop local, proporcionando momentos de entretenimento garantido.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration comes from the game's depth and untold storytelling, as well as the appreciation for its design and the modding community.
- Tension (weight 0.01): A tensão é causada pela natureza intensa e desafiadora da gameplay, que mantém os jogadores em um estado constante de alerta e excitação.
- Stress (weight 0.01): O estresse é resultado da gameplay estressante, que pode ser desafiadora e frustrante para alguns jogadores.
- Disappointment (weight 0.01): O desapontamento surge devido à dependência excessiva de RNG, que pode fazer com que o jogo se sinta injusto e imprevisível.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): A confusão é causada por itens desconhecidos, que podem deixar os jogadores incertos sobre como progredir ou usar certos elementos do jogo.
- Anger (weight 0.01): A raiva é provocada pela geração excessiva de inimigos, que pode tornar o jogo extremamente difícil e frustrante.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom sets in quickly due to the repetitive nature of the gameplay, which can become monotonous over time.
- Anxiety (weight 0.01): Anxiety is induced by the timer mechanic, which adds pressure and can make the gameplay experience more stressful.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Anticipation is driven by the excitement of getting deeper into the game and trying out later installments in the series.}