Risk of Rain 2 VR Guide

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Latest posts by Adam Braunstein (see all)

Risk of Rain 2 is one of those games that manages to slip right under the radar when it comes to the gaming community. For those who have played it, you know what I’m talking about, as it’s one of the most exciting and weird co-op experiences imaginable. For the uninitiated, Risk of Rain 2 is a rogue-like third-person shooter that takes place in various alien worlds. Your goal is simply to survive to take on the next wild monster that awaits you around a corner. 

To say the game is addicting is a total understatement. It’s a game that changes each time you play it, and the more you play, the better your equipment gets and the more experienced your chosen class gets, which then opens up other attacks and classes down the line. The loop here is a great one, and now, through the work of some dedicated fans, you get all of that available in VR. 

Now, considering it’s not an official VR game, you should expect a little bit of jankiness off the bat. However, once you drop into the world for the first time and get used to the mechanics and controls as they appear in VR, you should find yourself feeling right at home in no time at all. 

Bottom Line Upfront

Risk of Rain 2 VR is a fantastic experience that offers hours and hours of great content and is one of the most unique experiences in VR. 

Risk of Rain 2 VR Guide

Getting Started

First off, we’re going to need to get Risk of Rain 2. You can find this on Steam, and that’s going to be our preferred method to play as that’s what the VR mod was designed to work with. You can find it for a pretty cheap price most of the time, and when I picked it up recently, it was no more than $5, so you should be fine here. 

The mod itself is compatible with just about every headset out there except the PSVR. The only way you’re going to get this headset to work is if you rig it up to your computer, which is doable although pretty complicated. If you’ve got an Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality Headset, or anything in the HTC Vive catalog, you’re good to go. One area you might run into trouble in is with the controller bindings, but you should be able to find ones in the steam menu under change controller bindings. These will correspond to the type of controllers you’re using, but if for some reason you don’t see yours there, you can always set them manually. 

Getting VR into Risk of Rain 2

First off, we need the Risk of Rain 2 VR mod.

In order to successfully get this working, you will also need the Thunderstorm Mod Manager. This is a mod manager that will make it exceedingly easy to install anything to Risk of Rain 2. After you’ve installed the mod manager, go back to the Risk of Rain 2 VR mod page and click Install with Mod Manager. The Mod Manager will automatically detect it, and while it does that, open Steam VR. It will then ask you to create a new profile for the mod, and from there, go to the VR Mod page and turn on the controllers, then click start modded at the top of the screen. 

You will be greeted with a black screen, but unlike most times you see this, this time it’s supposed to happen. After a little bit, you will be brought to the Risk of Rain 2 start page, and from there, we will finally be let into the game. 

What to Expect?

Risk of Rain 2 VR is an amazing experience and really one of the only in its genre in VR at the moment. You will be exploring vast planets and fighting monsters and aliens as you quest to collect items, money, and equipment to help you along in your journey. What makes this mod so fun is that you can play online with other players in VR or play with non-VR players as well. 

Keep in mind that because this is not a VR game by its design, you won’t have access to things like vignettes or teleportation that you would normally get. For me, it’s fine, as I’ve never felt those things helped much at all, but those easily affected by movements at high speeds in VR might have a bit of trouble with this one. You do, however, have full access to snap turning and smooth turning, which you can find in the Mod settings and Config Editor menu. 

Changes in VR

This game is originally a third-person shooter, and with that comes some big changes now that we’re in VR. First off, the dual-wielding abilities of the Commando are now usable by each of your arms. That means you can shoot in multiple directions at the same time if you so choose with the variety of weapons you’ll get as both your arms are in play here, along with a pair of VR hands. The other classes get some great modifications as well, like the Huntress, as you’ll now be able to manually draw the bow and shoot your arrows instead of just pressing a button in the flat screen version. 

Along with these changes also comes the physical toll you’re going to rack up while playing. Considering this is a rogue-like that changes every time you play it, you have some pretty infinite content here, and that will be quite tiring when swinging your arms all over the place after a while. 

Tips and Tricks

If you’re jumping into Risk of Rain 2 for the first time in VR, you’re going to have many advantages over those who are still stuck on the flatscreen version. For one, you’re going to have the ability to aim in different directions with each of your controllers, so you can take on multiple threats at once this way. You’ll also have the ability to pull off easier headshots, as it’s now based solely on your aim and nothing controller sensitivity related. 

How The Characters Work in VR

Some characters are actually much more effective in VR than on a flat screen. The Commando is definitely one of those as the dual willing gives you a huge advantage over the flat screen version simply because you can deal more damage to groups by concentrating one gun on each enemy. Let’s check out the characters that play distinctively differently in VR. 

Commando

The Commando is a dual-wielding class that uses two guns to take out their enemies. He also has a host of great abilities to use, and in VR, they are crucial to your success. One that you want to get a grip on right away is the Phase Blast, which is incredibly powerful and can be used up close and in person. The Tactical Dive also comes in handy as well, since it can get you out of situations quickly. The Frag Grenade can be thrown manually here, so it’s good to learn how far you can throw it early on and gauge the strength of your throws from there. 

Huntress

The Huntress is an intense class to play as in VR. You move at really high speeds while playing as her, and you will have less health as well. To make up for that, you’ve got an awesome bow to use and an impressive array of powers. You will be manually launching arrows at your enemies, and in between that, you’ll be utilizing your abilities. Some to take note of are arrow rain, which teleports you into the sky and then manually allows you to target an area to rain arrows on. You also have Laser Glaive, which is a boomerang that you can physically throw at your enemies that will bounce off your enemies. 

Engineer

The Engineer is a tough character to play as, but if you can handle the planning and positioning that you need to utilize to be successful, the Engineer can be very rewarding. The biggest change in VR with the Engineer is with his abilities. You’ve got a handful of shields, turrets, and grenades to work with here. The most important is how you use your bouncing grenades. These are thrown manually, and because of that, you need to learn how the bounces will go, as they can be the difference between nailing a throw and missing it entirely. Mines are also important here, and learning how to use them is crucial for succeeding. One great trick with the mines is that you can stick them to other players and terrain, so you can send them right at enemies or set up traps. 

Mercenary

The Mercenary is one of the best classes but the hardest ones to use, and in VR, it’s an absolute blast to experience. This is a melee class, and in VR, that means you better warm up those arms because you’re going to be swinging them a whole lot. You have access to a sword here, but you’ll also get awesome abilities like Rising thunder and Whirlwind, which you can mix in while you’re slashing. I’ve found this character to be the most fun but also most tiring of all the characters you can play as, so if you’re looking for a bit of a workout, this is a great way to get one. 

Loader

The Loader is a wild character in the base game, and in VR, he’s an absolute trip. You’ve got a grappling hook ability here that lets you navigate planets with ease, and despite the super slow movement of Loader, you get to feel like Spiderman whenever you’re flying through the air. In addition to your grappling ability, you can use abilities like Spiked Fist, which launches your gigantic robotic arms forward for big damage. This class is a bit of a tricky one in VR because you move so slow, but learning how to use the grappling abilities properly will make it a ton of fun. 

Rex

Rex is another awesome character in VR because of his unique weapons like the plant mortar. Basically, any class that utilizes a two-handed weapon setup are just immensely better in VR and makes the game a bit easier because of it. Mixing up your plant mortar and normal gun is great, and the abilities you have access to, like Seed Volley, act similarly to the Arrow Rain from Huntress. The difference here is the poison effect that causes damage over time. With Rex, the gameplay feels like a much more alien version of the Commando, so if you love the dual-wielding aspect of that character, then you’ll love playing as Rex. 

That’s not to say there’s no challenge, though, as things get awfully tough in a hurry here, especially if you’re playing single player. I haven’t even beat the game myself despite investing hours into it. In VR, this is a marathon, not a sprint, so be sure to pace yourselves. 

Explore

The world of Risk of Rain 2 is a pretty incredible one, and in VR, you have a first-person view to the party. There are so many hidden chests to find and even surprise monsters to fight, depending on where you’re exploring. You also have some amazing sights to see too. The unique, not quite cel-shaded visuals of Risk of Rain 2 are an incredible sight in VR, so be sure to drink in the atmosphere. 

How Do I Play Risk of Rain 2 VR in Multiplayer?

You get to choose from the main menu whether you want to play single-player or multiplayer. If you want to join up with another VR player, have your friend perform the same actions described at the top of this article, and from there, you can find them with their Steam name like you would normally. Your VR teams are going to be significantly better than the flat screen ones, but in case you only have friends with access to the flat screen version, Risk of Rain 2 is still a helluva fun time, regardless of where you play. 

Motion Sickness Fixes?

Risk of Rain 2 VR involves a lot of flying through the air, fast-paced dashing, and all-around quick-paced gameplay, and for those who aren’t well versed in VR, this can be a bit jarring to experience. Even in my case, as a 5 year VR veteran, I found the opening pod launch to be a bit nauseating. 

I recommend you just close your eyes during this sequence as it wasn’t designed for VR and seriously made me a bit nauseous. Other than that ride, though, the rest of the game is smooth as can be, although you’ll be moving around very quickly and possibly turning around a lot in place, too, depending on if you’re playing with the Oculus Quest 1 or 2. 

One great way to alleviate nausea is to chew a ginger candy while you’re playing. Ginger helps alleviate VR sickness, and keeping one of these handy always does the trick for me when it comes to feeling a bit irked by VR experiences. 

Games Like Risk of Rain 2

  • Until You Fall 
  • Zenith: The Last City
  • Karnage Chronicles
  • Arizona Sunshine
  • No Man’s Sky
  • In Death

FAQ

Question: Is Risk of Rain Playable in VR?

Answer: Although the sequel is in VR, there is no word on whether the original will get that same adaptation. 

Question: Is Risk of Rain 2 Cross-platform?

Answer: There is no cross-platform ability with Risk of Rain 2. That means whether you’re playing with people in VR or on flatscreen, it will be restricted to the PC. 

Question: Is Risk of Rain 2 on Game Pass? 

Answer: It is available on Game Pass, but I recommend getting the Steam version as that’s the version this mod was built to function with. 

Conclusion

If you want a one-of-a-kind experience in VR, Risk of Rain 2 VR is where it’s at. This game is endlessly replayable, and with each new character you unlock, you get a whole new style to play with, and the differences between how each character plays are just astounding. If you’ve got a few bucks to spare and a yearning to explore alien worlds while engaging and fast-paced, high-octane combat, there are no better choices in VR right now. 

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