Risk of Rain 2: Hallowed Concepts Review

Risk of Rain 2 has built a reputation for turning simple runs into chaotic adventures where your character gradually becomes powerful enough to wipe out entire groups of enemies in seconds. Since its original release, the game has evolved through updates and DLC expansions, each introducing new ways to approach its roguelike gameplay. Hallowed Concepts takes it a step further, adding two survivors, several stages, new bosses, and a collection of items designed to change how you approach each run.

The DLC has plenty of ideas worth appreciating, and some of its additions are among the best the game has received. Hallowed items offer some interesting ways to build your character, and Enforcer and Acolyte have distinct playstyles.

New encounters also leave a strong impression, especially in the DLC's secret content. But not every addition feels that well thought out. Some new systems rely heavily on RNG, some activities can get frustrating, and some mechanics lose their shine after repeated exposure.

After spending time with the DLC post-release, it's clear that Hallowed Concepts has both strengths and weaknesses.

The developers have done a good job with several individual components, but they fit into the larger Risk of Rain 2 experience less convincingly. Depending on what you enjoy most about the base game, you'll probably find something to appreciate here, although not every feature will keep you coming back.

The biggest addition is undoubtedly the two new survivors, Enforcer and Acolyte. Both add something different to the roster, and they show how the developers can add new characters without abandoning the fundamentals that make Risk of Rain 2 fun.

Enforcer is available from the start, while Acolyte requires you to defeat a specific boss to unlock her. This gives you an immediate new character to experiment with, followed by another goal to pursue as you explore the DLC's content.

Enforcer is easily one of the strongest additions. If you've played Risk of Rain or Risk of Rain Returns, you'll already know what the character offers, but bringing him into a 3D environment works surprisingly well. Even if you weren't particularly interested in his earlier appearances, his implementation here makes a good case for giving him another chance. His main attack seems pretty balanced: it does enough damage to be effective, but not enough to be overpowered on its own.

The shield is the biggest draw, letting you block incoming attacks and play a more defensive game than some other survivors.

But where it gets really fun is when you combine that defense with his parry mechanic. Successfully parrying an attack feels satisfying, and it gives you a reason to watch enemy movement rather than just firing at everything that moves on screen. His defensive stance also adds a dash, so you have more mobility than you might expect from a character built around blocking attacks.

His utility power and alternate slam give him extra movement options, and overall he feels more mobile than his defensive design suggests. The individual skills work together without making the character feel unnecessarily convoluted, and switching between defense, movement, and attacks has a nice rhythm. Enforcer feels smooth, with abilities that work together rather than fight for your attention. He's powerful without feeling completely broken, and that balance makes him one of the DLC's biggest successes.

Another worthy inclusion is Acolyte, but her strengths come from a different angle.

Her abilities flow nicely into each other, creating a character that feels smooth to control once you understand her kit. Rather than relying on one standout mechanic, she benefits from the way her abilities interact. The flow is briefly interrupted when she transforms, as the process can take you out of the action for a moment. Her alternate special, or alternate Litany, helps address this issue, though you sacrifice some power.

Acolyte also fits the DLC's overall theme, and her role as an acolyte makes her feel like a natural part of the new content. She's strong, but she doesn't completely dominate the survivor rankings. Together, the two characters demonstrate that Hallowed Concepts understands what makes a new survivor enjoyable. Neither needs to be overwhelmingly powerful to justify their inclusion, and both have enough going for them to encourage experimentation across multiple runs.

The same level of consistency doesn't extend to every other addition.

The DLC includes 20 new skins, and while several are entertaining, others fall flat. The Bandit and Captain skins are particularly disappointing if you want something you'll actually use. On the other hand, Fungus Son is a fun addition, and the Engineer skin has a distinctive look, even if its tentacles look a little like they're made of Play-Doh. The selection has some worthwhile options, but not every skin will appeal to you.

The new environments are another mixed bag. Hallowed Concepts introduces three stages and five hidden realms, expanding the locations you'll encounter as you progress through a run. Visually, the stages are generally impressive and offer more variety than the game's existing environments. Unfortunately, some areas are less fun to explore because of darkness and too many screen effects.

Some stages are too dark to appreciate the surroundings or keep up with what's going on. Damp Caverns is a good example, with its fungal environment sometimes feeling excessively dim. Lurid Basilica is a new Stage 4 that guarantees a red item and a Scavenger encounter, giving you a reason to visit. However, the environment itself may not leave the strongest impression.

Tenebris Quagmire is more appealing, partly because its atmosphere evokes the Ewoks from Star Wars.

The problem isn't just the lighting. Certain events and effects alter your screen in ways that can become distracting. During the Wake event, for example, the screen can turn grey, while other encounters add visual effects that make it harder to see.

Helminth Hatchery from earlier content already leans heavily into a red color palette, and some of the new effects continue that approach. The teleporter event after a Shrine of Descent can also introduce effects that disrupt the overall presentation. These choices might suit the intended atmosphere, but they can make the action less comfortable to follow.

The hidden realms are similarly inconsistent. The trial-related realms aren't particularly memorable outside their intended activities, and you spend little time interacting with them beyond completing their objectives. Soulbound Threshold and Terminal Lucidity are more successful, especially the latter.

Terminal Lucidity has a striking atmosphere, strong music, and an encounter that feels like a proper event. Its visual design also evokes Elden Ring in a way that suits the setting. It's one of the areas that makes the DLC feel like a meaningful expansion rather than simply another collection of rooms to fight through.

Combat against the regular enemies is less exciting.

Hallowed Concepts introduces three new monsters, but they're not particularly memorable after a few encounters. Some can turn invisible, while another fights with a bow, yet their attacks rarely feel threatening enough to demand a significant change in strategy. They don't necessarily ruin the experience, and having enemies that don't constantly frustrate you can be a positive thing. Still, they lack the personality and impact to stand out among the game's existing enemy roster.

The Lynx Totem boss suffers from a similar problem. Its attacks leave little impression, and you can often defeat it without feeling like you've learned anything particularly important about its behavior. The Shroom boss is more engaging because it jumps into the air before crashing down with a large area-of-effect attack. That move makes the encounter feel more threatening and makes you feel like you could actually lose a run if you aren't paying attention.

The DLC also includes special encounters beyond its regular teleporter bosses.

The Anima Harvester, which you must defeat to unlock Acolyte, is a decent fight with its own arena and a Champ Rush encounter. Its moves add enough variety to make the battle more interesting than a typical enemy encounter, though it doesn't reach the spectacle of the False Son fight. The latter encounter has some issues, but the Anima Harvester still feels like a solid addition.

The secret boss is a different story. Without spoiling its identity or the encounter details, it's one of Hallowed Concepts' strongest parts. The arena looks great, the boss makes a strong impression, and the soundtrack gives the fight the weight it deserves. Outside of Mithrix, it stands among the most enjoyable boss encounters in Risk of Rain 2. This content rewards you for exploring the DLC and gives you a reason to discover what else it hides.

Hallowed Concepts gets more complicated with its new systems, particularly the trials.

These activities offer optional challenges you can complete during a run, with nine in total spread across three trial maps. Some are enjoyable and offer a welcome change of pace, but the system's time management and progression can make the experience frustrating.

You find a Ritual Gong and enter a trial portal, then have a limited time to complete challenges. You have roughly three minutes and 30 seconds across your run, so you can't keep participating indefinitely. After you complete a trial, you can choose to continue into another, creating a risk-versus-reward decision. You might want to keep going for more rewards, but with around 50 seconds left, one unlucky encounter could end your run.

This system feels unnecessarily restrictive because you can't extend the timer. Even if you enjoy the trials, you can only play so many at a time, and the threat of losing a run may make you not want to play. It's doubly frustrating when you're not just trying to complete challenges for the sake of it, but trying to earn a specific reward.

The most obvious example of the system at its worst is the Trial of the Abyss.

You're supposed to knock enemies into the fog, but the whole thing can feel clunky and annoying, especially when some character interactions don't work as intended. Playtesting allegedly bugged Engineer with this trial, making it even more frustrating. The other trials add variety, but this one feels like a chore that can detract from your enjoyment of the whole system.

The new hexes and Hallowed items offer a more interesting way to progress, but they come with complications, too. Hexes are negative effects that persist as long as the corresponding items are in your inventory. They're like lunar items in that they change your playstyle but don't give you the same immediate benefits. You can obtain them through certain DLC interactions, like the Consecrated Sales Star and the Hallowed Shrine, which appears after a teleporter event.

You can choose to gain more hexes at the shrine, or cleanse the hexes you have.

The more hexes you take, the more you have. Effects range from making the screen harder to see to making it harder to move. Hex of Acceleration makes you slide around, Hex of Blindness lowers your vision, and Hex of Mimicry can spawn mimic chests. There are 14 hexes in total, so you'll encounter different combinations depending on your run.

You accept these drawbacks for the chance to obtain Hallowed items. Cleansing your hexes at the shrine brings up a selection of potential rewards, and the more hexes you cleanse, the better your options become. You'll generally need at least five hexes to get close to guaranteeing a Hallowed item, although obtaining the specific item you want is another matter entirely.

These rewards are among the DLC's best additions. You can't find Hallowed items by opening ordinary chests, so you have to use the new systems to get them. Their effects vary, but several can make a substantial difference to your build. The Infernal Mark, for instance, lets you soul-brand an enemy after hitting it with skills 10 times, enabling friendly fire and encouraging other enemies to attack it.

The Sanguine Chalice gives you a 10% chance to inflict bleed, while your bleed effects heal you for 0.5% of your maximum health.

The Stained Gimitar is another useful addition, granting lifesteal that restores health based on a percentage of your damage. Apart from the Super Massive Leech, this is the only item in the game that provides that kind of effect. These rewards give you reasons to experiment with different builds, and some are particularly strong on specific survivors. Although not every item will be equally useful for every character, the overall selection feels worthwhile.

The issue is how much work it takes to get them. You need to collect hexes, survive their negative effects, and reach the right shrine interactions before you can even choose. Even then, there is no guarantee you will get the reward you want. Hallowed items are one of the DLC's main selling points, so making them so reliant on random outcomes could eventually discourage you from pursuing them. After you've gotten the novelty out of the system, you might decide that it's not worth the effort each time you start a new run.

The Entormat pages are another source of rewards, but they don't seem as useful. You can get them by completing things like the Wake event, Shrine of Compulsion, and the trials. These pages provide effects that can be used once per stage, but many of them are too situational to be a regular part of your strategy. Dark Alchemy is a notable exception: it lets you downgrade an item and create a copy.

For example, turning an Aegis into two ATGs gives you a potentially useful trade-off.

Purify is less appealing because it reduces nearby enemies' maximum health by 50%, while bosses and stronger enemies resist the effect. Those are precisely the opponents against which such an ability would be most useful, making the restriction difficult to overlook. Lesser Catastrophe also curses the next teleporter event with additional effects, but its impact is limited enough that many players might not even notice it.

The random nature of the pages makes the system even less satisfying. There are several ways to obtain them, but finding a particular page can still take considerable effort. The Page of Reincarnation is especially important, as it is required to unlock the secret boss, but obtaining it relies heavily on RNG. When a reward depends on a single encounter, that randomness can turn exploration into repetition rather than a fun challenge.

The two new boss items and the lunar equipment offer a few more options, although their usefulness varies. The Whispering Fragment from the Lynx Totem has little impact, while the Mycelium Cap, dropped by the Shroom boss, nullifies fall damage and creates spores where you land. The latter is more useful for survivors like Loader and Enforcer, who benefit from slamming into the ground, but it isn't particularly exciting for every character.

The Totem of Sacrifice is more promising. It's a single-use piece of equipment that lets you place a totem that counts enemies and allies you kill in its area for 60 seconds; the reward depends on how many you kill. It can even be a good source of boss items, so it's worth giving it a try.

Visually and sonically, Hallowed Concepts has some strong moments, particularly in its better-hidden realms and secret boss encounters. The soundtrack elevates the latter, while the new stages offer intriguing environments to explore. However, the dark lighting and intrusive screen effects can get in the way of appreciating that work. The presentation shines when the atmosphere supports the action rather than making it harder to follow.

Ultimately, Hallowed Concepts is a DLC with several excellent individual features and a handful of systems that don't quite come together. Enforcer and Acolyte are strong additions, the Hallowed items encourage new builds, and the secret boss is worth experiencing. The trials can drag, the Entormat pages are often underwhelming, and the random rewards make some of the DLC's core mechanics less appealing over time.

If you enjoy Risk of Rain 2 enough to keep playing despite its shortcomings, there's plenty to explore here.

The new survivors alone give you a reason to start fresh runs, and the Hallowed items can create some interesting combinations once you manage to obtain them. But compared to the game's other expansions, Hallowed Concepts is a harder sell, with some caveats. It has some of the best character and boss designs in the series, but its less-successful mechanics may keep you from appreciating them as much as you should.