The randomness of a Risk of Rain Returns can be countered with the most powerful upgrades in the game. Here are the best items in Risk of Rain Returns.
Risk of Rain Returns: Best Items, Ranked
With over 110 items in the game – and some new items from Risk of Rain 2 and even brand-new items -, Risk of Rain Returns, while relying on luck, has quite a selection of upgrades that will help you survive the increasing difficulty of a procedurally generated adventure. We will select the top 5 items from each of the item’s rarities: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Use, and Boss. While new items have indeed been added to the remake, legacy items remain reigning supreme in the game. Here are the best items in Risk of Rain Returns.
Best Common Items
| Item | Effect | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Crowbar | On hit: Deal +50% damage to enemies above 80% health. | Unlocked by default. |
| Headstompers | Hurt enemies by falling for up to 600% damage. | Unlocked by default. |
| Medkit | Heal for 10 health after 1.5 seconds of getting hit. | Unlocked by default. |
| Paul’s Goat Hoof | Increases movement speed by 15%. | Fail a shine three times consecutively. |
| Soldier’s Syringe | Increased attack speed by 12%. | Dodge 7 lethal attacks as Comando. |
Best Uncommon Items
| Item | Effect | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| 56 Leaf Clover | Elite mobs have a 4% chance to drop items. | Kill the Scavenger. |
| Harvester’s Scythe | Gain 5% critical chance. Critical strikes heal for 8 health. | Use a health shrine that drops you below 5% health. |
| Hopoo Feather | Gain +1 maximum jump count. | Unlocked by default. |
| Infusion | Killing an enemy increases your health permanently by 1. | Unlocked by default. |
| Ukulele | 20% chance on hit to fire chain lightning for 66% TOTAL damage on up to 3 targets. | Unlocked by default. |
Best Rare Items
| Item | Effect | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Alien Head | Decrease your skill cooldowns by 30%. | Collect 7 Monster Teeth and 1 Guardian’s Heart. |
| Ancient Scepter | Upgrade your special skill. Unique to each character. | Beat the game on Monsoon difficulty as the Mercenary. |
| Ceremonial Dagger | Killing an enemy fires out 4 heat seeking bolts that deal 100% damage | Unlocked by default. |
| Laser Turbine | Using skills charges the generator by 7.8% per second. At full power, fire a laser for 2000% damage. | Have 20 cleavers in the air at the same time as the CHEF. |
| Wicked Ring | Gain 5% critical chance. Critical strikes reduce cooldowns by 1 second. | Collect 4 Keycards. |
Best Use Items
| Item | Effect | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Captain’s Brooch | Call down a chest nearby. Chest cost is doubled. | Open a Golden Chest with the Skeleton Key. |
| Shield Generator | Become invincible for 8 seconds. | Keep your health above 70% health for 25 minutes as HAN-D. |
| Skeleton Key | Open all the chests in view. | Unlocked by default. |
| Thqwib | Release a bloom of 30 thqwibs, detonating on impact for 200% damage. | Unlocked by default. |
| Unstable Watch | Stop time for 7 seconds. | Complete the first stage in under 5 minutes. |
Best Boss Items
| Item | Effect | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Burning Witness | Killing enemies grants a fire trail and 30% movement speed for 6 seconds. | Magma Worm drop. |
| Colossal Knurl | Increase maximum health by 40, health regeneration by 1.2 seconds, and armor by 6. | Colossus drop. |
| Imp Overlord’s Tentacle | Summon an imp bodyguard. Revives after 60 seconds. Increase imp health and damage by 15% per stack. | Imp Overlord drop. |
| Nematocyst Nozzle | Shoot out 6 nematocysts that deal 400% damage. | Wandering Vagrant drop. |
Related: How To Unlock All Survivors in Risk of Rain Returns
Each of the items above will be stackable, meaning that their effects can be improved all the way to the stratosphere. Just keep tabs on what you pick up and build upon your base survivor skills to beat the game without breaking a sweat.
- This article was updated on November 10th, 2023
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