Introducing Drifter in Risk of Rain Returns, a character with unique mechanics that allow him to manipulate Scrap. However, unlocking him can be quite challenging due to his unconventional playstyle. That’s why I’ve created this guide to assist you in unlocking Drifter and exploring his abilities.
Drifter is one of the latest additions to Risk of Rain Returns, joining the ranks of The Artificer and The Pilot. His gameplay centers around the manipulation of the Scrap he generates, using it to create various objects for himself and his teammates. His skills are focused on the creation and salvage of Scrap through different methods. With a character like Drifter, your possibilities are virtually limitless, opening up a wide range of strategies and build options.
How To Unlock The Drifter
Unlocking The Drifter in Risk of Rain Returns can be a rather arduous task, primarily due to the heavy reliance on multiple layers of randomness. Even after investing hours of gameplay, you may still find yourself unable to secure his unlock. As depicted in the image above, his character slot remains locked behind the requirement of “Recycle 6 drones in one playthrough” until you meet the criteria.
To unlock The Drifter, you must rely on luck to obtain 6 drones within a single run and hope for a Drone Recycler to appear once you possess all 6 drones. Persistence is crucial if you wish to acquire this formidable survivor. To enhance your chances, consider the following strategies:
Repeat Levels
This may seem like the most straightforward approach. Once you reach the penultimate stage, you can revisit previous levels to acquire additional drones. This tactic also proves useful if you already possess the minimum 6 drones but have yet to encounter a drone recycler.
Replaying levels significantly boosts your odds of meeting the requirements, making it the recommended method. However, keep in mind that this strategy still heavily relies on luck.
The Drone Repair Kit
Completing this challenge without the Drone Repair Kit can be quite cumbersome. This item allows you to summon unique drones with a cooldown, and the good news is that these drones can also be utilized by drone recyclers. Although you won’t receive an item in return, it will still count toward the drone recycling objective.
Once you’ve acquired the Drone Repair Kit, simply locate a drone recycler and wait for the cooldown to expire. Spawn 6 drones consecutively to fulfill the task and recycle them all. The Artifact of Command can make this process even easier. Once you have an equipable item, select the Drone Repair Kit, and all that’s left is to find a drone recycler.
Abilities
Like all other survivors, the Drifter begins with 4 abilities unlocked from the start, with the option to unlock 3 additional abilities that I’ll discuss.
Blunt Force
Here are the details about Blunt Force:
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- It serves as the Drifter’s primary attack.
- It consists of a 3-hit combo with a wide area of effect.
- It deals 120% – 240% base damage.
- Each attack in the 3-hit combo has a chance to generate some Scrap, indicated by the blue bar beneath the Drifter, representing your scrap count.
- Remember that scraps are crucial to the Drifter’s playstyle; you’ll see how his other skills interact with them.
- It has a 0-second cooldown.
- This is the only ability in the Drifter’s arsenal that lacks an alternate ability.
Cleanup
- Secondary attack for the Drifter.
- Tosses out some spare scrap and spawns 4 projectiles.
- The projectiles can bounce around and pierce foes, dealing 55% damage each.
- There is a slight chance that a special projectile may be spawned.
- Cooldown of one second.
- An alternate version can be unlocked by completing the Providence Trial “Perilous Descent.”
Suffocate
- Tertiary attack for the Drifter.
- Deals 200% damage and stuns the enemy.
- Enemies with health below 20% are turned into scrap.
- Cooldown of 7 seconds.
- An alternate version can be unlocked by collecting 20 temporary items at once.
Salvage
- Ultimate ability for the Drifter.
- Consumes a large amount of scraps and spawns 4 temporary items.
- Cooldown of 30 seconds.
- An alternate version can be unlocked by completing the Providence Trial “Equivalent Exchange.”
Best Items for Drifter
Here are some items that synergize well with the Drifter and his abilities:
- Soldier’s Syringe
- Paul’s Goat Hoof
- Hopoo Feather
- Heaven Cracker
- Shattered Mirror
My Thoughts on Drifter in Risk of Rain Returns
After completing numerous runs with the Drifter, I can confidently say that he is my favorite survivor in Risk of Rain Returns. The ability to spawn items in the midst of combat provides a significant advantage against your enemies. Furthermore, his unique support role sets him apart from other survivors, making him even more valuable when playing with friends.
Join Pedro Souza on a journey through gaming’s vast realms at howtoplay.blog. A seasoned gamer and insightful author and redactor, Pedro crafts each post as an intimate odyssey into the game’s core, not just teaching how to play, but revealing the artistry and narratives that define our beloved games.
