History YMMV / RiskOfRain

** Certain combinations of the artifacts are this. One of the most notable is a combination of [[GlassCannon Glass]] and [[LuckManipulationMechanic Command]]. Glass causes you to deal 500% damage, but you only have 10% of your maximum health. However, Command allows you to actually pick which items you get from chests and shrines, meaning that, if you're lucky enough, you can get an Infusion as early as the first level, negating the health issue. And since you can pick what items you want, you can focus sole on the power/speed/regeneration boosting items, meaning that by the third or fourth level you'll likely be completely unstoppable. For further ridiculousness, tack on Honor. This locks the enemy spawns to elite versions (if applicable), which might be difficult at first, but it becomes an item fountain if you find a green-rarity chest and choose a 56-Leaf Clover, which gives every killed elite enemy a chance to drop even more chests (an effect which you can stack up to sixty-four more copies of the artifact if you feel inclined to maximize the bonus). You will be able to farm for as much equipment as you can dream about in the first stage with minimal luck as long as you don't activate the exit teleporter. What's there to fear about time-increasing difficulty when you can come out decked as a God from the very first stage?

* RunOrDie: Given enough time, a great deal of normal runs will become this. This especially becomes the case if your character lacks mob-clearing attacks. You might also find yourself doing this when waiting on a teleporter, when the [[ZergRush real horde shows up]].
* [[ShootEverythingThatMoves Shoot Everything That Moves]]/HoistByHisOwnPetard: In a game where coins and exp are given from every kill, along with the benefit of reducing the enemy count of the inevitable horde, it's shockingly easy to get looped into a cycle of [[AttackAttackAttack killing]] one enemy who's rapidly replaced with 2 more to kill.
** If you're not waiting on the teleporter, nor actually at chance to receive items from the kills, getting caught in a loop is fairly bad considering both the difficulty rise, and reduced return of level gain per kill. In short, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard you'll be asking yourself]] [[OhCrap why the difficulty bar is already halfway filled]] [[ThisIsGonnaSuck when you're still just on the 2nd stage]].

** The Heavenly Drill replaces one in every four normal attacks with a piercing shot at the cost of reducing damage to 100% (rather than the slight boost most basic attacks get). The practical effect is that, rather than your normal attack, it becomes a hitscan weapon that fires along a straight line and pierces all enemies, doing almost as much damage as the attack would have done normally (rebound attacks like the CHEF's cleavers only count the first hit). This effect stacks. Get four of these things, and your normal attack is completely replaced with an objectively superior one. In a game where crowds are the norm, this is deadly if you can manage it, especially for melee classes.

** The Heavenly Drill causes one in every four normal attacks to pierce through enemies at the cost of reducing damage to 100% (rather than the slight boost most basic attacks get). The practical effect is that, rather than your normal attack, it becomes a hitscan weapon that fires along a straight line and pierces all enemies, doing almost as much damage as the attack would have done normally (rebound attacks like the CHEF's cleavers only count the first hit). This effect stacks. Get four of these things, and you always fire piercing shots. In a game where crowds are the norm, this is deadly if you can manage it, especially for melee classes.

* ComplacentGamingSyndrome: While most survivors generally prefer a particular set of stats from their items, Bustling Fungus is considered mandatory on Engineers as their turrets' inability to move activates the healing AOE and immensely boosts their survivability.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysPtBjY8o_A "Coalescence"]], the theme of the final level. A combination of haunting and general badassery, fitting the tone of the level itself and instantly conveying a sense of finally returning to where it all began. The name of the track is very fitting--it sounds just like an emotional finality of everything you've been through, all that hell, coming together into a climactic coalescence.
*** The actual boss fight gets [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGmp2JP_SD8 Precipitation]], which is absolutely badass, with a touch of otherworldliness that fits [[spoiler:Providence]] quite well. It also gives the sense that the next challenge will be a grueling fight, which it is.
** [[http://youtu.be/mgCmmax-unE "Monsoon"]], a song that plays in one of the first levels, has an excellent blend of sci-fi and mystery, making for a great first level piece.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzJlzGaQFoc "Surface Tension"]], the boss-track of the Dried Lake, manages to be atmospheric and foreboding while also being one of the fastest and most energetic tracks in the game.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dGpteJyMK8 "Tropic of Cancer"]], an awesome mix of rock and chiptune that just magnifies how frantic the late game bosses become.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dGpteJyMK8 Tropic of Cancer]], an awesome mix of rock and chiptune that just magnifies how frantic the late game bosses become.