Hollow Knight vs Risk of Rain
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight is a cartoonish yet somewhat hardcore 2D side-scrolling action game that will see you travelling across the dark yet wondrous world of the Hallownest, filled with huge hallow caverns, ancient ruined cities, deadly wastelands and more. Unlike most games, the combat system in this one is based on precision and timing, rather than blindly hacking and slashing, and of course, different enemy types will require different strategies. Your character will also have access to some really powerful skills and abilities by equipping Charms.Not to mention, as opposed to simply giving you a map of sorts, you actually need to chart your own journey with mapping tools which can be bought in the game. And if that's not enough, the game even has a super challeging difficulty level, the Steel Soul Mode, which will truly put your skills to the test.
Despite being developed by only 2 people, Hollow Knight somehow managed to nail everything right on the head, be it its gameplay, the melancholic atmosphere of the game which helps to tell the story of a ruined civilization, a beautiful, dark world to explore, as well as a robust and in-depth character progression system. If this sounds like something you'd like, you might want to drop by and take a look.
Risk of Rain
Risk of Rain is a rogue-like, action platformer that is difficult enough to be challenging and is punishing (perma-death). You can choose to face the constantly spawning enemies alone - well, not exactly since you'll have your drone - or cooperatively with up to 3 other friends in hopes of collecting all the tools you need to find the teleporter machine and to finally, head back home. The enemies you fight are randomly generated by combining traits and abilities from a fixed yet extensive list as well, making the game a lot more unpredictable and hence, enjoyable.In addition to the 12 unique characters that you can unlock and a plethora of powerups to use, the game is also set on a mysterious planet with diverse biomes, ranging from dark forests to the frozen tundra. There is even an engrossing storyline which you can slowly piece together by collecting items and monster logs in your adventures.
Risk of Rain is definitely a fun and challenging platform game to play alone, but it particularly shines when you play it with friends. Time just seems to fly by in co-op mode and of course, let's not forget about the hilarious moments when one of you messed up (intentionally or otherwise).