Rain World is getting 5 new Slugcats in surprise Downpour DLC

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Almost five years to the day after the launch of the challenging post-apoc platformer Rain World, developer Videocult has announced that it's coming back with a major new expansion called Rain World: Downpour.

Rain World: Downpour will feature five new characters, each with unique abilities, skills, play styles, and stories, and ten "expansive regions" with new weather effects, and thousands of new maps and environments to explore and hopefully not be killed by. Speaking of which, there will also be a new Challenge Mode, apparently designed for people who found the original game too easy, and a Safari Mode, which enables players to return to areas they've previously visited to explore "safely through the eyes of an observer," and even "control and play as other creatures in the game to influence the scene."

These are your new Slugcat buddies:

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The Rivulet - An aquatic evolved slugcat - it breathes underwater and moves through the world with ease.

The Gourmand - An indulger of the simpler pleasures in life. Can store multiple items within the pouches in its cheeks.

The Artificer - A fierce combatant; master of pyrotechnics and explosives.

The Spearmaster - An abnormality with no mouth that uses needles pulled from its body for combat and to feed.

The Saint - Attuned to the etheric plane, this slugcat uses no weapons but instead uses its long tongue to grip far away objects or platforms.

On top of the major additions, Rain World: Downpour will support optional new features including "tutorialized hints," new route options, a new map system, and a collectibles tracker.

We called Rain World's post-apocalyptic setting "among the bleakest and most punishing" we'd ever seen when we reviewed the game back in March 2017, and further called it "one of the most alienating and difficult games in recent memory." Despite that, we called it a "singular experience" for those who persist: "For those with the time and patience, Rain World will prove unforgettable."

And it's no longer quite the unrelentingly brutal game that it used to be: Not long after its launch, an update added two new playable characters, the Monk and the Hunter, which among other things added a gentler, more accessible (but still challenging) new difficulty level.

Rain World: Downpour doesn't have a release date yet, but is listed as "coming soon" on Steam.