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List of Changes from Original to Returns
By Dūmlūpe
This guide lists all game mechanics (survivors, items, etc.) which were changed from the original, and what is different about them.
   
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Created by
Dūmlūpe
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Category: Characters, Classes, Loot, Maps or Levels
Languages: English
Posted
Updated
8 Apr @ 8:17pm
28 Apr @ 10:44am
320 Unique Visitors
2 Current Favorites
Guide Index
Overview
Introduction 
Survivors 
Items 
Equipment 
Misc Changes 
Comments
Introduction
Most of the new content added in returns is fairly obvious and self-explanatory. But have you ever wondered what was changed? Maybe you're looking to see if anything you overlooked in the original is now worth using, or maybe you're just curious.

Well wonder no more. This guide should hopefully list everything that was changed between the original version of the game and Returns. This includes items, survivors, etc. It may not necessarily include newly added items, monsters, etc. If you don't see something listed here, it probably was not changed. If I missed anything, please let me know in the comments. And remember:

Survivors
In General:
  • All characters have had their move speeds normalized. In the original ranged characters were very slightly slower than melee characters. In Returns everyone moves at melee characters' speed.

  • All characters who could not move while shooting in the original now can, albeit very slowly. More importantly most of them can now turn while shooting as well.

  • All characters now have alternate unlockable skills they can use. This guide will not cover these.

Individual Survivors:

Commando:
  • Double Tap: No longer fires in two shot bursts, instead firing single shots twice as fast. (So is it a single tap now?)
Huntress:
  • Now unlocked by default. Originally was: Collect 15 monster logs.
Enforcer:
  • Protect and Serve: Now does 210% damage and knocks back in a small area upon activation. Essentially this translates to a free cast of shield slam upon entering stance.
Bandit:
  • Damage gain per level nerfed from 4 to 3.5
  • Crit chance gained per level buffed from 0.015% to 1% (bandit is the only character with this stat, it is assumed to be bugged in the original and was meant to be 1.5%, so technically this is a nerf.)
  • Blast (Primary): damage nerfed from 150% damage to 80%. Description still says 150% but is wrong.
  • Dynamite Toss (Secondary): damage Buffed from 230% to 300%
  • Smoke bomb (utility): damage on reveal nerfed from 200% to 140%
  • Lights out (Special): damage nerfed from 600% damage to 500%
HAN-D:
  • No Change.
Engineer:
  • Bounding Mine (Secondary): max uses nerfed from 15 to 10
  • Thermal Harpoon (utility): cooldown nerfed from 5 to 6
  • Auto Turret (Special): nerfed damage from 3x100% to 3x60%. 30 second max duration removed.
Miner:
  • Reworked: Now builds heat meter by attacking which affects all his skills.
  • Crush (primary): base damage buffed from 140% to 160% and empowered at max heat.
  • Drill Charge (secondary): reworked: can no longer be charged to increase damage and distance, but can now be held, spending heat. Cooldown reduced from 8 to 6 and damage changed to 150% at all times from 150% to 600% depending on charge.
  • Backblast (utility): More powerful at max heat, gaining more damage and range. Normal version unchanged.
  • To the Stars (Special) Costs heat and has no cooldown when at max heat. Base cooldown increased from 5 to 6.
Sniper:
  • Military Training: Can now be used during steady aim without cancelling the charge. Is now affected by Sniper's momentum, potentially increasing the maximum distance it travels.
  • Steady Aim: Damage dealt is now determined by percentage charged rather than time spent charging. This fixes a bug where increased attack speed would reduce the maximum damage dealt by a fully charged shot, and vice versa.
Acrid:
  • Festering wounds (Primary): Poison now tics faster for more total damage.
Mercenary:
  • Laser Sword (Primary): Now has his 3 hit combo mechanic from RoR2. Damaged changed from 130%,130%,130% to 115%,115%,172.5%. Total damage of a full combo is slightly higher (402.5% vs 390%), but hit-and-run becomes less effective. Also no longer has a cap on the number of enemies that can be hit per swing (?).
Loader:
  • Base regen buffed from 0.6+0.18 per level to 2.4+0.3 per level.
  • Debris Shield (secondary): changed from 100% hp shield for 3 seconds to fully invincible for 2 seconds. Cooldown buffed from 5 seconds to 3.
  • Hydraulic Gauntlet (utility): can now be angled upwards.
Chef:
  • Sear (Secondary): Second helping empowered version damage buffed from 420%+78% from glaze to 520%+156% from glaze. Normal version unchanged.
Pilot, Artificer, Drifter, Robomando are entirely new characters.
Items
Common:
  • Meat Nugget: Healing per chunk buffed from 6+6 per stack to 8+6 per stack
  • Fire Shield: Explosion damage buffed from 200%+200% per stack to 400%+200% per stack. Knockback effect added.
  • Bustling Fungus: Unchanged.
  • Lens Makers Glasses: Item type changed from utility to damage. Effect unchanged.
  • Sprouting Egg: Unchanged.
  • Head Stompers: Base damage at max velocity buffed from 507% to 600%
  • Life Savings: Now scales with time(?)
  • Barbed Wire: Unchanged.
  • Rusty Knife: Unchanged.
  • Mysterious Vial: Nerfed regen from 1.2 to 0.84 per stack.
  • Mortar Tube: No change.
  • Warbanner: Now drops a banner on activating the teleporter, as in RoR 2. Effect of multiple banners can no longer stack (?).
  • Monster tooth: Unchanged.
  • Soldier's Syringe: Attack speed nerfed from 15% per stack to 12% per stack. Cap of 13 stacks removed. Category changed from utility to damage.
  • Crowbar: Unchanged.
  • Medkit: Heal delay changed from 1.1 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
  • Bundle of Fireworks: Number of fireworks changed from 8+2 per stack to 6+3 per stack. Firework damage no longer increases with stacks.
  • Backup Magazine: New item
  • Topaz Brooch: New item
  • Taser: Unchanged
  • Paul's goat hoof: Nerfed speed buff from 20% per stack to 15% per stack.
  • Bitter Root: Cap of 300% total max hp increase removed.
  • Sticky Bomb: Damage buffed from 140%+40% per stack to 200%+100% per stack.
  • Snake Eyes: Buffed crit chance from 6%+3% per stack to 7%+7% per stack. Type changed from utility to damage.
  • Hermit's scarf: Dodge chance cap of 35% removed.
  • Gasoline: Unchanged.
  • Spike strip: Effect changed from slow to snare. Duration nerfed from 2 seconds +1 per stack to 1 second + 0.5 per stack.
  • Mocha: New item
  • Voltaic Mitt: New item
  • The Toxin: New item
  • Mu Construct: New item
  • Razor Penny: New item
  • Arcane Blades: New item

Uncommon:
  • Time Keeper's Secret: 10 second time stop cap removed.
  • Smart Shopper: Unchanged.
  • Infusion: Now gives 1/10 hp when used with artifact of glass (Worst change)
  • Will-o-the-wisp: Damage nerfed from 500% base to 300% base. Knockup effect added (?)
  • ATG Missile Mk1: Unchanged
  • Tough Times: Unchanged
  • Energy Cell: Unchanged (?)
  • Rusty Jetpack: Unchanged (?)
  • Leeching Seed: Unchanged
  • Ukulele: Damaged buffed from 33% per stack to 66% per stack. Max chains reduced from 4 to 3.
  • Boxing Gloves: Knockback effect now does 100% damage (instead of 0.)
  • Prison Shackles: Slow effect buffed from 20% to 50%, but no longer stacks up to 60% with more copies.
  • Guardian's Heart: Unchanged.
  • Hoopoo Feather: Unchanged.
  • Frost Relic: Unchanged.
  • Red Whip: Movement speed bonus reduced from 80% to 60%. Speed cap removed.
  • Chargefield Generator: Damage changed from 100%+10% per stack to 50%+20% per stack. Now zaps 50% of enemies inside the field at random every 0.5 seconds, instead of 1 random enemy every second.
  • Arms Race: Missile chance changed from 9% per stack to 5% per stack. Mortar chance changed from 9% per stack to 9% at all stacks, with mortar damage increasing instead. Now also summons a unique drone when picked up. Type changed from utility to attack.
  • Golden Gun: Unchanged.
  • 56 Leaf Clover: Chance nerfed from 4%+4% per stack to 4%+1.5% per stack. Cap of 30% chance removed.
  • Concussion Grenade: Unchanged.
  • Filial Imprinting: Unchanged. Unlock requirement still horrible.
  • Dead Man's Foot: Now does an initial hit of 150% damage in addition to the original 4 hits of 150% poison damage. Stacking now increased poison damage instead of duration.
  • Toxic Centipede: Renamed from Toxic Worm, seemingly the only item to be renamed, no idea why. Duration now scales with stacks.
  • Harvester's Scythe: Additional stacks no longer grant more crit chance, only more hp on crit.
  • Panic Mines: Damage nerfed from 500% to 400% per mine.
  • Predatory Instincts: Additional stacks no longer grant more crit chance. Effects buffed from 10% attack speed +1% per stack, cap 30%, to 10% + 7% per stack, cap 30% + 21% per stack.
  • Royal Medallion: New item
  • Prophet's Cape: New item
  • Locked Jewel: New item
  • Hunter's Harpoon: New item
  • Insecticide: New item
  • Decaying Sample: New item

Rare:
  • Thallium: Proc chance now increases by 10% per stack. Original was one of few items which did not stack at all. Slow increased from 100% to 150% (?)
  • Tesla Coil: Damage changed to 120%+60% per stack from 150%+50% per stack
  • Jack in the box: Additional stacks now increase fear duration instead of range, now has a chance to activate based on missing health % rather than only activating at low health.
  • Beating Embryo: Unchanged.
  • Permafrost: Additional stacks now increase slow duration instead of freeze chance. Slow amount buffed from 60% to 80%
  • ATG Missile Mk2: Damage per missile reduced from 300% to 200% (Why tho)
    Happiest mask: Ghost stats buffed from 70% hp and 50% damage base to 100% hp and 70% damage base.
  • Plasma Chain: Damage now tics twice as fast for more total damage.
  • Heaven Cracker: Unchanged.
  • Rapid Mitosis: Unchanged.
  • Ceremonial Dagger: Unchanged.
  • Repulsion Armor: Reflected damage is now 400% of your damage instead of 83% of the damage taken, and this damage is no longer reduced by the same amount. Now grants 100 armor and lasts 4 seconds base instead of 3. 10 second duration cap removed.
  • Brilliant Behemoth: Unchanged.
  • Hardlight Afterburner: New item
  • Interstellar Desk Plant: Healing buffed from 8+3 per stack to 3% at all stacks. Plant duration changed from 30 seconds to 15+5 seconds per stack.
  • Laser Turbine: Unchanged(?)
  • Wicked Ring: Additional stacks now give +10% additional crit chance instead of +1 second cooldown reduction on crit
  • Alien Head: Cooldown reduction increased to 30% from 25%. 60% cooldown reduction cap removed.
  • The Ol' Lopper: Effect changed from 100% crit chance on low hp enemies to up to 60% damage on low hp enemies per stack. (This is a huge buff.)
  • The Hit List: Unchanged
  • Photon Jetpack: Unchanged
  • Shattering Justice: Base effect increased from -5 armor up to -25 to -6 armor up to -30. Stacks now give -1 armor per hit instead of +0.5 seconds debuff duration.
  • Telescopic Sight: Cap of 3% instakill chance removed.
  • Fireman's Boots: Unchanged.
  • Hyper Threader: Unchanged.
  • Dio's Best Friend: Holding multiple copies at once no longer consumes them all on revive, making it possible to revive multiple times without finding another after the first is used. (Yes, this was a thing.)
  • Ancient Scepter: Additional copies now give 30% special ability cooldown reduction. Originally did not stack at all. All ability upgrades have the same effects as the original although the base abilities themselves may have been changed (see the survivors section above.)
  • Bottled Chaos: New item
  • Aegis: New item
  • Substandard Duplicator: New Item
  • Classified Access Codes: New item
  • Umbrella: New item

Boss items:
  • Legendary Spark: Number of sparks increased from 1+1 per stack to 2+1 per stack.
  • Imp Overlord's Tentacle: Additional stacks now also reduce imp's respawn timer.
  • Burning Witness: Speed boost increased from +5% per stack to +30% at all stacks. No longer grants +1 damage while active.
  • Colossal Knurl: Unchanged.
  • Ifrit's horn: Damage buffed from 220%+30% per stack to 300%+300% per stack.
  • Nematocyst Nozzle: Damage of each Nematocyst buffed from 200% to 400%
  • Scorching Shell Piece: New item. Cremator did not originally have a unique drop.

Equipment
(Steam please make your guide sections longer)

  • Rotten Brain: Unchanged
  • Safeguard Lanter: Damage per second increased from 20% to 100%
  • Snowglobe: Changed from 30% freeze chance for 7 seconds to 50% freeze chance for 8 seconds
  • Explorer's key: Renamed from Skeleton key. The only other item to be renamed. AoE reduced by about half.
  • Foreign Fruit: Unchanged
  • Instant Minefield: Unchanged
  • Jar of Souls: Unchanged
  • Carra Marble: Unchanged
  • Sawmerang: Unchanged
  • Shattered Mirror: Unchanged
  • Disposable missile launcher: Damage per missile reduced from 300% to 200% (Again, why)
  • Gold Plated Bomb: Unchanged
  • Drone Repair kit: Now also summons a unique retextured gun drone on use (max of 1).
  • Thquib: Unchanged.
  • Dynamite plunger: Damage per dynamite reduced from 400% to 200%
  • Mace Replica: New item
  • Gigantic Amythest: Unchanged.
  • Crudely Drawn Buddy: Unchanged.
  • Prescriptions: Damage boost changed from +10 flat to +30%
  • Shield Generator: Unchanged
  • Unstable watch: Unchanged
  • Lost Doll: Damage reduced from 500% of your health to 400%
  • Pillaged gold: Unchanged(?)
  • Captain's Brooch: Unchanged
  • The back up: Unchanged
  • Super Massive Leech: Name changed from massive leech (more like super pointless rename amirite) effect unchanged.
  • Glowing Meteorite: Damage changed from 220% to 10% of hit target's max hp. This is a huge buff in most cases.
Misc Changes
Artifacts
  • Artifact of Distortion now gives cooldown reduction to non-locked skills.
  • Artifacts of Prestige, Dissonance, Tempus, and Cognation are all new.
  • All other artifacts are unchanged.
  • Note that artifact Origin does not require any of these new artifacts active to unlock, only the original nine.

Other
  • Most stages have an additional 2 variants for a total of 6.
  • To my knowledge no enemy or boss stats were changed, only new ones were added.
  • I feel like difficulty/time scaling is much steeper than the original but I haven't been able to confirm this.
  • The default camera is much more zoomed in than the original so you can admire all the pretty remastered sprites. Pro tip: change this ASAP. The game is MUCH harder this way.
  • Providence now has a fourth, much harder phase. "You thought me defeated..?"
9 Comments
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RGB Pipebomb 12 May @ 10:01am 
A thing that i recently noticed is that with Headstompers, holding down while in the air does not increase your fall speed, unlike in RoR1.
Dūmlūpe  [author] 25 Apr @ 4:37pm 
Added, thanks.
The Blessed Word 25 Apr @ 3:35pm 
Sniper's intereaction with Attack Speed bonuses has been fixed from the original, wherein the original Attack Speed on Sniper would actually reduce the damage of his Steady Aim ability due to it functioning based on how long the ability itself charged (with it going faster meaning that he loses damage), this is now properly fixed so that Steady Aim now actually calculates damage based on completion of the meter itself rather than time spent; so now attack speed is actually properly buffing Sniper now.
The Blessed Word 25 Apr @ 3:32pm 
Commando's default fire (Q) is no longer an actual double tap, but it does functionally fire at the same speed as the original, it's just changed so you can just tap off a single shot instead of two.
Dūmlūpe  [author] 21 Apr @ 9:46pm 
That said, if there is anything provably wrong in this list, please do let me know, I'm sure there's plenty wrong/missing in here, in particular the stuff with (?) next to it I was unable to verify myself.
Dūmlūpe  [author] 21 Apr @ 9:44pm 
This information is sourced from official wikis and verified by myself.

Scythe does give crit but only for the first stack, additional stacks do not. In the original, they did. You can verify this by picking artifact of command and picking up multiple scythes but no other crit boosting items; your crit chance will not increase beyond the first stack.

Bandit's tooltip is wrong, this is a known bug. Again, you can easily verify this in game. Bandit's base damage at level 1 is 12. If the damage of blast was 150%, you would expect to be hitting for around 17-20 damage per shot, but you do not. Instead you hit for around 8-11 per shot, which is what you would expect if his damage was 80%, not 150%.
The Blessed Word 21 Apr @ 9:14pm 
Proof for some of these changes? I'm pretty sure the Scythe still gives crit.

Not to mention that the Bandit's Blast tootip quite clearly still says 150% damage. 80% is nonsense.
Dūmlūpe  [author] 15 Apr @ 7:22pm 
Added, thanks.
what up boo 15 Apr @ 12:10pm 
sniper in ror 2013 couldn't interrupt their charged shot with a backflip, and the backflip now carries momentum and lets you slide much further back, also enforcers guard stance now does damage and knockback in rorr. otherwise this is a nice guide :3