Part 1. Ground Floor

Master the Ground Floor of the GRC in Risk of Rain Returns! Learn how to unlock doors, find the Solar Lens, and prepare your tanks for the journey ahead.

Alright, let's get you started on the Ground Floor of the GRC in Risk of Rain Returns. This is your first real taste of the game, and while it might seem a bit confusing at first, we'll get you through it. Don't worry, there are no enemies here, just some important stuff to grab and some doors to unlock.

First off, you'll notice a map layout. The main entrance is at the bottom, and there's a back entrance on the right. The stairs on the right connect to all the floors, but the real key here is the lifts. There are two main lift systems: one on the left that goes to floors 1, 2, 4, and 6, and another on the right that goes to floors 1, 3, 5, and 6. You'll also see a tank lift that goes down to the basement.

Your main goal on this floor is to grab the Solar Lens, which is in a box in the central machine area. But to get there, you'll need to unlock a couple of doors. You'll find an ID Card and some passwords on the upper floors – you'll need to come back for those later. For now, focus on the locked door on the ground floor. It has four flashing lights, and each password you find will deactivate one of them. You'll need to use the ID Card on the computers around the doors and then input the correct password. It's a bit of a puzzle, and the game doesn't make the logic super clear, so don't be afraid to use trial and error or just follow along if you get stuck. Once those doors are open, grab the Solar Lens from the wooden box.

With the Solar Lens in hand, you can activate the lift controller to your right. Then, turn right again and switch off the barrier controller. On the left screen, you can open the garage controller. This basically opens everything up for your tanks.

Now, here's a pro-tip: head out the back door. You can drive your tanks up or left to the front of the Centre. This lets you go straight through the front door, then through the double doors you just unlocked, and right into the lift to the basement. This is the quickest way to get your tanks moving.

Before you head down to the basement with your tanks, make sure to use the right lift to go back to floors 3 and 5. You'll want to pick up some tank parts you probably had to leave behind earlier. On Floor 3, you'll find the L-Plates Pack in the first room after exiting the lift. On Floor 5, there's a Turbo Carmen (that's an engine part) in a box right next to the lift. Grabbing these now will save you a headache later.

Also, if you're feeling adventurous or want to make future runs easier, consider heading all the way up to Floor 6. There are guns on the roof that will shoot at you when you're near the GRC. If you push them off the roof, they'll stop firing. It's a bit of extra work, but it can make things much smoother.