2023-07-21 11:30:00
Ever since Remnant: From the Ashes debuted many years ago, I’ve been a huge fan of the series. The action-adventure nature, paired with a strange and unusual world full of creepy and deadly enemies, and a deep build crafting suite were all key elements that met my needs. So when I saw the announcement of Remnant II at The Game Awards, I was super excited to see developer Gunfire Games prepare a concept for its sequel. I’ve completely given myself over to Remnant II over the past few days, and after playing the title religiously for a week, I’ve come to the conclusion that Remnant II is just more Remnant, for better or worse. I mean, on the one hand, that’s exactly what people want from a sequel. Larger, more complex worlds, a deep collection of new enemy types, better graphics and visuals, and a more coherent story. On the other hand, however, some of the issues that plagued the series remain, meaning you get a fairly basic and limited build system paired with a level design that’s easy to get lost in, forgetting what the story is trying to piece together narratively. So, like I said, if you liked Remnant: From the Ashes, there’s a lot to look forward to here, but if not, don’t expect huge changes or improvements to the formula. But let’s get into it. First, let’s talk about the story. Gunfire Games has taken a leaf out of the Diablo IV book. Of course, both games ended up being years in development, literally. I mean, now the player has a more central role in the story, and despite not having a real name (you’re called Anomaly), you play a very important role in the narrative. This means you’re more invested in the story Remnant II is trying to tell, but the plot still suffers from the same issues as From the Ashes, in that the narrative pacing is so unusual and idiosyncratic that it becomes a little too complicated to pay close attention to a lot of the time. Here’s an ad: Fortunately, world design is top design again. You’ll want to explore every nook and cranny for gear, resources, dungeons, and secrets. Whether traveling to the distant jungles of the Yaesha or entering the sci-fi realms of Enrudd, the realms are incredibly diverse and unique, each with their own challenges and enemies to face, understand, and overcome. In this regard, Remnant II once again excels. You’re never lacking in challenge or getting bored with the enemy types, because just when you’re starting to get comfortable, some other horror crawls out of the woodwork to change everything. Gunfire Games clearly has a talent for designing disturbing and terrifying enemy types, and in Remnant II we’re given another example. On the topic of enemies, you’ll be happy to know that Remnant II has a lot of boss-type enemies, some of which are central to the narrative, while others are just something to find and take on when looking for better loot and gear. It looks like Gunfire bent their fingers a bit on their boss design this time around, as the encounters feel more varied and complex than From the Ashes, all in a grander visual spectacle with more environment-affecting mechanics like destructible battlefields. Some of the funniest bosses I’ve come across so far include huntress-type enemies riding great hounds, and even a giant alien butterfly, which made me think of Avatar’s Eklans and Mothra combo. Here’s an ad: The gameplay and gunplay are excellent again, too. Combat feels fluid and thrilling, and is designed in such a way that the player’s focus is primarily on shooting and slashing enemies that cross their path. However, the build craft in Remnant II feels even less compelling than what From the Ashes offers. Essentially, Gunfire has pretty much removed armor and clothing items from the equation in an effort to reduce the complexity of building kits. Sure, you can get new items in this category, and they do offer minor changes, but for the most part, impactful customization comes in the form of new versions of weapons, traits, and archetype systems. For weapons and traits, this is pretty much the same as what From the Ashes offers. You find or buy new weapons, which you can then improve using resources found throughout the game. You can also acquire and plug in mutators that now offer unique benefits, like the bleeding effect on shots, and fiddle with modifiers that give each weapon additional abilities. In terms of traits, this is Remnant’s take on the perks system, which sees you spending trait points to permanently improve certain attributes, such as total health, dodge range, and skill cooldowns. It’s a system that already works, and not a lot has been done to change that. As for the prototypes, this is where things get a little funky. In Remnant II, at the start of the game, you choose a class type, which defines how your character plays. Do you want to get up close and personal? If so, the Tank Challenger is for you. Love blasting enemies from a distance? Try Gunslinger. Want a companion on the go? Handler and its trusty canine allies are optional classes. Each archetype has its own unique playstyle and abilities, and can even unlock its own special set of traits, which can be improved by gaining experience. The catch is that you can only have two archetypes active at a time, and your primary archetype has the most impact on how your class plays. Also, you don’t just have access to the rest of the archetypes after selecting the first archetype, no, you have to find items throughout the game and level them up to be able to acquire and use secondary career types. The system is easy to understand, and it works, but I can’t help but feel like it’s taken a little of the fun out of building in favor of a more basic system, which to me kind of goes against the core tenets of what a Remnant game should be. While I wasn’t particularly blown away by Remnant II’s build and progression suite, there’s no denying the thrill and fun this sequel offers. Whether alone or with friends, Remnant II is a blast from the get-go and, like From the Ashes, designed from the ground up to be highly replayable. Gunfire Games made sure that was the case, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy this sequel, whether it’s trying a harder difficulty or simply switching to Adventure Mode to freely explore and hunt for bosses for resources and gear. That’s why I think Remnant II is a better or worse Remnant. It’s still a very compelling series, with tight and engaging gameplay, but there’s no denying that it has its kinks, too. It’s flashier, prettier, has a lot of depth, and if you liked the first game, you’ll love this follow-up too.
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