Developer: Gunfire Games
Publisher: Gearbox Publishing
Platform: PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S
Remnant II – Review
Remnant: From The Ashes was released back in 2019, and it became a rather big success. Remnant was basically a Soulslike game with guns, with procedurally generated content thrown in the mix. It’s clear that the original game was quite loved, as we recently even saw a Switch port, which we also quite enjoyed. Now, however, the sequel has just been released, and we were more than eager to dive into the action and push back The Root even further.
Story
Remnant II expands further upon the events of the original game. Even though The Root has been pushed back on Earth, its influence is still present across the many worlds causing many entities to suffer heavily. When you are saved by some unlikely allies, you are brought to Ward 13, which is led by Ford, who players will know from the first game. Ford is very intent on continuing his fight against The Root, and to do so, he’ll need your help. You help Ford activate a crystal with which he can travel to other worlds, and he asks you to destroy it afterward. Sadly, one of your new allies, Clementine, gets sucked in as well, and you set out to save her. From this point onwards, you’ll encounter strange new beings across different worlds, and the story can be altered depending on the choices you make during dialogues. During some instances, you may opt for a more diplomatic approach while at other times you might just want to get rid of the NPC you’re talking to. The game offers different options as to how to tackle the story, but sometimes being slightly less aggressive may also benefit you in the long run.
The story itself is interesting, but players who skipped the first game may sometimes be at a loss as to what is going on exactly. The game does give you some information here and there to put the pieces of the puzzle together, but at times you’re lacking context. It’s best to just go with the flow and worry about some of the smaller details later, as this is a title that’s still mainly gameplay oriented.
Graphics
Graphically, Remnant II is a good-looking game. Even though the game does have a few rough edges here and there and you might also encounter a few clipping errors, it does look great for the most part. The different worlds you’ll find yourself in all have their distinct backdrops, clutter, and enemy variety, which does keep things interesting. The player character designs also look quite good, but this game does have a bit less variety when it comes to armor sets, so you’ll be looking at the same outfit for most of the game.
Sound
The game’s sound design is quite good. The soundtrack sets the right mood, and the music does get a lot more intense when you find yourself in the midst of a heated battle. The sound effects provide the right feedback for the weapons, and all guns do have satisfying SFX. We very much enjoyed the voice acting in this game, as all dialogues were fully voiced, and the cast does a formidable job bringing the many (ghastly) creatures of the different worlds alive.
Gameplay
Remnant II is an ARPG where the combat is akin to that of a regular third-person shooter. In the game, you’ll be able to choose out of a few different archetypes before you are thrown into a host of different worlds all infected by The Root. The overall offset is quite simple, as you explore different areas, kill bosses, find loot, and further evolve your chosen character. The class system has a few fixed traits that will level up as you level your character, but for the most part, you’re still free to build the character to your liking. This means that every type of weapon will work for each of the game’s archetypes, meaning you can still go for a melee build with a Medic archetype, instead of being forced to simply pick the melee-oriented Challenger class. The system eventually further expands when you’re able to pick a subclass.
We found the controls to be extremely fluid. The game goes perfectly from an all-out shootout in an open plane to a melee brawl in tight spaces. The movement controls are very responsive, especially when having to dodge. Of course, paying attention is key here, as a dodge will not get you out of a predicament if you storm into enemy-infested sections guns blazing. The game is also best enjoyed with friends, as the solo experience tends to be rather brutal. Remnant II is in many ways still a very unforgiving game, even on easier difficulty settings. That being said, Remnant II does have quite a few checkpoints available, making sure you wouldn’t have to go through complete areas over and over again to try and subdue one of the game’s many bosses.
The gear system is fairly straightforward, as you can simply upgrade all the weapons in your arsenal by using the right materials in the central hub, Ward 13. When defeating bosses, you’ll often also get unique materials that either allow you to create new weapons or weapon mods, the latter being modifications for one of your weapons (if it has a mod slot). A mod can completely alter the appearance of your weapon, and when using said weapon, it will also charge the skill that comes with the mod. Some mods are offensive in nature, while others may provide defensive buffs or healing effects. The system is well-balanced, and if you’re playing with friends, it’s easy to discuss what mods could be useful for your party. Your gear setup consists of a heavy gun, a sidearm, and a melee weapon. Your arsenal can be further complemented by consumables, and of course, your armor and the rings and amulet you wear. Many of these items provide passive buffs, such as cooldown reduction, stronger melee attacks, boosts to healing, and so on.
Sadly, not everything is that great when it comes to Remnant II. While the weapons and overall mods are interesting, it’s mainly the armor that feels a bit disappointing. There are no real upgrades for your suits of armor, and the game also doesn’t offer too many options when it comes to armor. The game itself remains fairly interesting throughout, but oversimplifying things like the armor system does dull down the overall enjoyment. Things are then bogged down slightly further by fairly small upgrades for weapons. The game also suffers from minor bugs, and we found ourselves sinking through a few of the elevators in-game, resulting in an unfair death.
Conclusion
All in all, Remnant II is a very entertaining experience, if you’re able to play the game with friends. While this title still stands rather tall on its own, it’s best enjoyed with a full party, as you’ll find a better balance and the game will also be slightly more forgiving when someone dies. The overall atmosphere piqued our interest but the fluid controls and intense battle segments were what truly got us hooked to the game. We would have perhaps loved a bit more story context at times, as the game isn’t that welcoming to those who haven’t played the first game yet, but it was still a blast getting to meet a variety of interesting characters along this blood-soaked voyage. If you’re looking for a great game to play with friends, we suggest checking this one out.
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[…] in July, we took a closer look at Remnant II, which proved to be a great sequel to the first game. We enjoyed the co-op action from start to […]