Remnant II: A Sequel That Does Not Disappoint
Remnant II launched on Steam on July 25th and has since delivered far and beyond its promise to be a worthy successor to its predecessor. In an age where it is, unfortunately, becoming more common for video games to over-promise and under-deliver upon launch, it’s fantastic to see Gunfire Games really listen to the community and make its sequel more impressive and polished than the first.
Even though this is a sequel, it’s not necessary that you play the first game
before diving into the second. Players will start off as a nameless travelers in a world that has been devastated by The Root (an interdimensional evil from Remnant: From The Ashes.) After messing with doors to other worlds, The Root slipped through to our world and has caused a copious amount of destruction. You’ll be responsible for ensuring that The Root does not destroy reality by hopping into different worlds and building and customizing your arsenal to cause the most destruction. Although the game has been receiving praise in many areas, the story has been generally regarded as the weakest part of the game. While there is a cohesive story throughout, players have stated that it tends to take the back seat when playing and doesn’t have much effect on your character. Instead, players have found the stories within the different worlds to be more compelling.
One of the most widely mentioned praises was just how beautiful everything looks. Eurogamer called the worlds “deliciously detailed” -and that they are! With so much artistic variety in each world, it almost feels like a different game in each world. The only reported downside, if you could even call it that, is that players have reported that they get attached to a certain world and find it bittersweet to move on. Fantastic attention to detail in each world and unique bosses play a huge part in the success of the game, and the artists deserve a round of applause and credit for their incredible work.
Customization in the game is a major strong point. Weapon customization is an ongoing focus as you unlock items through gameplay. You wont find yourself sticking with the same builds for long as you replace parts and modify your weapon and fighting style with each choice.
The four starting archetypes differ enough from each other to alter the way you approach enemies and how you build out your weapons. Challenger is a strong melee DPS that some say is a spiritual successor to the Scrapper in the first game. Then you have the Handler, which is well-rounded and made for solo play. This archetype has a loyal furry companion who can heal and assist you in your endeavors. Developers knew players would be apprehensive to have a dog by their side if they were constantly worried about its safety, so rest assured that your dog cannot die (he just stays ‘downed’ until you can revive him.) Hunter is a marksman focusing on ranged weapons and finding the weak spot from afar. Medic archetype is exactly what it sounds like, healing support. They’re incredibly helpful when playing with a team, but it not as effective in combat and would be difficult to play solo. If these archetypes aren’t quite doing it for you yet, there’s the opportunity to multiclass later in the game and additional archetypes you can unlock later in the game. The ability to switch archetypes at will without restarting makes the possibilities in the game pretty endless.
If it’s the “soulslike” description that’s leaving you on the fence, worry no longer as there’s a difficulty selection when you start the game. Players have the opportunity to select Survivor, Veteran, Nightmare, and Apocalypse depending on their confidence level. Even the survivor level is reported as a healthy challenge, but not enough to be discouraging, especially if you’ve found a friend or two to play the game with you. And if you’re truly up for a challenge, you’ll be able to play the game again in Apocalypse difficulty after you’ve finished the campaign.
Replayability is important when it comes to a full-priced game. Although there are no microtransactions (gasp!) it’s still a decent amount of money. Remnant II delivers on this front as well. The procedurally generated battles keep the game feeling fresh and exciting with each playthrough. Not only are you going to experience a different kind of game with each archetype you select, but you’ll truly never know who or what is going to be around every turn.
If you’re looking for an exciting and dynamic soulslike looter shooter with the option for co-op, look no further! The customization of weapons, unique and multifaceted archetypes, procedurally generated enemies, and powerful and challenging boss battles make this a challenging and enjoyable experience.
