In nearly every way, Remnant 2 feels like it’s shaping up to be a proper sequel to Gunfire Games’ underrated soulslike from 2019. Lovingly referred to as “Dark Souls with guns” by its community, Remnant: From The Ashes punched above its weight in many ways with just a handful of scrappy indie developers working on the project at the outset. Four years later, that team has the support of its new titanic parent company Embracer Group and has ballooned to over 60 people and counting, and in my time playing Remnant 2, the results of that doubling down were clear: this sequel seems like it’s going to absolutely rule. The gunplay is heads and tails above its predecessor, the buildcrafting is an RPG nerd’s dream, the enemies and bosses are relentless and badass, and the vastly improved procedural generation engine is one of the most ambitious things I’ve seen from a soulslike in a very long time.
The night before I got my hands on Remnant 2, I spent some time replaying the first game in my hotel room, and the thing that immediately struck me when booting up the sequel was just how much better it looks. Where From The Ashes was a bit drab aesthetically, Remnant 2 is absolutely bursting with color and detailed characters. Whether I was hanging around the rustic sanctuary of Ward 13 or running through Yaesha under the glow of an eerie crimson sun, the leap forward is no mere facelift – it’s a complete overhaul.
But more importantly, Remnant 2 feels much more on par with its third-person shooter peers than its predecessor in terms of both movement and combat. For starters, melee combat is not only a practical option compared to the first game’s wimpy slashing, but it actually feels good to get up close and beat someone down when bullets just won’t do. I used everything from shotguns to rifles, and even a crossbow, and each felt satisfying and ferocious (even if some felt a bit overpowered in the early version I played).
The number of enemies and dastardly ways they attack you also seems like a step up, just from the small number of biomes I was able to explore. Whether I was fighting giant, slippery lizards, floating tentacled aliens, or creepy root-infested cultists, there was always a new enemy waiting around every corner.
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Boss fights have also been tuned up, especially when it comes to the first game’s irritating overuse of adds during them. Gunfire Games clearly heard the feedback from players loud and clear, and most bosses I took down either made light use of them or made them the primary obstacle while some other puzzle waited to be solved. For example, I fought one boss called the Mother Mind, a giant plant monster who bombarded me with explosive pollen, and faced only a few floating adds in between damage phases, while in another fight against an enemy called Legion, a dark deity who tried to drive my character insane, I fought off waves of adds while trying to figure out the trick to overcoming the boss’ maddening gaze.
Moving around has also been reworked, as jumping between gaps is now possible – and my prayers have been answered regarding the first game’s most annoying feature: the stamina meter. Now it only applies during combat, meaning you don’t have to worry about getting arbitrarily slowed down every few seconds when exploring the world. Jumping around and climbing makes exploration and engaging the bad guys a lot more interesting, since clever use of verticality and putting gaps between you and your enemy allow for some fun moments. Plus, now there’s dozens of exciting new ways to fall to your death – something I was apparently fond of doing.
The sequel’s killer feature though, is the ambitious improvements it aims to make to its procedurally generated levels. Where the first Remnant mixed up the layout of levels and which enemies would spawn, Remnant 2 takes it to an entirely new level by randomly generating practically every element of your adventure. In fact, even the tutorial will differ from player-to-player as the starting area is assigned randomly between a few different options. Beyond that, you can expect boss fights, side quests, NPCs and storylines to all differ from that of your friends, making each new playthrough feel like a significantly different experience.
Finally, there’s the numerous ways in which character buildcrafting has been improved. Instead of picking a base class and slapping on a few weapons and modifiers from there, Remnant 2 has a staggering number of options for you to choose from, like its fantastic multiclass system that lets you mix and match archetypes like the Gunslinger or the Handler to create a unique cocktail of perks and abilities. Beyond that, the number of trinkets and items you can use to customize your build has been expanded, including new ways to customize your Dragon Heart healing item that may prove to be a game changer for players.
I played quite a bit of Remnant: From The Ashes, but everything I’ve seen from its sequel points to Remnant 2 being my next addiction. Simply put, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Here’s hoping the finished product turns out as promising as my early peek at it suggested.