Remnant takes elements from the original and build on it to resounding effect here. Excellent combat, beautiful, expansive landscapes and plant monsters, galore. This has everything if you like raw combat, and yes…if you like Souls-esque stuff too. It’s an intense romp through different worlds, and it makes for a wonderful run. Remnant has carved its own way in the supernatural combat, and lore-led story realm
It seems that a few years have passed since From the Ashes, and the Death of The Root….kinda. Yeah, the Root is still here, but there are more big evil things to contend with.
Indeed, the Root is still about in Remnant II, it’s just not as prominent. We start in Ward 13, which is like your newly revamped base of operations, and you follow this old wise dude (Ford), who is then sucked into a Big Red Crystal. Of course, as the game’s protagonist, you/we follow. I won’t spoil anymore for you.
In brief, there’s a bunch of worlds at your disposal here. Your first world can be one of either N’Erud, Losomn, or the returning Yaesha (which was mine), and they are all pretty different, with some intense boss battles, and once again…an absolute standout of this game, those stunning landscapes.
The Bloodborne vibes are totally obvious here (if I had to make a comparison) with huge swinging enemies that move (too) fast! Still, the combat across worlds is extremely satisfying with different difficulties to contend with, depending on the type of weird enemy you are dealing with! Be warned, they all swing (or throw) real hard…and like I said, really fast.
One thing becomes clear after a few go-arounds in Remnant II, it’s not something you can just get through in one play. It’s going to be an adventure in every sense of the word. This is a vast, expansive, and intense experience. You can’t possibly access all of the points, bits of knowledge, and intricacies that run through this game in one run, or even a second or third. You will need patience, but you will be rewarded for it.
One of the coolest parts of this game is definitely the Archetypes, and you can switch through (I started as a Medic, but you can also be a Hunter, Challenger, Handler, Gunslinger, and Alchemist). You can switch through these when you hit a certain level (10), and you can maximise your different skills with each Archetype – it adds another layer to the game, and in my opinion makes it that little bit more immersive. What I’m trying to say is you may pay more attention to what weapons you are equipping, upgrading, and such when you realise how challenging some of these enemies are.
Compared to the original game, Remnant II has better system mechanics, and feels smoother (to me), particularly when it comes to the fighting. Learning these mechanics and how to work things out in Remnant II is pleasing – killing a bunch of those monsters and maximising ways to do it (while keeping an eye on those lovely healthy Dragon Hearts) is what makes this game so appealing to me.
Remnant II is an exciting, interesting game from start to end, and it’s full of moments, and lore that will keep you interested, and playing many months from now.
Quick version: It’s like Dark Souls with guns (you’ll hear that a lot). Maybe a little bit of Outriders in there. The game’s satisfying nature comes from its uncompromising consistency in difficulty. Happy shooting!
Remnant II is out now on PS5 and all major consoles.
