Game Info

Remnant II

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Developer

　　2019’s Remnant: From the Ashes combined a lot of then (and still) trendy things, throwing looter-shooter action, procedural generation, and a big dollop of Dark Souls flavor into the mixing bowl. Despite being a relatively low-budget affair, the first Remnant gained a loyal following, and four years later we have Remnant II on our hands. This time around developer Gunfire Games has set their sights on something more ambitious, offering a bigger, more complex world powered by cutting-edge Unreal Engine 5 tech.

　　So, does Remnant II continue building a strong franchise atop its predecessor’s solid foundation? Or has the series’ potential scattered like ashes in the wind? Time to examine this one’s many dimensions…

　　Remnant II is a direct sequel to the original Remnant: From the Ashes set in a post-apocalyptic Earth beset by a creeping interdimensional evil known as the Root. Once again, you play as a custom-created drifter (simply referred to as “The Traveler” this time around) who ends up in Ward 13, one of humanity’s last bastions. In addition to acting as a convenient hub, Ward 13 also plays host to a World Stone, which provides access to a multiverse of other worlds that are also plagued by the Root. When a key member of the Ward 13 community gets sucked in by the World Stone, it falls to you to save her, and possibly put an end to this Root business once and for all.

　　While the setting I just described may sound vaguely intriguing, Remnant II’s story didn’t really grab me. Characters are shallow and annoying and the game tries to do the FromSoftware thing, revealing its backstory in scattered fragments, but unlike something like Elden Ring, these narrative breadcrumbs aren’t very nourishing. Often when an NPC starts trying to explain what’s actually going on, you just want them to shut up (and I’m not usually the dialogue-skipping type).

　　While Remnant II isn’t much of an improvement over its predecessor in terms of storytelling, its presentation is a step up. Again, this is an Unreal Engine 5 game, and at times it looks quite nice. The level of detail in some areas is impressive and the game uses Epic’s Nanite tech to largely eliminate pop-in. Unfortunately, the game’s visuals aren’t terribly consistent. Character models are dated and while some of the game’s worlds are pretty, other, like the swampy Yaesha region, just look overdone and cluttered. The game also has some technical drawbacks on the PS5, with both Balanced and Performance modes offering inconsistent FPS (you’re actually better off sticking with the more stable 30fps Quality mode). Native resolutions are also rather low regardless of mode -- the game just doesn’t have that crisp edge you expect from a top-tier current-gen title. Unfortunately, even the PC version doesn't escape performance issues.

　　While the Remnant series is often compared to Dark Souls, the similarity is more of a vibe than anything reflected by actual gameplay. Sure, the Remnant games have a dark tone, a high level of challenge, and big gruesome boss fights, but the unique roguelite elements that really define Dark Souls aren’t present here. There’s not much punishment for dying in Remnant II, as you just go back to the last nearby checkpoint with all your stuff. Despite their outward appearance, the Remnant games have more in common with something like Borderlands (it’s no coincidence Gearbox publishes the series). Shooting, looting, co-op play, and procedural generation are the real focus here.

　　That procedural generation is unquestionably the most impressive thing Remnant II brings to the table. Everything, from the general flow of the game’s campaign, to its story, sidequests, and map layouts are procedurally generated when you first start your campaign. After a certain point, the game gives you the option to restart your campaign whenever you please or jump into the open Adventure mode, and there are so many variables each re-roll feels genuinely different. Unlike many procedurally-generated games, individual stages and the larger world feel cohesive, rather than just a series of crudely assembled content blocks. Remnant II’s maps have that immersive, knotty Dark Souls feeling, full of locked doors, shortcuts, and secrets. Gradually unwinding and besting your own unique world is genuinely satisfying.

　　Unfortunately, Remnant II’s minute-to-minute gameplay doesn’t always measure up to the technical and artistic achievement of its procedural world. The thing about Borderlands is that, procedural generation and looting mechanics aside, it’s just a good basic shooter. Fast, challenging, and impactful. On this front, Remnant II doesn’t measure up. Your character’s movement is slow, with a focus on Dark-Souls-style dodge rolling, which doesn’t necessarily mesh with shooting that well. Said shooting is technically solid, but guns don’t feel like they pack much of a punch, and basic mechanics, like the ability to take cover or peek around corners, are missing here. AI is very simple, with enemies simply swarming in packs most of the time. Boss battles vary wildly – some are clever, but others can be very easily cheesed. Meanwhile, some late-game bosses are frustratingly cheap, doling out an excess of one-hit kills. There are certainly a lot of bosses in the game, around 25 in all I reckon, but I’ll take consistency over quantity.

　　Also, for a game that’s partly a looter-shooter, Remnant II’s loot is very boring. Unlike something like Borderlands, which throws a constant stream of cool unique weapons at you, new guns and gear are actually rare to find out in the world in Remnant II, particularly early on. Instead, you get an endless raft of crafting and upgrade materials that don’t really spark any excitement when you pick them up. Beat a challenging boss, and you get some scrap, crystals, and some item with a funny name you can trade in to craft a weapon mod you may not even want. Meh.

　　It's a shame Remnant II’s loot is so underwhelming, because its character-building process offers a lot of depth. Unlike the first Remnant, which only offered a small handful of very basic classes, Remnant II serves up 10+ detailed Archetypes which can eventually be combined to create unique dual-class characters. Add in customizable traits, weapon mods and mutations, and a healing Relic you can tweak in a multitude of ways, and there’s a ton of intricate build-crafting potential here. But again, you’re not intrinsically drawn in because the loot that powers all this character building is so uninspiring.

　　Remnant II can be played solo offline or with up to two other players co-op style, with the option to invite folks into your game, join other parties, or play with friends. It’s always a crap shoot whether the randos you let into your game will actually be helpful and joining others you don’t know often feels like you’re showing up to a party you weren’t invited to. Playing with friends long-term over the course of a campaign is the best scenario, as you can craft your characters to compliment each other. That said, I have to say, it doesn’t always feel like the game was built around co-op. I was expecting more scenarios where having multiple teammates really helped you strategically, but I guess Gunfire didn’t wasn’t to exclude solo players. As is, co-op play is largely just you and your teammates running around in a pack shooting at the same mobs of enemies. Playing co-op with friends is the best way to experience Remnant II, it’s certainly easier than playing solo, but there’s just not a ton of unique depth to it.

　　That said, I’m certain there will be folks who get more hooked on Remnant II’s combination of co-op and procedurally-generated worlds than I did. Those who do find themselves drawn in will find plenty to keep them busy. A single playthrough of the campaign will take 25 hours and those dedicated to experiencing every last remnant of content will be playing for a very long time.

　　This review was based on a PS5 copy of Remnant II provided by Gearbox Publishing.  

Products mentioned in this post

Elden Ring

Remnant: From the Ashes

　　6.5

　　Wccftech Rating

　　Remnant II

　　Remnant II

　　Remnant II is an impressive technical and artistic accomplishment in some ways, offering an intermittedly-striking, cutting-edge procedural world that’s satisfying to unravel. Unfortunately, a forgettable story, middle-of-the-road gunplay, dull loot, and some performance issues means this fantastic world isn’t always that fun to inhabit. Some folks, particularly those with a regular co-op party, will be drawn into this dark multiverse, but others may find Remnant II only provides scattered fragments of excitement amidst the frustration.

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Cons

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