Remnant II review

Save for some sloppy exposition, each of Remnant II’s other components dexterously gel together. From tense combat in randomized locations, plenty of class options, and just the right amount of loot for customization, Gunfire Games hits the mark.

You know those summer blockbusters where the characters trade cringy quips while facing a life-threatening danger? That’s the kind of lazy dialog delivered during the opening moments of Remnant II. There’s a running joke about Santa being this benevolent, old guy that becomes insufferable by the third mention. Later, after you’ve completed the tutorial, speaking with survivors around the apocalyptic hub world of Ward 13 is barely any better.

In town, there are multiple dialog options to select from, but speaking to other characters is about as thrilling as a conversation with a drive-thru cashier. Oddly, your partner who made the Santa jokes settles down to become an NPC merchant. However, if you’re able to look past the dumb chatter, there are a lot of interesting expositional ideas woven into the lore. Everything from corrupt gods, an interstellar bio-villain known as the “Root”, to a world mired in dissonance all make it into the script.

Shooting and Slashing Compensate for a Sloppy Script

Given that Remnant II tackles so many ideas, a bit of lackluster writing is forgivable when contrasted against the amount of ambition devoted to the game’s other components. Yes, this is a game that flings you and optional cooperative partners across radically distinct, procedurally generated worlds.

One moment you’re aiming flying saucers and angry robots on a desolate wasteland. Afterward, you might be attempting to battle a legion of gargoyles with multicolored wings in a massive library where books are stacked like cairns. Sure, the banter might sound like a bad DC Universe film, but Remnant II’s look, play, and determination to provide every player with a unique experience are all impressive feats.

Each Playthrough Feels Distinct

The rejection of a single setting also means that Remnant II’s combat resists fatigue a bit better than most of its shoot-and-loot peers. Sure, franchises like Borderlands and The Division paint their societal collapses with distinctive brushes. But 30 hours in, the aesthetics largely remain static. And while you might dish out slightly more damage with a newfound weapon, the moment-to-moment play doesn’t change all that much either.

But once you’ve completed the daft dialog-filled tutorial, Austin-based Gunfire Games’ tosses you into one of three different landscapes- each extending its own randomized set of storylines. Although you might recognize the environmental tile sets and see similar object puzzles and item collections across subsequent playthroughs, the maps, enemies, items, events, and even bosses are arbitrary.

Boss Battles Shun Predictability

While Remnant II doesn’t quite pass the Turing Test when it comes to procedural-generated venues, it likely establishes a new watermark. A legion of roguelikes has learned to stitch rooms together, while titles like Left4Dead and Back4Blood have constructed virtual funhouses filled with CPU-arranged waves of enemies. But Remnant II truly understands how to cultivate tension, laying down long hallways that spill into spaces where foes can mask their numbers. Beyond the main areas, some branches invite exploration with the lure of rewards earned through the completion of a side quest. Even returning to biomes in subsequent playthroughs yields new landscapes, enemies,

Often signaled by the calm (as well as the save point) before the storm, boss battles have become rather predictable. Knowing this, Gunfire Games mixes things up with its showdowns. While you’ll fight the occasional behemoth, you’ll probably also face off against powered-up subordinate enemies, run from manic machines in heart-pounding sequences, or even descend into bullet hell.

Once you’ve survived the randomized succession of alien worlds, you’ll face off against a sentient labyrinth that offers one of the best showdowns of the year. Across these encounters, the feeling of not quite knowing what to expect is invigorating. At the same time, Remnant II never feels like cobbled-together nonsense. After fighting through a forest, you’ll confront adversaries who would live in that kind of biome, whether it’s poison-spore-tossing plants or lizard people infuriated by your presence.

Dogs or Minions?

Fortunately, there’s little uncertainty surrounding your move set. Drawing inspiration from the army of Soulslikes, mastery of the dodge roll is essential, with the maneuver providing just enough invisibility frames to survive those punishing projectiles and occasionally, those one-hit melee attacks. Remarkably, the distance and number of those i-frames are contingent on the weight of your armor. In execution, you probably won’t be constantly respeccing. But when you do need a slight advantage, jumping back to town to upgrade, add weapon mods, or even add a stat-tweaking mutator is possible. Another gain can be gleaned by listening to audio-based warnings, with war horns proceeding the attack of a feisty mob.

The other part of your load-up is a short and long gun, as well as a melee weapon. Firearms boast different effective ranges and by keeping an eye on your targeting reticle, you’ll know when you’re at an ideal distance. Meanwhile, you won’t be able to merely hack away when foes draw near. Although not nearly as demanding as most Soulslikes, you will have to master the defense roll and follow-up swing to be effective in close-quarter combat. Pleasingly, different biomes inspire distinctive play styles, with plenty of long-gun-driven third-person action on open vistas while constricted interiors favor the use of swords, hammers, and axes.

Archetypes are Remnant II’s name for classes. That’s a fitting designation given that each of the game’s eleven different character types are gathering from shooting game tradition. Belong the default perks allotted to the long-range Hunter, decoy-utilizing Invader, and tanky Challenger, there are a few interesting selections. The Handler has an accompanying dog, who can engage opponents, revive their master, or even offer a protective howl, that diminishes the effect of enemy attacks. Meanwhile, the minion-mobilizing Summoner has several notable abilities, enraging or even sacrificing their underlings to augment their attack stats. Pleasingly, Gunfire Games doesn’t lock players down and it’s possible to acquire two Archetypes, earning benefits from both selections.

Conclusion

Peer past Remnant II’s cliched opening dialog and you’ll find an experience that offers a lot of enjoyment. Whether you tackle the procedurally generated campaign alone or with up to two cooperative partners, it’s evident that a lot of work went into making each run feel rewarding. From uncovering side quests and solving puzzles to conflicts that offer a compelling mix of dodging, shooting, and hacking, the game’s constituents gel together so well, I overlooked the Santa jokes.

Remnant II was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.