I have been a fan of the Remnant game franchise by Arc Games for years. I was introduced initially to Remnant: From The Ashes by a YouTube video. I was blown away so much by the game that I closed the video and went to go play it myself.

Thematically, both games are a unique mix of science fiction and dark fantasy wrapped up in a souls like shooter. Don’t let it scare you though, its difficulty is determined by you the player. You are not forced to repeat fights until you feel like you will lose your mind. Unless you want it that way at least. The world environments and lore make it stand out and really shine. Dungeons and world layout is also almost totally randomized. You can keep playing the game over and over and still find new sections and gear. That is why I keep returning to the series. It feels like a new game every time. The second game in particular really went all out with graphics. It’s pleasing to look at and, in a souls like game, is super important. Gives you that little boost of sanity when you decide to increase the difficulty.

I will avoid huge story spoilers for people who might want to play for themselves. The newest DLC for Remnant 2 involves exploring a new section of the planet Yaesha. New and old enemies are practically everywhere. New friendly NPCs can also be found. There are no familiar faces from the base game. A multitude of new dungeons can be found within the DLC along with new gear, weapons and mutators.

What I Liked With The DLC:

The environments are downright stunning. Sections felt pulled straight out of Avatar while others really had a sacred lost civilization vibe to them.

The gear and mutators are fun. Rings in particular I have found to be very plentiful. Most have a status effect theme or impact gray health in some way. As someone who uses a status effect build, some pieces are incredibly satisfying. I found myself wishing I could equip more than I actually can.

New dungeons are very unique. Some even required a level of skill to pass through on the easiest mode. Different game mechanics keep it fresh.

New Invoker class feels magical and powerful. I can live my wizard dreams through this even with it in a shooter world. Very compatible with a status effect build.

What I Did Not Like With The DLC:

Story felt too flat. Most other DLCs and story involved sections had a level of complexity that allowed you to make decisions in the game. Who you want to trust or assist. What side you want to take morally. Usually it allows at least an alternative option. The story in this DLC just funnels you in one direction and nothing you do impacts the end much. Conclusion also felt like a letdown as nothing felt truly resolved for me. There never really was anything at stake to begin with as well. I felt like they could have done more.

Lore felt lacking. Yes, I found a few new minor pieces of lore as letters but a lot of the books and such I found were repeats from the base game. I was not really surprised about this though. Overall I feel like Remnant 1 did lore better than 2. Story felt more fluid too.