Remnant II The Awakened King Review – A Majestic Descent into Chaos

Remnant II: The Awakened King – An Exceptional Gaming Experience

The original Remnant was a dream come true for third-person shooter enthusiasts. The game seamlessly combined Soulslike combat, extensive character customization, and an abundance of firearms, resulting in a genuinely enjoyable gaming experience, enhanced further by its multiplayer mode. When Remnant II was released, my immediate impression was that it was Remnant, but better.

The game received significant attention to detail in its environments, procedurally generated dungeons heightened the tension when exploring new biomes, and the scope of character customization expanded to include weapons along with other character refinement. Now, the Gunfire Games team is attempting to outdo themselves once more with the release of The Awakened King DLC. After playing it, I can confidently say there’s no better time to revisit this game or pick it up for the first time if only to experience this exceptionally fun expansion.

Exploring Losomn: A Captivating Adventure

Remnant II: The Awakened King unfolds in the world of Losomn, where chaos is rapidly spreading as the king descends into madness on the brink of death. This turmoil is immediately apparent upon entering the new region. Losomn resembles a Victorian city devoid of hope for any remaining humans who cling to their consciousness. As the Root takes control of the land, players will encounter new enemies and unexpected surprises around every corner.

As you navigate through the various areas, the King’s story gradually unfolds. While understanding your enemy isn’t absolutely necessary, learning about the history of Losomn as you fight for survival provides a welcome respite from the action. The campaign builds up to an epic confrontation with The One True King, but the narrative isn’t entirely straightforward. While I appreciated the optional story elements that added context to this new region, I would have liked to see more cinematic moments between characters.

The absence of certain main characters was likely intended to give new players a chance to experience the DLC content before completing the base game, making it feel like a standalone product. To access the content, you’ll need to interact with the Stone at Ward 13 and switch to Adventure Mode, where your game will be generated, with some areas unique to each player.

The Ritualist: Unlocking a New Playstyle

The dungeons scattered throughout Losomn don’t necessarily adhere to the Victorian aesthetic, which I found refreshing as it provided new environments to explore. I must mention that the difficulty level in this area is quite challenging, but the enemies appear to scale with the player, so even if you start with a new character class, you should be fine here. The new archetype introduced, known as the Ritualist, caters to those who enjoy sadistic playstyles, with skills and abilities centered around torture. Unlocking this new archetype requires a special item called the Ragged Poppet, but I won’t spoil the details here.

I completed the campaign in 6 hours on my first playthrough, but there are plenty of reasons to return, whether it’s for unique equipment, secret bosses, or simply to traverse the stages in multiplayer mode; I had no reservations about jumping right back in after finishing the main story. Trust me, the conclusion is quite satisfying and helps compensate for the limited number of cinematic moments in the campaign.

Multiplayer Thrills and Aspirations for Crossplay

This is a game that thrives in multiplayer. The experience is greatly enhanced when you have friends alongside you, tackling waves of enemies. However, the lack of crossplay remains a significant drawback for this series. I truly wish I could play with console players, and while I understand that implementing crossplay is easier said than done, it would undoubtedly make the game more appealing.

In addition to a plethora of new equipment and items to discover, The Awakened King offers more of what makes Remnant II great, and that’s perfectly fine. The biome’s environmental design incorporates more verticality, so watch out for pitfalls, and take your time to avoid traps. I found the new enemy types and bosses enjoyable, although I should caution you about early boss fights in Losomn that may serve as a challenging reintroduction to the game if you haven’t played in a while.

In the ever-evolving world of Remnant, The Awakened King DLC emerges as a delightful expansion, adding depth and challenge to an already fantastic game. Gunfire Games has once again demonstrated their commitment to enhancing the player experience, and Losomn, with its grim and captivating atmosphere, serves as a compelling backdrop to this new adventure. While the narrative could benefit from more cinematic moments and crossplay remains a distant dream for multiplayer enthusiasts, the sheer enjoyment of exploring procedurally generated dungeons, unlocking new archetypes like the Ritualist, and conquering formidable foes makes this DLC a must-play.