Remnant 2

PLEASE PLEASE PUSH THROUGH THE HORRIBLE INTRO & TUTORIAL.
The game is incredibly diverse, well-acted (in the most part), story rich, and god the mechanics and gathering aspects are things that keep me up until 4am.
But if you base your opinion of this game on the first 1-2, maybe 3hrs of gameplay, you're missing the plot entirely.
First hours: Insufferable dialogue, bad acting, horrible human face emulation, tacky settlements, cookie-cutter NPCs, boring progression, zero loot.
Later hours: Apparently the dev team was split into departments and the department responsible for the human/earth areas was stuck in the basement on a typewriter. EVERYTHING about this game is amazing with the huge glaring exception of the following two things:
- YOUR character is an idiot who thinks they're clever, poorly written, and badly voice-acted (as are ALL other human characters)
- literally nothing about earth, the realm you're concerned with saving, is worth saving compared to these other amazing realms except for the fact that it is "important for the endgame". I'll leave it at that to not spoil stuff.
Everything else? mm. mmm mm mm! Delicious. I can't get enough.
Every time my character (OR LITERALLY ANY OTHER HUMAN) speaks i want to drive my face into a wall.
Every time another species speaks, it's like the human writers clocked out, went home, and gave their workstations to people with some serious chops. It is UNFORGIVABLY jarring.
Imagine, for a moment, being in a lush fantasy world, surrounded by wonder, fighting for the fabric of the universe itself and meeting untold beings of the cosmos when suddenly... Your character, apparently voiced and written by chris pratt's understudy in lego movie 9, pipes up with a made-for-tv-movie line about how (sarcastically) inconvenient it is to be saving the multiverse and/or *everything* as we know it.
I'm sorry but it is UNFORGIVABLY tacky.
Now that i'm done ranting about this very specific point of contention, i have zero other complaints, aside from inventory management (let me sort things!) and tooltips (please tell me what status effects or stacks of "x" condition mean so i don't have to google them!).
If you like dark souls, or souls-lite games (this game has an easy mode, a-la jedi soulslike shenanigans), the gunplay and customization of destiny, and the wild concepts found in games like Control, this is for you. 9/10.
You get the 10 when you make armor sets matter, upgradeable, and ditch that ugly F'n backpack. Thank god for mods.

This is THE Dark Souls of going PEW PEW PEW. I like Dark Souls and I like going PEW PEW PEW.
It’s a Souls like but you don’t lose anything.
This game is a game that you’ll sit down to play for an hour before work and by the end of your session you played 10 hours and have have 30 missed calls from your boss and have one job less than when you started.
This is such a great game! Some games just feel great to play... like the way it controls, the responsiveness, the impact of weapons and the fluidity of movement. This is one of those scenarios, extremely robust, and the performance is phenomenal. The sound design is really immersive; I don't usually notice sound design unless it stands out as great... this stands out as great, for sure. It feels like a new level of presentation... like actually feels like next-gen technology, whereas Cyberpunk didn't feel 'next gen'. It felt like a supremely beefy and sexy current gen.
The game is excellent, builds are fun to craft, almost every weapon and piece of loot feels fun to find. It has occasionally mind bogglingly complex secrets (this is a good thing), combat and shooting mechanics are excellent, bosses are mostly top notch. It's basically Dark Souls with guns. You get rings and a necklace, two classes, your weapons and your weapon abilities. Plenty of simple yet still-effective options. I'd say it improves on Remnant 1 on every aspect.
The story of Remnant is like a porno. It's there but it really doesn't matter, the action is the part you're here for. There's interesting tidbits of worldbuilding in item descriptions and what not, but it's really not a story driven game. The atmosphere is also pretty evocative.
The main story definitely was not the highlight of the game but the side stories that you uncover and become entangled in are really what engrossed me in the experience. Puzzles and exploration are another huge part of the game, so if you’re not a puzzle and exploration type of player you’re probably not gonna like it too much. There is pretty decent lore behind the entire game, but it does not get presented to you in the most up front way. It is kind of souls-like in that way where reading lore, listening to NPC’s, and watching YouTube videos is how you understand the lore. It is quite interesting if you follow it, but the game can be played without investing too much into that (like souls).
This game has some of the best secrets and puzzles I've ever seen in a non-puzzle game. You will have to inspect your items, resident evil style, you will have to manipulate the environment, and you will have to actually think. Beware though, a lot of the puzzles are designed as time wasters. If you engage them directly, you'll just be wasting time. Those puzzles require you to ignore the obvious solution and think outside of the box.
I beat the campaign and then immediately continued playing to search every nook and cranny to find everything I could before I started the game again. It's an incredible game but it's not for the impatient. The entire point of the game is discovery. The game is very rewarding for people who explore every corner. You either enjoy taking your time exploring and replaying the game and feeling rewarded for it or it's just not for you. If you've only done one playthrough on one difficulty, you literally have only scratched the surface of what the game has to offer. Locking things behind NG+ makes you want to do multiple playthroughs on a relatively short game. It gives you a reason to make different choices, see entirely different stories, puzzles, items, and archetypes. The fact that many things are hard to find on your own and having to look it up is probably trying to recreate that community aspect of Dark Souls. You have missed out on a lot if you don't do multiple builds, playthroughs, and difficulties.
Each roll of the campaign and adventure mode is going to have new dungeons, bosses, secrets, etc. This all helps unlocks new weapons, amulets, rings, armor, and archetypes to change up your build. A big aspect to this is the procedural generation. Instead of just reorganizing things randomly like most games, the realms actually have multiple map bases on them so things feel fresh. Sometimes you're in the slums in a realm, other times you're in the palace area, there are also multiple stories in each realm so you get a different overall experience every time. It's pretty interesting actually.
The start at Remnant 2 can be a bit straightforward, gameplay wise. You don't have a lot of customization available at first and scrap can be a bit scarce, but it does open itself up as you go along. There are some real wacky weapon designs and archetypes that keep things fresh. The combat is amazing, and that is what hooked me with putting over so many hours into this game to unlock all the items. I guess if that does not connect with you, then maybe it is not for you, but I would suggest trying a new build or gun or something before giving up.
The thing that makes me come back to the game though is the amount of builds you can make and the replay ability. On each run you can discover different things and try different builds. The game play itself gets better when you discover more classes and get more abilities. The mechanics are strong when it comes to creating diverse builds using rings and amulets that synergize with one another. As you explore more, defeat bosses, solve puzzles, and uncover secrets, you will find plenty more of weapons and armor to expand on your build. I have almost 80 hours in the game and still occasionally run into things I haven’t seen before. It feels like you're playing many different games, because of the variety of worlds, weapons, mods and builds you can create.
It's an easy recommendation. A fantastic game that deserves a huge player base. Think Dark Souls with guns. Think looter shooter but rewards don't drop randomly or from enemies. They are placed/found in specific spots throughout the map. Think fun as hell. I have Baldurs Gate installed, but I'm way more into this for the time being. That should tell you everything. I highly recommend it, even at full price, it’s worth it.
9/10

As a casual gamer, I often look for games that offer both an engaging experience and the flexibility to not consume all my spare time. Remnant 2 has hit that sweet spot perfectly, making it a must-play title in my collection. Here’s why I think it’s a fantastic game, especially if you're not a hardcore gamer but still crave a deep and satisfying experience.
One of the standout features of Remnant 2 is its co-op gameplay. Teaming up with friends or even online strangers to tackle challenges together adds an extra layer of enjoyment and accessibility. The co-op element is seamlessly integrated, making it easy to drop in and out of games without disrupting the flow. This flexibility is perfect for someone like me, who may not have long hours to dedicate in one sitting. It’s also a great way to share the fun and strategies with buddies, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
What I appreciate most about Remnant 2 is its challenging nature, which is finely balanced to be accessible yet stimulating. The game scales its difficulty based on the number of players, so whether I’m solo or with friends, the challenge feels just right. This adaptability keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging. Each enemy and boss fight tests your skills and strategies but isn’t so tough that it becomes a frustrating grind. This makes every victory satisfying without being overly taxing, which is perfect for players who aren’t looking for an ultra-hardcore experience.
Exploring the world of Remnant 2 is an adventure in itself. The game boasts a rich narrative that unfolds as you traverse through diverse and beautifully crafted environments. Each area is unique, with its own set of mysteries and lore, encouraging exploration and interaction. The story is deep and well-integrated into the gameplay, providing context and motivation behind the battles and challenges. It’s this blend of story and exploration that keeps the game intriguing and makes each session feel like a new discovery.
On top of all that, their release of excellent quality DLC takes me back to the days when Game Developers used to care and provide quality.
Overall, Remnant 2 is a brilliantly crafted game that caters wonderfully to both casual and seasoned gamers. Its co-op play is a blast, the challenges are perfectly paced, and the rich world is full of stories and sights that are captivating. For anyone looking for a game that offers more than just mindless action but is still approachable for a casual gaming session, Remnant 2 is a stellar choice. Whether you’re exploring dark, mysterious settings or taking down giant bosses with friends, Remnant 2 provides a rewarding experience that’s hard to put down. Highly recommended for those looking for a game that’s as enjoyable as it is engaging!

Awesome game. Interesting concept, you can play more than once and have a totally different experience. Great class system, lots of items, play the whole thing in two players, much more fun than alone.
The world lore and concept is super cool, but the story itself left a bit to desire. The end is quite unexpected though.
A very good game that should receive more attention, probably it was just unlucky to be launched together with another big title.
10/10

Short version. Game is a great 8.5/10 if you're on the fence for any reason, just dive off and give it a shot.

The good
Solid gameplay loop, decent story, amazing build diversity, immersive world supported by random generation and a fair few unique interactions which also generates a sizable amount of replayability. Rewarding exploration and choice (not just in dialog either)
No battle pass, no mtx, just a really great game in a box with some sweet DLC upgrades.
Plays great solo, and with friends. I wish more people would play it.

The eh
Game doesn't do a fantastic job explaining itself, starting with difficulty scaling, stat details, how damage works, what does and doesn't count as what type of damage. This isn't too much of an issue for most but can be an issue for some.
Minimal character customization, 6 base faces, 6 voices, handful of skin, scar, hair options each for male and/or female. This is made less important by armor options but the game also isn't trying to play fashion idol, some flare exists but largely the focus was on making the gameplay the reason to keep playing.

The 'bad'
You will eventually need to turn to 3rd party resources if you want to unlock everything. There are a lot of items, and little story details you just aren't going to 'accidentally' discover. Sure, you might stumble onto the alternate boss kill objective or get lucky and find an item before some npc gives you a quest to go get said item and this may change what you get as a reward, but then there are other, more creative unlock requirements you just won't ever figure out trying random things or exploring the far reaches. (Lookin at you archon) This isn't to take away from the work done to implement these things, in the case of the archon specifically I love why the unlock is the way it is, the dev's knew the kind of players they had and that is something to be praised. However, not everyone likes or wants to keep a wiki open on the side to figure out how to get stuff. (But don't you lie to me, you've done it, I've done it, and as long as games keep including easter eggs and hidden loot, we're gonna keep doing it)

The controversial
Hot take maybe, maybe not, I don't see a lot of discussion about this outside of what honestly feels like whining and self-reporting ignorance. Anywho, I'm throw balance out there, as a somewhat bad item.
Not so much that it is unplayable by any means, You can clear any boss/world on any difficulty with any combination of archetypes. Buuuuuut, you're either lying to yourself or are just delusional if you think each archetype has the same power as any other. Same for any weapon in the game. Mostly this is a case of X just outshines A-V and Y or Z are only as good when used by/with one thing or another. (probably one of the easiest examples of this is the comparison of the 'bulldog' vs the 'sparkfire', tell me one actually good reason to use the former over the later that ISN'T "because the bulldog is easier/faster to acquire", the sparkfire is just always better.)
This also looses some of it's bluster as an argument the higher the level in a way. The gap in fun and power between the Invoker at level 1 to the Summoner at level 1 is much, much wider than it is when both are level 10.
But, as with anything said here, this is my opinion and not some gospel. Even at their worst the 'bad' parts are more than made up for by the rest of the game, and honestly aren't even really that bad. This is also before the final DLC drops which may or eliminate any of these points.

Anyway, get the game, try all kinds of stuff, hopefully have all kinds of fun and if not, at least you supported a good company trying to make good games still.

Get lost for 2 hours on the same map until some random chinese dude show up and guide me all way to the end and crouching several times before leaving, absolute good game.

If Destiny 2 (the good Aspects of it at least) and Dark Souls had a secret lovechild.
Remnant 2 does exactly what Remnant from the ashes did, but better. The Game looks absolutely amazing, the weapons are cool and fun to use and most of the Areas are fun as well.
The Game however has some flaws. The first of them being N´Erud, fck N´Erud, this area is absolutely unfun.
While the Idea and Lore of the area is pretty cool, the experience isn´t. Large open areas, locked by poisonous mist that animation locks you, as well as tons of Zombies and Drones shooting you. The Dungeons are either Hallways filled with bugs and other crawling creatures or Towers with the same Robot enemies all over the place. But hey, at least the bosses in this area are kinda cool.
The Second Issue I have with this game are the FPS Drops. My Hardware exceeds the recommended stats, and yet the game sometimes freezes or drops down to below 20 fps. This Issue made the Endboss into a double fight. Fighting the boss itself, while fighting FPS Drops and input delays at the same time.
Despite these Issues I´ve beaten the game three times and had mostly a good and fun time. Co-Op is also where this game really shines. Playing with friends can make this game a lot easier, or harder, depending on what your friends are doing. When not taken too serious, friendly fire can cause some hilarous moments, where Rotten Arrows or Firestorm knock you around or suck you out of the map, just to fall free bird style for 30 seconds. Despite the performance issues (please fix them gearbox) the game is good and fun, grab a friend and give it a try.
I rate this game 7 Rotten Arrow Gas Clouds out of 2 Fire Storms