As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I’ve seen games come and go, some leaving lasting impressions while others fade into obscurity. Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon falls squarely in the former category for me, not because of its narrative, but due to its gameplay depth and expansive world.
As a passionate gamer, I’ve got to say that while Remnant 2 doesn’t quite take center stage with its narrative, it truly shines when it comes to gameplay. The accolades poured in for its mechanics, innovative bosses, and the intriguing mysteries that kept us, the gaming community, on our toes, discussing and collaborating for months post-release. The previous expansions, The Awakened King and The Forgotten Kingdom, took an unusual path with their campaigns, with The Awakened King feeling more like a fragmented sequel, and The Forgotten Kingdom offering a standalone mini-adventure. In Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon, Gunfire Games have aimed to find a balance between the two approaches, but unfortunately, the rich lore and history of N’Erud seem to make it a bit tricky for them to deliver a satisfying conclusion in terms of story.
In The Dark Horizon, unlike other worlds where there’s a distinct antagonist character, the main villain remains unclear. The Imposters and the Awakened King in Losomn form a coherent conflict, while the Stone Goddess Lydusa in Yaesha resembles another ominous adversary like the Ravager. However, in The Dark Horizon, the large AI controlling Alepsis Taura fails to provide a compelling reason for its opposition, and after completing the campaign, I remained uncertain about why it needed to be stopped or what the potential outcomes might be. The absence of any introductory or concluding cutscenes led to a feeling of disconnection, and I found myself indifferent towards the narrative’s purpose. The Custodian’s return (renamed as the Gardener) doesn’t quite live up to the expectations set by previous Remnant 2 expansions, particularly The Awakened King.
However, as previously stated, it’s not the storyline itself that captivates us. The quest for Clementine lacked a strong pull, and Andrew Ford seems to have been somewhat sidelined in Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon (though he is briefly mentioned). Instead, it’s the thrill of exploration and discovery that continually entices us to return.
In the expansive, yet somewhat deceptive biome named Quietus Devoid, size might be an impression, as it’s so vast that navigating on foot becomes impractical. To traverse more easily, you’re granted access to glider drones, but this convenience masks the reality that most of what you observe is inaccessible by foot. Instead, you’ll be leaping from landmass to landmass due to the bottom being submerged in bubbling oil lakes that are lethal upon contact. Despite the hazardous terrain, the scenery above water is visually appealing, with barren deserts replaced by fields of strange crops tended by towering spider-like Harvesters and security drones. The new adversaries are fascinating, with the hovering robots that “stomp” through the air being particularly intriguing, as their movement resembles that of the Nightweaver.
Fresh dungeons have emerged, introducing creative concepts that haven’t been explored in the game previously. One dungeon features a tall tower where you navigate using ascending platforms, confronting waves of foes at each level. Another dungeon involves leaping between railway platforms while dodging speeding trains. There’s also a stealth-oriented challenge within one, where you must evade patrolling robots to secure a new ring without being detected. Although the number of new boss fights is limited, the climax of the game serves as an exceptional boss encounter. However, there are numerous Aberrations to provide fresh Mutators for your weapons.
In the latest expansion, there are numerous secrets scattered throughout the new locale that I’ve yet to uncover completely. During my initial run, I discovered the fresh Archetype, its armor, and melee weapon, but I’m still searching for the elusive ranged Repair Tool and can’t seem to locate it. In total, there are approximately 45 new rings and amulets to be found, at least two new Trait Cards, and additional weapons waiting to be discovered – plenty to keep me busy.
The new Archetype, though, is a doozy. The Warden is simply superb, bringing passive perks that boost damage and defence, can buff allies, and strengthen things like the Engineer’s turret. It’s primary skillset revolves around the Drone, which comes in three types: Shield, Heal, and Combat. The Shield Drone is likely to get a nerf though. I actively tried to die to an Aberration at one point, but because I had activated the Drone and the Invoker’s Way of Kueala together, even standing still and not fighting meant the enemy couldn’t kill me before my green lightning wiped it out. Finding the Warden isn’t as outright silly as the Invoker was, but you will require some luck to stumble upon it – or just make sure you explore everywhere (and I do mean everywhere) with the gliders.
Despite not being the only modifications accompanying the expansion, The Dark Horizon experiences significant advantages due to several novel additions. The Prism system represents a substantial upgrade from the prior Relic Fragment system, offering continuous stat enhancements as you progress, similar to the Paragon system in Diablo. Once you’ve inserted three Fragments into your Prism, you can choose one of three buffs every time you level up until you’ve filled all eight slots. Following this, you can elevate those five additional stats ten times each until reaching level 50 and unlocking an Elite buff. Eventually, you can acquire seven Prisms, which are interchangeable to enhance specific loadouts, thereby increasing build variety and enabling you to conquer challenging modes, including the Boss Rush Mode.
To ensure that the final stages in Prism are worth your time, Gunfire Games has incorporated Boss Rush Mode, a challenging sequence that can consist of 3, 7, or even 19 boss battles. These encounters are interspersed with brief skirmishes against common enemies and Aberrations in a compact overworld setting. Following each round, you have the opportunity to gain up to two roguelike bonuses for use throughout the challenge. Rewards are based on your speed, difficulty level, and overall performance, and may include Corrupted Shards and Fragments, rare rings and amulets not already in your collection, world-drops, and boss materials if you’re missing any. This Boss Rush Mode isn’t exclusive to The Dark Horizon but complements the recent improvements to gameplay quality well.
Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon
Read More
- USD ZAR PREDICTION
- CKB PREDICTION. CKB cryptocurrency
- EUR THB PREDICTION
- USD PHP PREDICTION
- UNFI PREDICTION. UNFI cryptocurrency
- TAIKO PREDICTION. TAIKO cryptocurrency
- JTO PREDICTION. JTO cryptocurrency
- BAN PREDICTION. BAN cryptocurrency
- MBOX PREDICTION. MBOX cryptocurrency
- APU PREDICTION. APU cryptocurrency
2024-09-24 19:17