Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon is the biggest, deepest expansion yet | Hands-off preview

Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon is the biggest, deepest expansion yet | Hands-off preview

As a seasoned veteran of the Remnant world, I can’t help but feel a surge of excitement as I delve into the latest announcement regarding The Dark Horizon DLC. The prospect of a new Boss Rush Mode, where I can take on waves of colossal foes, has my heart racing faster than a Scourge’s pursuit in the dead of night.


In clear and engaging language: It’s indisputable that Remnant 2 stood out as one of the most captivating games of 2023. This expansive sci-fi journey, brimming with enigmas and puzzles, united the gaming community in a way no other game from the previous year managed. Its first DLC, The Awakened King, was exceptionally well-received, introducing a new character class, the Ritualist, and deepening the story of Losomn. Following this, The Forgotten Kingdom offered a return to the jungles of Yaesha in a more compact, less groundbreaking exploration. Now, we’re only a week away from the release of the third and final expansion as promised, Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon – and thanks to Gunfire Games and Arc Games, we got an early glimpse of it in action.

At a recent digital gathering, we got a sneak peek at the upcoming biomes in N’Erud, along with some of the new adversaries, managers, and additions, all set to debut on September 24, featuring Ben “Tragic” Cureton as Principal Designer and Cindy To in her role as Principal Level Designer.

Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon is the biggest, deepest expansion yet | Hands-off preview

Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon | Lost in space

Straight away, it was clear that this fresh region is vast. Although we can’t definitively say that this is the final DLC for Remnant 2, if it proves to be the finale, Gunfire is making a spectacular exit with this one. The upcoming One Shot will lead players back to N’Erud, but not the N’Erud you’re familiar with. Instead, it’s vibrant and filled with alien farming areas where ominous Harvester robots tend to crops from another world.

Similar to the layout of the previous expansion packs, the new region is characterized by its vertical structure, offering panoramic views of the surrounding scenery from strategic vantage points atop towering cliffs overlooking shimmering dark lakes. However, what truly sets this apart is the method of exploration in these expansive areas. Occasionally, as you approach a platform on the edge of a cliff, a mechanical glider will materialize, enabling you to gracefully soar to distant locations. The control mechanism for the glider is flexible, Tragic noted, meaning that while you can only summon it at launch pads, you’re free to navigate wherever you wish once airborne. However, keep in mind that you won’t be able to attack with it, Cindy T cautioned, so fly at your own risk.

In the storyline, they’ve kept many details under wraps, but we do have some clues: The plot will involve a fight against an unruly AI (are there any other types?), and an encounter with a potent extraterrestrial being who oversees the necropolis of N’Erud. Additionally, as always, a fresh DLC brings about the introduction of a novel Archetype.

Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon is the biggest, deepest expansion yet | Hands-off preview

Watch over me

The Role of the Warden is to provide assistance, equipped with two essential items designed to maintain the health of both your teammates and yourself. The first weapon, known as the Repair Tool, functions uniquely by healing allies when fired at them but causing damage to enemies. The second asset is the Warden’s signature talent: the Drone. This tiny, invincible device does not attract enemy attention and cannot be harmed. It offers two distinct modes – combat mode, where it protects the Warden vigilantly, and healing mode, which focuses on restoring health.

In the third mode, you’ll maintain an active protective barrier around you. Additionally, the drone can be deployed to safeguard teammates or focus on particular targets much like a handler’s dog does. The Warden is expected to become extremely potent when paired with the Medic Archetype. However, it naturally complements the Engineer, extending the lifespan and enhancing the damage output of your turrets.

The new abilities are as follows:

Key Advantage: Instant Recovery – Grants players the ability to instantly restore their shields, as well as significantly boost the initial energy reserves of both the drone and turret in the N’Eurdian system.

As a passionate gamer, I can’t help but sing praises for the Warden’s hidden ace – the trusty Drone! This little buddy offers three distinct options: Shield, Heal, and Combat. The Shield Drone, in particular, is a game-changer. When activated, it hovers protectively over a chosen ally, providing them with a steady stream of shielding until they’re fully fortified. Not only that, but it also slightly diminishes the damage they receive, making them a tougher target for enemies to take down. It’s like having my very own personal bodyguard!

Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon is the biggest, deepest expansion yet | Hands-off preview

Ability 2: Tend to the Drone – The Warden can summon a Healing Drone that consistently restores an ally’s health until they are fully healed, and simultaneously, it provides a Relic Use Speed enhancement passively. If your objective is to ensure survival for yourself or an ally while enhancing the efficiency of your Relics, then the Healing Drone is ideal.

Ability 3: Aggressive Drone – In high-intensity situations where forceful action is needed, we have the Aggressive Drone. Built to maintain a persistent offensive posture, an activated Aggressive Drone targets and attacks any potential threat within proximity of the chosen ally.

Characteristic Feature: Protective Wall – To complement the Warden’s abilities, there’s the distinctive Trait called Protective Wall. This feature boosts the potency of shields that the Warden deploys, meaning that when they protect an ally, they too receive the advantage. For a Shield-focused build, Protective Wall is essential.

When enquiring about locating the Archetype, we were informed it would fall midway in terms of challenge level. The Ritualist was as simple as venturing into a cave, whereas the Invoker demanded substantial patience, fortune, and keen awareness, leaving everyone puzzled for some time. It’s expected to be the main goal for many, and will undoubtedly prove useful for the fresh endgame challenge: the Prism system.

Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon is the biggest, deepest expansion yet | Hands-off preview

See how it glitters

In the game Remnant II, Relic Fragments were somewhat inconsistent, however, the new system improves their functionality by making them more efficient to use and stronger. The Prism item can be obtained in various methods, mainly by defeating bosses. Once you obtain and install a Prism, you’ll benefit from numerous useful stat boosts.

Alternatively, you can insert your Relic Fragments, providing an opportunity for the Fragment’s characteristics to be permanently embedded within the Prism as it advances in levels.

You can only equip one at a time, but you can carry several, allowing you to build multiple Prisms to switch out like your other gear and convey specific buffs while it’s equipped. It’s here that the grind comes in, as you’ll want to target specific bosses to drop certain Relic Fragments and build your Prism in a certain way. This, of course, is helped by the new Boss Rush Mode.

Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon is the biggest, deepest expansion yet | Hands-off preview

Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon | The bigger they are

Regardless of whether you possess The Dark Horizon or not, the freshly introduced Boss Rush Mode offers an opportunity for you to collaborate with Travelers or venture solo. During our observation, it was evident that enemies are highlighted on a minimap as you progress through waves prior to boss fights. You’ll find three options available: Triple Threat presents a trio of randomly selected bosses; Trial by Fire challenges you with six opponents and Annihilation; while The Gauntlet offers eighteen bosses, followed by Annihilation to conquer.

It’d be great to explore some additional scenarios that don’t culminate in Annihilation, although they might offer an exciting battle, they’re still challenging and lengthy. However, feel free to repeatedly engage Triple Threat mode for a fun experience. In the intervals between boss encounters, you’ll encounter standard and elite enemies on a confined, somewhat claustrophobic battleground. After each wave (and if you discover a secret item in each area), you’ll be presented with three bonuses, reminiscent of roguelike games. If you select the same bonus multiple times, they will accumulate, providing assistance in overcoming the progressively difficult boss fights.

Conquering the boss battles will grant you valuable rewards like boss materials, Lumenite, Relic Fragments, as well as rings and amulets. What makes this unique is that the items dropped won’t be completely random; instead, they’ll be selected from a pool of items you don’t already possess. Even though veterans might already have many items, there are 210 different rings in Remnant 2, so you’ll have a chance to obtain those missed drops in Boss Rush Mode.


 

Hey there! Just a quick note, I’m thrilled about the upcoming addition in Remnant 2 – item filters! For far too long, we’ve been scrolling through endless rings and amulets, but now it feels like a dream come true. With Diablo 4-style filters, we can search for specific functions and affixes directly, making it so much easier to find the perfect items to complete that build we’ve had our eyes on. No more juggling thirty-eight favorites; now we can just type in a keyword and voila! Our quest for the perfect gear setup just got a whole lot simpler. Can’t wait to dive back into Remnant 2 with these handy new tools!

In just a week, we’re excitedly counting down to the launch of The Dark Horizon! We can hardly wait to revisit the world of Remnant 2 and explore the fresh landscape called Archetype, take on the thrilling Boss Rush Mode, and discover all the new enigmas and secrets buried in N’Erud. There’s a vast potential for customization ahead, and we’re eager to delve into it!

Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon launches on PC, PS5, and Xbox on September 24, 2024.

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2024-09-17 19:17