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Remnant 2 is still an example of how a game should be made. This title has a great sense of progress for the player, iconic and original art, and challenging combat you can tune to your liking. Plus, it has procedurally generated worlds, which makes every journey different and highly replayable. When I heard about the game’s first DLC, I was excited, and that excitement was well-founded. The Awakened King in Remnant 2 is a short DLC full of remarkable content that those deep into the lore will love. And those just looking for a new challenge will find it great.
Remnant 2: The Awakened King Preview: Back to Losomn
When I played the base game, my favorite area was always Losomn. The Bloodborne-like elements that adorn this rundown city’s streets that transition into a fairy civilization were mindblowing. Returning to this place, thanks to the Remnant 2 DLC, was incredible. This time, you face the One True King. Those who paid attention to the base story will remember this name. He returns to a small coastal town in Losomn where his presence has wreaked havoc, bringing horrifying creatures to this location.
While I was fascinated by the base game’s story, with so many biomes, it was sometimes difficult to follow. Of course, this can be fixed by playing them all later, but even so, I felt disconnected. In Remnant 2: The Awakened King, I felt the lore was more digestible. There is accessible information everywhere that makes the story more enjoyable. More than an explorer, I felt like a detective. I wanted to find out what happened with the One True King’s return and why it affected the people of Losomn. You’ll uncover at the end of this content, which sets the stage for more to come, which I won’t spoil.
Silent Hill Meets Resident Evil
While the original Lomsomn reminded us of Bloodborne, the new coastal location has many elements similar to Resident Evil 4. The buildings of a village affected by the actions of a third party and villagers driven to madness that transform into horrors is a familiar story that everyone will like. Beyond that, though, there are nightmare-induced sequences that bring some of the psychological horrors of Silent Hill. You must figure out how to escape at all costs. One of my favorite moments was being trapped inside a mansion in a nightmare where finding an escape was terrifying. The experience was full of intriguing puzzles involving trial and error, with tension that culminated in a great payoff.
The horrors don’t stop with ambience. The game introduces new enemies, from some that I consider the most annoying so far to other imposing ones with giant scythes and fast attacks. Of the new annoying ones, we have an enemy that launches explosive particles when it dies. They charge at you without mercy and overwhelm you in numbers. While they have weaknesses, beating them will be challenging, even for experts. Of course, this DLC also gives you the weapons to defeat them, or should I say, magic.
Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boom!
Remnant 2: The Awakened King introduces a new archetype: the Ritualist. This class is essentially a class that lives and thrives off debuffs. Those with the Alchemist know it is based on buffing players and others. The Ritualist is the opposite. Its abilities increase the damage of status effects on enemies. Also, very flashy skills inflict all kinds of status effects on your foes, which I found fantastic. Given the tight locations of this DLC in Remnant 2, it was handy to have a mage-like archetype to help me keep enemies away while watching their health drop fast with my effects. This archetype is the king of Damage-over-time effects.
If you are not a magic fan, you will find many other weapons and items to help you on your journey. There are new melee weapons similar to what new enemies use and new firearms with destructive powers that make you feel like a proper supernatural hunter. Of course, all this does not come from heaven. You must go off the beaten path and find these secrets that reward you in a big way.
A Great New Chapter
The Awakened King is a perfect addition to the already fantastic world of Remnant 2. As expected, this adventure will change for everyone. Every world is different, and you must visit this place more than once. The best thing about this content is the lore, which now feels more mysterious and exciting and left me craving more. Since more content is coming to the game, I can’t wait to discover new things with my Traveler. But in the meantime, there are a few hours of new gameplay in Losomn, and I’m sure everyone will enjoy picking up their weapons to explore this terrifying place again.
Remnant 2: The Awakened King is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
