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I can’t help but feel nostalgic now that Remnant 2‘s third DLC, The Dark Horizon, is upon us. When I think about it, I upgraded my PC to play Remnant 2 when it launched. I’ve played hours of it, gone from the creepiest places in Yaesha to the darkest streets of Losomn. As a lore enthusiast, I’ve taken the time to read item descriptions and bask in the glorious environmental storytelling of Remnant 2. And now, The Dark Horizon is taking us to N’Erud, the first world I visited. After a hands-off preview, I can firmly say that Gunfire Games is about to make everyone’s jaws drop with the biggest and most ambitious DLC we’ve seen for this game.
A Side of N’Erud You’ve Never Seen Before
During the showcase for The Dark Horizon DLC, I had the opportunity to speak with Ben “Tragic” Cureton, Principal Designer at Gunfire Games, and Cindy To, Principal Level Designer at Gunfire Games. In the presentation, I got a sneak peek at N’Erud’s new area, the Warden archetype, and many gameplay changes coming to the DLC, and I even got to ask them a few questions regarding this expansion. While I’ll get to all of that eventually, I want to start with the one thing that made me scream internally: N’Erud’s new areas.
One opinion many people had back when Remnant 2 launched was how flat N’Erud was. Personally, I didn’t mind, but I might be biased, especially since it was my first location. However, I understand some players’ thoughts about it. Well, you can rest easy because the developers are ready to show you that N’Erud isn’t flat at all.
If you were starstruck by the two previous DLCs and the scope of each one in terms of verticality and design, you haven’t seen anything. The Dark Horizon DLC takes a semi-open-world and non-linear approach to this new adventure. Instead of narrow corridors and closed locations, you’ll experience the largest area we’ve seen in Remnant 2.
Without spoiling much, in this contained N’Erudian adventure, players will visit a locale that seems to be preserved in time for reasons we’ve yet to discover. The scale of this zone will allow players to pick where they want to go. Instead of the linear elements we saw in previous DLCs, you can set your sights on a path and pursue it. Furthermore, you can do it in style, thanks to the new glider that will help us traverse this sector.
I know many will be more excited about the new archetype and gameplay changes, but trust me, you’re in for a treat. I have only seen a few places in this sector, but I can tell you that the place looks huge. Also, the emphasis on vertical exploration is a game-changer, and players will turn every stone over to discover all the secrets this area holds. I thought nothing could top The Forgotten Kingdom‘s areas, but The Dark Horizon has taken the crown.
The Most Versatile Archetype Joins the Fray
As someone who’s always eager to see what archetype is joining the roster, I can confirm that the Warden will be my favorite one. This class is all about shields. After you unlock it, in whichever goose chase we’ll experience, you’ll get a brand-new drone. This companion can shield, heal, or do damage; it all depends on how you set it up to act.
Let’s say you like to play solo, but you feel you’re too squishy for some content. You can summon your drone and set it up to act as a shield machine. Your drone will get to work as soon as your shield reaches a specific threshold. On the other hand, if you prefer to do damage, you can configure your mechanical companion to blast everyone around you. Also, the drone doesn’t limit itself to single-target DPS; it will launch rockets occasionally, causing AoE damage.
However, if you prefer to play with others, you can send your drone to heal and protect them. If your flying buddy’s energy is up, it will shield and cure everyone without much input. Furthermore, if you have the right weapons, you can recharge your drone’s energy and let it take care of everything during a fight. Frankly, I’m excited to see how this archetype synergizes with other companion-oriented classes. Plus, with the other gameplay additions coming to Remnant 2: The Dark Horizon, this DLC will be a build galore for everyone.
Fragments and Prisms For Everyone
Remnant 2 aims to tie many of its gameplay systems with certain additions coming to The Dark Horizon DLC, such as Fragments and the newly-introduced Prisms. Many should be familiar with the former. However, the fragment systems got a facelift with a brand-new interface, streamlined Fragments, and QoL features, such as enabling and disabling Fragments more easily.
Yet, the biggest reveal was the new Prism system. Prisms will allow players to get more stat increases as they level up a Prism. Each one begins with five stat slots, and while leveling up, three random stats will appear. Then, you’ll have to pick one which will become part of your prism. During certain levels, you can even get fusions, which combine two stats and free up one slot. Also, as you level, you might even unlock some extremely rare or even legendary things for your Prisms, but I will let you all discover that when the DLC goes live. However, trust me when I say it is one of the deepest and most customizable systems in Remnant 2.
One Boss a Day Keeps the Root Away
Lastly, the boss rush mode is something many will want to jump in, and not just to beat up some of the game’s most challenging bosses. At first, I thought this game mode would only let me experience the iconic fights in quick succession. However, it goes far beyond that. When you start boss rush mode, you can pick between any of the existing difficulties and between three of its tiers. Each tier has a different number of bosses and, thus, different rewards.
Furthermore, the boss rush mode is an excellent way to gear yourself up. Let’s say you’ve ventured into N’Erud more than ten times looking for that missing ring. Instead of doing an eleventh run, you can do a boss rush, and the chances of getting that missing ring will increase. The game will analyze your inventory and attempt to give you the items you’re missing. Of course, this only applies to random drops. Quest items won’t appear here.
Also, for those who want the perfect Prism, doing a boss rush is your best approach. You can tackle this instance as many times as you want to level up your Prisms and get better stats. And if that wasn’t enough to convince you, you can even try this mode before heading into the story. And you know what that means: you can enter the story fully geared with a cool build and just focus on beating the ever-living Root out of enemies. Lastly, to spice things up, every time you play this mode, you’ll obtain a few temporary buffs. This adds a bit of roguelite systems to the game and will keep things fresh.
Interview With the Developers
During the hands-off preview for The Dark Horizon DLC, I was able to ask a few questions regarding these new additions to Remnant 2, as well as things from previous expansions. If you want to know what the developers had to say, here it is:
Julio La Pine, Staff Writer at The Nerd Stash: What was your inspiration behind the new Warden archetype?
Ben “Tragic” Cureton, Principal Designer for Remnant 2 and Gunfire Games: When we started coming up with archetypes as Remnant 2 was in development, we came up with 20-plus archetype ideas. We had an idea of a class where you had a little chaperone who just followed you around and whose core functionality was to protect people with shields like a World of Warcraft Discipline Priest or Tech-Priest from Warhammer. But the inspiration was always, “Can we have a class for people that like to play multiple ways, offensive, defensive, and so on, but can also still support while doing all those?”
Julio La Pine, Staff Writer for The Nerd Stash: How do you feel now with Remnant 2 launching its third premium DLC?
Cindy To, Principal Level Designer at Remnant 2 and Gunfire Games: I think many of us are super proud of the project. Many of us have retail hours—I have a couple hundred hours logged. I love playing with my friends. The journey of coming from Remnant to Remnant 2 is all about “What did we learn?” “How can we make this more fun?” When I go to work, I think about, “How am I going to make this content in a way where I can troll my friends when retail comes out?” It’s been such an honor and privilege to be able to create something that, you know, we’re the players, too. We put our heart and soul into it because we play the game after, so we want to have fun, and we want everyone else to have fun. It’s been an incredible journey to do that.
Ben “Tragic” Cureton, Principal Designer for Remnant 2 and Gunfire Games: One of the cool feelings is hearing about the players who play for the first time. We know how the sausage is made; we see behind the curtain. When we see somebody do something that we thought was like, “It wasn’t that cool,” and they are like, “Dude, this is amazing!” It feels pretty good. Because we’ve seen it a hundred thousand times, so every time we release a new DLC, we get that feeling. And it also reminds us that players love Remnant. They love the universe and the potential of the game, which inspires us as we move forward.
Julio La Pine, Staff Writer for The Nerd Stash: What has been your favorite puzzle or level to design without counting the new DLC?
Cindy To, Principal Level Designer at Remnant 2 and Gunfire Games: From the base game, the idea of the Alchemist where you’re just walking by in Losomn in the city streets, and then your ankle gets grabbed. I think when we released Remnant 2, I remember everyone putting the compilation of all the people who’d scream on stream, and I was just laughing. That’s one of the more memorable ones, for sure.
Julio La Pine, Staff Writer for The Nerd Stash: What have been your favorite archetypes and weapons to design?
Ben “Tragic” Cureton, Principal Designer for Remnant 2 and Gunfire Games: I’ve always liked Medic because I love supporting others, but I also like it because we didn’t make it like the traditional “healer guy.” Medic can do a lot of fun stuff, so that’s why we’re proud of those types of archetype designs. There are so many weapons, but I think a lot of our best ones are in this DLC.
One Sci-Fi Adventure You Don’t Want to Miss
With The Dark Horizon DLC upon us, this is the best time to return to Remnant 2. We’ve all seen the game grow with each major content update, but this time, it is the largest one. Whether you want a new storyline or to defeat enemies as fast as possible, you can do that here. So, if your Traveler has been abandoned for a while, it’s time to get ready because the next big escapade is right around the corner.
