Remnant II: The Awakened King DLC Review

In a year full of amazing games and a time where Soulslike clones abound, Remnant II stands out from the crowd as a fantastic title that does a lot of things and does it well. It has lived up to its “Dark Souls with guns” moniker and is a title enjoyed more with the company of other gun-slingers finding their way through procedurally generated labyrinths and challenging bosses.

Just months after its release back in July, Gearbox Publishing and Gunfire Games now offer up the first DLC for Remnant II. Entitled The Awakened King, this $9.99 DLC features The One True King as he goes on a rampage of revenge as he is awakened after being corrupted by the root during his slumber. In the DLC, a new storyline will be added, along with new dungeons in the world of Losomn, but the biggest highlight is the addition of the Ritualist Archetype, a new way to bring death to enemies.

If you loved the Remnant II base game, there’s almost no reason for you to not try the DLC out because while the overall experience is somewhat short, the new Archetype is a great way to experience the game again.

Accessing the DLC is not complicated, as players can look to dive in right after Adventure Mode is unlocked and having completed the Losomn storyline. It goes without saying that if Adventure Mode for Losomn has not been unlocked, then pray to the gods for a lucky roll as you take the fight to The One True King.

As mentioned in my review of the base game, Losomn was a favorite of mine due to its Bloodborne-esque design, and that look and feel continue here in Remnant II: The Awakened King. The castle is a sight to behold, with towers that pierce the skies and decrepit scaffolding that has seen better times. The development team has managed to capture the dread that permeates throughout the area, and it really adds to the tension during exploration.

The highlight, of course, is the Ritualist Archetype, adding another playstyle to the game that could be its most fun and risky one yet. Described as the master of pain and suffering, the Ritualist is an archetype that not everybody might like due to sacrificing health for a damage and life steal buff.

Here’s an overview of the Ritualists’ abilities:

• Prime Perk “Vile” – makes enemies more susceptible to Status Damage and spreads their status to nearby enemies upon death.   
• “Eruption” – detonates nearby enemies and adds insult to injury by dealing bonus damage to those already suffering from Status Effects.  
• “Miasma” – instantly applies Bleeding, Burning, Overloaded, and Corroded to all enemies within range.  
• “Deathwish” – curses the Ritualist themselves. It forgoes standard healing and causes constant health drain but grants a heavy damage buff and substantial lifesteal.

Remnant II: The Awakened King’s Ritualist specializes in status effects, and is a really fun archetype to play as. Having played the base game, there are some weapons that take advantage of the abilities of the Ritualist and it offers a sense of satisfaction to see clumps of enemies with so many status effects on top of their HP bars.

One thing about the Ritualist is that while it is a class that fully shines with a coordinated party, playing solo with it is not half bad. Due to its prime perk, Vile, players can easily dispose of enemies because of its improved status damage, and when paired with Eruption, the chain of damage just goes on and on. The abilities of the Ritualist play well with each other, allowing them to hold their own even in tough situations.

More than playing the Ritualist through Remnant II: The Awakened King’s new content, the fun lies in taking the new archetype through its paces across the dungeons and areas you’ve already played. While the familiarity of the paths and bosses is there, using this new archetype and the new skills will offer a fresh experience due to the various ways you can approach combat encounters.

Playing through Remnant II: The Awakened King may take around 6-8 hours depending on how you play, but this playtime is very deceptive considering that some encounters may be more challenging for others, especially against the new enemies that can really give even the Ritualist a run for its money. It goes without saying that because of its procedurally generated setup, it’ll take multiple runs for players to see everything that Remnant II: The Awakened King has to offer.

There’s also new mods, new weapons that include a Scythe, and much more. It’s quite amazing to think that as part of a highly-replayable base game, Remnant II: The Awakened King offers content that adds to the overall experience for an absurdly low entry price. If this is any indication of what’s to come with the other DLC packs, then Remnant II players will have so much more to play and enjoy in the coming months.

What we liked:

• Ritualist Archetype is extremely fun to use
• Absurd value for only $9.99
• Very good reason to dive back into the game again

What we didn’t like:

• Relatively short in terms of the DLC story
• Uneven difficulty spikes

Verdict: Buy it!

Remnant II: The Awakened King is a DLC that provides fantastic value to an already great base game experience. With a new storyline to explore, new items, and new mods and weapons, players looking for a good challenge will want to dive back in.

Stealing the show, the Ritualist archetype is the star of the DLC. I found it a really fun class to play, and its abilities really synergize well with the many weapons that could be found that make it a walking plague across the battlefield.

At a measly $9.99, it makes for a very easy recommendation for players who are looking for a reason to return to the game. Newcomers will be treated to additional content that only adds to an already fun base game that will be played for hours on end.

*Remnant II: The Awakened King DLC was reviewed on a PC with a review code provided by the publisher.