Remnant II

Remnant II is an action RPG blending elements of the soulslike genre with a third-person shooter, in which players, alone or with up to two others, make their way through procedurally generated worlds full of dangerous creatures and massive bosses threatening the last remnants of humanity. The character selects and combines so-called Archetypes representing character classes, such as healer, hunter, or engineer with their own automated turret, and gathers weapons, mods, rings, and relics that allow for dozens of distinct playstyles depending on the preferred approach to combat, which can be freely combined with one another for synergistic effects and a personalized approach to every enemy and boss.

On PlayStation 5 the game offers varied environments spread across several interconnected worlds, from dark lands reminiscent of medieval Europe through alien deserts to gothic, decaying cities, with procedural generation ensuring that the placement of enemies, side quests, and secret areas differs slightly with each playthrough, so no two players' runs are ever quite the same, even on repeated playthroughs. Atmospheric sound design and the combination of ranged shooting with melee combat give the game a different feel from classic soulslike titles built purely around melee weapons, and that holds true even in co-op for up to three players at once, who can freely complement one another with their own assembled combat loadouts and strategies.

Remnant II was received at launch as a marked improvement over the first game thanks to more varied and expansive worlds, deeper character progression, and better co-op for more players. Today it ranks among the most successful mid-budget RPGs of the generation and shows that combining a third-person action shooter with soulslike depth can work very convincingly even without the marketing budget of the very largest publishers.

Why play it: For fans of cooperative action RPGs who will appreciate more varied worlds and deeper progression than in the first game — a convincing blend of third-person shooting with soulslike depth.