DLC REVIEW: Rise Again In ‘Remnant II: The Awakened King’ (PC)

Pull back the sheer, golden veil once more and cross over for another adventure in “The Awakened King,” the first DLC for Remnant II. This new DLC from Gunfire Games and Gearbox Publishing calls players back to Losomn, inhabited by both the Dran and Fae. With a new area to explore within Losomn, expect a breadth of added content such as items, bosses, dungeons, and of course, a new archetype. 

In “The Awakened King,” players sink deeper into Losomn. Upon exploring the slicken-stoned pathways, players quickly learn that the One True King has returned and is imbued with rage. Feeling deep betrayal brought on by the Root, he seeks revenge on all who oppose his rightful reign over the town.

The castle where the One True King prevails towers over the impoverished and fragmented coastal town. True to Remnant II’s well-designed biomes, the new environment carries a similar aesthetic. Blue and grey undertones paint a gloom of despair and harsh coldness that mirrors the wrath of the One True King. Additionally, conversations held and documents found that detail the arrival of the One True King complement the mentality of its inhabitants. 

As players traverse the town to reach the castle, new enemy types and elites can feel a bit more aggressive. However, the enemies balance out with some moving slower but hitting heavier. With a new unlockable archetype, The Ritualist, players can even the playing field a bit against these new formidable. As with previous archetypes, players can unlock The Ritualist archetype by obtaining its engram found in this new area. Once obtained, visit Wallace at Ward 13 to reap its punishing effects.

Contrary to The Alchemist archetype which focuses on buffs for allies, The Ritualist archetype capitalizes on debuffing enemies and AOE damage. With a Skill like Miasma that applies Bleeding, Overloaded, and Corroded to all enemies within 19.5m, surely this will help with managing hoards. With The Ritualist as your secondary, abilities like Vile and Miasma make combat with certain enemy types a breeze, dealing large damage, paired or just simply buying some more time. It can prove to be a powerful archetype when kitted to a player’s playstyle and paired with another archetype class.

“The Awakened King” gives players plenty of content to jump back into for those looking for more adventure and exploration, especially for the biome Losomn. This new strange area accounts for almost half of the full base game biome. New puzzles present themselves and multiple playthroughs are encouraged to experience all this DLC has to offer. The passing of time or certain events can trigger new areas of discovery, like revealing a path that was not accessible before.

To access “The Awakened King,” players will need to select Adventure Mode, which needs to be unlocked playing the base game. Other players can still experience this one-shot cooperatively as long as one player in the party holds the DLC and creates the lobby. “The Awakened King” can also be re-rolled in Adventure Mode should players want to experience the main story and questline again, but of course, the area map will be randomly generated.

Overall, Remnant II: The Awakened King is a gratifying experience. As a one-shot adventure that players can jump into regardless of whether or not they have completed the main campaign makes it approachable for all players, new or veteran. It is a stand-alone DLC that is not a continuation of the main story but rather one that further pulls players into the culture and troubles of Losomn’s biome. Notably, if adventuring with others, only one player needs to hold the DLC to embark on this new journey. At the price point of only $9.99 and a well-intentioned environmental design and choice of subtle audio context that adds depth, it is well worth the time and playthrough.

Remnant II: The Awakened King is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.