Remnant: From the Ashes was received very well by its community, who praised it for its unique approach to the Soulslike formula and co-op features that allowed players to tackle its unforgiving world together. Randomized enemy and boss spawns added to the experience and gave it an almost rogue-lite layer to its gameplay loop. However, there were still elements that could be improved with Remnant 2 such as the strange difficulty balancing and overall length of the game. If Remnant 2 ends up taking the Soulslike elements that worked from the original and iterates upon them with the third-person horror elements of Resident Evil 4, it could end up being the next big hit for the genre.
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Remnant 2 Looks Even More Like a FromSoftware Game than its Predecessor
The description of “Dark Souls but with guns” is pretty accurate for Remnant: From the Ashes, and its sequel seems to further solidify this description with its obvious nods to progenitor of the Soulslike genre, FromSoftware. The aesthetic of the first game was post-apocalyptic meets dark fantasy and offered a wide range of environments for players to explore, including ruined cities, desert wastes, and mystical swamps. While a lot of these types of environments have appeared in the Dark Souls series, Remnant 2 seems to draw even more inspiration from FromSoftware’s catalog—specifically Demon Souls and Bloodborne—with its approach to world design.
Of what was shown in its reveal trailer, nothing screamed Demon Souls more than tight castle corridors and twisted asylums. The scenes of the castle with the spiked, iron-masked wearing monstrosity are reminiscent of the Boletarian Palace and the later scene of a dark asylum is comparable to the Tower of Latria. Bloodborne inspiration can also been seen in this trailer with scenes of burning city streets and a large, bearded, saw-wielding men attacking the player. It’s clear that Remnant 2 is wearing its Soulslike inspirations on its sleeve, and that’s a great sign for fans.
How Resident Evil 4 May Have Influenced Remnant 2
Aside from the comparisons to its fellow Soulslike games, Remnant 2 most closely resembles Capcom’s iconic third-person action-horror masterpiece Resident Evil 4. As a game with elements of third-person shooters in its core gameplay, it’s only natural that a sequel to Remnant: From the Ashes would draw inspiration from one of gaming’s most famous third-person horror games. The most obvious comparison comes from the world’s gothic horror look, with its grotesque Victorian-era character designs that resemble the mind-controlled villagers players encounter in Resident Evil 4.
The same saw-wielding menace that looks like something straight out of Bloodborne could also have been inspired by Resident Evil 4’s iconic chainsaw-wielding villager. The game in general looks far more like a horror title than its predecessor, and some of the tight camera angles seen in the trailer support this blending of genres. The combination of Soulslike and third-person horror have the potential to create an exhilarating experience for players, and with the renaissance of Resident Evil in previous years, it was only a matter of time before a cross-genre game like Remnant 2 came along.
Remnant 2 is set to launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2023.
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