It feels as though we’ve barely had time to defeat the Root and uncover all of Remnant 2’s secrets, and it’s already time for a new adventure. The first of three planned DLC packs, called The Awakened King, brings us back to the world of Losomn, Remnant 2’s Bloodborne-inspired Gothic horror biome. The expansion features all the things you’d expect: new dungeons, bosses, and a storyline that spreads across a yet-unseen side of Losomn, where the village meets the sea and a towering, corrupted castle looms over the terrified townsfolk – or at least what’s left of them. We’ll have new items and weapons to collect along with a new archetype to level up as we explore the vast new map and finally bring the fight to the One True King.
Each of Remnant 2’s three worlds have their own unique charms, but it’s easy to see why Losomn quickly became a fan favorite. Its strange blend of Gothic tone, steampunk aesthetic, Victorian and post-industrial-inspired architecture, and otherworldly creatures render it at once familiar and totally unique. It is the most horror-tinged of Remnant 2’s worlds, particularly in the murky sewers and in the asylum where the Nightweaver lies in wait. The merging of the Dran and Fae worlds give Losomn an even deeper level of cosmic terror, making it the most memorable of Remnant 2’s worlds.
The Awakened King adds a third storyline to Losomn, which can be played on its own if you’ve already completed the game, or rolled randomly choosing Losomn in Adventure Mode. Principal designer Ben Cureton says the new campaign is slightly longer than both the Imposter King and Nightweaver storylines, and while watching him play during a preview session last week, it was easy to see why.
Gunfire Games has built an expansive, fixed map for the DLC, which includes a large explorable town and several key landmarks, including the lighthouse and, of course, the castle of the Awakened King. Cureton and level designer Cindy To tell me that building a large-scale map for the expansion is important both for the team’s storytelling ambitions and to give players plenty of places to explore. While ascending the castle, Cureton turned the camera back towards the village below, where hundreds of houses divided by winding streets extended out towards a distant sea, and explained that anywhere you can see in the world, you would be able to go.
I didn’t get to see much myself during the short gameplay session, but the developers were able to show off a new aberration – Remnant 2’s mini-bosses – which had a couple of new modifiers. One, a jailer-type modifier that creates circular zones that trap the player inside if they don’t dodge out of the way quick enough, seemed like an exciting new challenge that could make things pretty difficult in some of the more cramped areas. I also saw one of the DLCs new boss fights, which featured an armored creature controlling dozens of flying spears. At one point the boss jumped away and the arena filled with ads, but then spears flew through the air and impaled these would-be enemies. Were they coming to help you? As always, Gunfire is finding ways to include world building and surprise encounters at every opportunity.
The Awakened King represents a significant pivot away from the DLC structure of the original Remnant. Gunfire has promised three expansions in the first year, and it seems that the scope for each of them may be smaller than both Swamps of Corsus and Subject 2923. Cureton says building whole new biomes like Subject 2923’s Reisum would be a significant undertaking given the way Remnant 2’s worlds are built, so while something like that isn’t off the table, it seems like each of the three expansions included in DLC bundle will expand on a single biome. There will be some new items and secrets to find in the other biomes, Cureton promises, but the bulk of what The Awakened King has to offer will be found in Losomn.
The Awakened King launches November 14 on PC, Playstation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. The price is $9.99, or you can purchase the bundle for $24.99, giving you access to all three DLCs as they release.