My Thrilling Find of 2023: Remnant 2 Takes the Crown

There were countless moments in Remnant 2 that made me stop and exclaim, "Wow, that was incredible," but the one that truly stood out and made it my favorite for the year occurred during an exceptional boss fight.

I had just navigated through one of the three astonishing locations included in Remnant 2's campaign. This specific location was a gigantic derelict spaceship that had once been home to an advanced race on a mission to find what could be considered god. However, their plan had failed, and the interior of their ship had evolved into a desolate, post-apocalyptic wasteland over the eons. As I explored, I successfully cleared a dungeon and came across a peculiar alien USB drive. Now, I found myself carrying it around, eagerly awaiting to uncover its purpose.

We finally confronted the final boss of the area, an enormous blue alien named Sha'Hala with multiple eyes and massive hands. Although we had faced this foe in a friend's playthrough, barely managing to defeat him, I discovered an additional interactable spot to activate the fight. Using a quest item from my inventory, I initiated the boss battle with Sha'Hala. To my surprise, the battle was completely different this time, with the alien using new attacks and requiring a different strategy to defeat. This time, we had to clear out smaller targets before attacking the boss, making the entire battle feel new. As a reward, we received a new and unique gun made from severed alien hands.

After the battle, we realized that our actions hadn't just altered the world, but had completely sealed it off. Unlike other areas, we couldn't revisit this version of N'Erud to further explore or complete its story quests. It was gone, inaccessible, destroyed or condemned by the consequences of introducing the alien device into the boss's console.

Discovering a secret that can completely alter your experience is a common occurrence in Remnant 2, thanks to its clever combination of unique and procedural design. Remnant 2 transports you to distant worlds to explore, and each time you arrive, the game pieces together that world from various parts. The world map displays numerous dungeons, but those dungeons are chosen at random. The dungeons themselves are all unique, often with their own specialized mechanics and secrets, but the specific secrets found within them are also chosen procedurally.

The peculiar alien USB device unlocks an alternative showdown with Sha'Hala and transforms the boss into a fascinating and eerie rifle. The result is a combination of tailored content, such as captivating boss battles and concealed rewards, with the element of unexpected discovery typically associated with procedural generation. This creates consistently surprising and delightful experiences.

In order to access the alternate boss fight, I had to navigate through my version of N'Erud--the alien ship world--to find the right combination of elements. This included traversing an underground transit system overtaken by a rogue AI attempting to cause a train derailment. Upon completing this dungeon, I had to locate the USB drive and carry it with me until the culmination of the world's story campaign.

In addition, it's important to start the correct story campaign in Remnant 2, as each of the game's three worlds offers two distinct main stories to experience. These stories also determine the rewards you'll receive when the world is generated. This means that there are unique versions of N'Erud with their own locations, mysteries, and potentially even alternate boss battles to discover.

During one exploration, my team and I encountered a surprising sight on another world known as Losomn. This world, reminiscent of a mix between Bloodborne and a high elf dimension, features a fantasy-industrial revolution theme. We spotted a blind child running through the streets of a burning city, a sight unlike anything we had encountered before. Previously, the inhabitants of the town had been hostile, attacking with rifles and pitchforks like those in Yarnham.

Unveiling the quilt initiates an extensive quest that prompts you to explore the Losomn world multiple times in order to unlock its full potential, unveiling the many hidden intricacies within just one of Remnant 2's locales.

We eventually trailed the child through the town and stumbled upon a house inhabited by several children, as well as a peculiar woman diligently knitting an enormous quilt. It soon dawned on us that the quilt depicted a massive representation of our own adventures. It was a colossal puzzle that needed to be pieced together; in order to complete the quilt, we had to uncover more dungeons and even revisit alternative versions of Losomn. This new discovery also unveiled another layer of the Losomn narrative, offering fresh insights into a world we thought we knew so well.

The excitement that accompanied this realization was incredible - we had already gone through Losomn multiple times in each other's games, but now we had stumbled upon something completely new, which opened up a vast, new puzzle to solve. Remnant 2 consistently provided us with this feeling. There are many reasons to appreciate Remnant 2, from its diverse character-class system to its thrilling boss battles, but what I enjoyed the most was uncovering its hidden gems. Each time I thought I had explored every inch of the game, I stumbled upon something unexpected. I have never experienced a game that utilizes procedural generation as effectively, not just to create mundane content to keep you occupied, but to conceal new, captivating moments along your journey. Remnant 2 encompasses many qualities, but it excels as a platform for discovery, enticing you to return time and again to unearth other fascinating, brilliant, and enjoyable secrets it has in store. That's why, out of all the games released in 2023, it's the one I continue to play.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z fan, I am thrilled to see that Remnant 2 has taken the crown as my favorite game of 2023. The game's brilliant procedural generation creates a sense of endless exploration and discovery, making each playthrough unique and exciting. The boss fight with Sha'Hala was particularly memorable, as it showcased the game's ability to surprise and delight players with unexpected twists and turns. The fact that our actions could completely alter the world and seal off certain areas added a sense of consequence and weight to our decisions, making the experience even more immersive.

The combination of tailored content and procedural generation in Remnant 2 is truly masterful. The game manages to strike a perfect balance between providing players with captivating boss battles and concealed rewards, while also allowing for the element of unexpected discovery that is so often associated with procedural generation. This creates a consistently surprising and delightful experience that keeps players engaged and eager to explore every nook and cranny of the game's vast and ever-changing world.