remainder 2the successor to the sleeper hit from 2019 Remnant: from the ashesis a unique blend of third-person shooting and Dark souls-like elements all wrapped up in a story about a dimension-spanning evil known as the Root.
If like me, you’re a newcomer to the series, you might come into the game with a lot of preconceptions about how it mixes gunplay and dodging. Here are a few tips to get you ready to face reality with as few hurdles as possible.
Choose the right starter archetype
The first important decision you make remainder 2 (unless you’re really into customizing what your main character looks like) is about choosing an archetype. After you get out of the tutorial, you’re given the choice between four unique builds (five if you pre-ordered to unlock the Gunslinger from jumping), each with different skills and initial loadouts.
- Challenger is a tanky badass who starts out with a shotgun and an ability that allows them to deal deadly damage.
- Practitioner is never alone thanks to a dog that follows them to the ends of the earth and a range of skills that go into this bond.
- Hunter is the game’s regular long-range specialist who can extend skill duration with well-placed sniper shots at enemy weak points.
- doctor, unsurprisingly, it’s all about healing. The main advantage is the ability to charge the relic (sort of like Remnant‘s answer to Dark souls Estus Bottle) after restoring a certain amount of health.
You can swap archetypes (but it will cost you)
It happens to the best of us: you made a big decision and regret it. Satisfying, remainder 2 doesn’t force you to stick to the same archetype throughout the game. If you find that your starting class isn’t up to scratch or you just want to experiment with different playstyles, you can easily change things up. Well, provided you have the money to hand out the necessary materials, of course.
Image: Gunfire Games/Gearbox Publishing
Some notable residents of remainder 2 hub area Ward 13 sells special items that can be converted into engrams, a fancy word for the tool you place in the archetype menu to determine your class. Reggie carries the Old Metal Tool that unlocks Challenger, Mudtooth holds the Handler’s Old Whistle, Brabus hands over the Rusty Medal for the Hunter, and Dr. Norah, of course, has the Medic Pin in stock.
After spending 1,500 scrap (remainder 2‘s base currency) on one of these items, you’ll need to take it to Wallace, the frustratingly dim pseudo-psychic who lives in the crane above Ward 13’s shipyard. He transforms them from useless junk into an engram for 10 Lumenite Crystals (dropped by elite enemies or found in chests) and another 1,000 scrap each. From there, all it takes to switch classes is to exchange engrams at any time in the archetype menu.
Master the dodge roll
Although certainly not as essential to survival as in Dark soulsthe dodge roll mechanic found in remainder 2 will often be your most powerful means of defense against both the game’s base enemies and larger-than-life bosses. Dodging makes you invulnerable, but only for a handful of frames, so it’s in your best interest to get a feel for how to get through attacks unscathed. It can be hard to get alone time with a single enemy, but if you ever find yourself in a one-on-one encounter, I suggest creating your own tutorial by taking the time to dodge attacks for a few minutes. You’ll thank yourself as you progress through the game and the combat gets more deadly.
Image: Gunfire Games/Gearbox Publishing
Pay attention to the weight of your armor
Another important aspect of dodging to consider is your load. Every piece of armor in it remainder 2 has a weight value, and the combined load on your entire outfit can hinder your movement and reduce the invulnerability frames on your dodge roll if it gets too heavy.
A quick inspection of the left side of the character menu will tell you everything you need to know about your loadout weight: a light blue number means your dodge will be as safe as possible, green is slightly worse but still manageable, yellow is arguably the upper limit of effectiveness, and red means you clumsily fall to the ground instead of rolling.
The armor weight can be slightly reduced when playing as a challenger. The archetype comes with a trait known as Strong Back that reduces the burden the more points you invest in it. If you’re planning on playing some of the bigger armor sets in the game, don’t neglect Strong Back; it can shear up to 10 loads at maximum level.
Hold out one ear during combat
It can be tough in the fog of battle, but make sure you listen for some telltale sound effects as you mow down the Root, as they’re key to understanding how the fight goes and what to expect from your enemies afterwards.
Got something you thought was a monster or two, only to realize half a dozen of their friends were waiting to strike just around the corner? Well, you should have listened for something like a deep war horn, indicating that you are about to be ambushed Left 4 dead style by a bunch of basic enemies of the area.
Likewise, a high-pitched ring means you’ll come face-to-face with an elite mob, tougher enemies with much more health and special powers. These jerks can appear just about anywhere, so when you hear the sound effect (it’s hard to describe, but as you play longer you’ll become familiar with the dangers), scan the area and send them out as fast as you can.
Use the right gun at the right range
Anyone who has spent any time with first- or third-person shooters intrinsically understands that certain weapons have certain uses. For example, snipers are meant to take out targets from a long distance, while shotguns do better when they’re up close and personal with your enemy. remainder 2 takes this concept a step further by giving each weapon in the game what is called an ‘effective range’.
In addition to information such as damage, magazine size, and ammo capacity, your weapons’ stats include details of their “ideal range” and “interruption range” to give you an idea of how best to use them. The former, of course, indicates the good spot of the firearm, while the latter is where you start to see your damage. You won’t be severely penalized for getting one or two meters beyond a gun’s range, but don’t try to take out enemies mid-map with something like a gun or you’ll experience a dramatic reduction in its effectiveness.
It can be difficult to gauge distance, especially during intense combat, so the quick and dirty way to know if your rifle is within ideal range is to look at the crosshairs. A little dot in the center of your visor means you’re good to go.
Upgrade your weapons
Okay, yes, this is probably pretty obvious to most of you, but don’t forget to upgrade your favorite weapons. As the material and money requirements rise to higher levels, it’s in your best interest to keep your weapons in top condition as you progress steadily remainder 2‘s campaign. Base enemies, elite mobs, and even most bosses are pushovers if you take the time to visit the blacksmith every time you return to Ward 13. Just like Dark soulssuccess depends much more on the status of your weapons than on the work you put into your character’s stats.
Cure that cough
After finishing remainder 2‘s tutorial and as you become familiar with Ward 13, you’ll eventually visit a lush forest known as Yaesha. (Where your adventure starts is random, so you don’t necessarily travel there.) But don’t be fooled by Yaesha’s beauty: many of its inhabitants cause an annoying status effect known as Root Rot. So annoying, in fact, that you want to make sure you have the requisite healing item on hand to take care of the disease before you actually contract it.
Root Rot doesn’t directly damage you, but instead causes your character to cough at regular intervals. And while a sore throat may sound negligible when you’re battling an evil, dimension-hopping hivemind, this cough interrupts just about everything you’re doing and leaves you vulnerable for a few seconds. Dodge rolling helps negate some of the duration of the effect, but you may not always have enough stamina, especially during some of the more frenetic combat encounters.
Image: Gunfire Games/Gearbox Publishing
Fortunately, a medicinal product known as Oilskin Balm abounds, both in Ward 13 and in Yaesha herself. Before you leave the first one, you need Dr. Visiting Norah to stock up on medicine, and if you’ve already traveled to the latter, a horned figure known as Bedel – he’s hard to miss as he’s literally waiting for you at the start of the area – can hook you up. Both sellers stock the item for 100 scrap each.
Bedel also sells a Rotward ring for 500 scrap that completely prevents root rot, which can also be an option if you’re struggling to avoid its effects.
Screenshot of everything
The ability of modern consoles and PCs to screen video games with a single button means it’s easier than ever to solve puzzles, and remainder 2 has some doozies.
Whenever you come across a book or unique environmental decor, I highly recommend taking a screenshot and keeping it in your digital back pocket. You’d be surprised by what a clue it is remainder 2, and without a compendium or mission log to flip through, you’ll want to have as much information as possible on hand so you don’t have to go back. I’ve found some interesting loot by simply knowing the key details of a backstory or set of symbols and pulling up the required screenshot for a refresher on something I read half an hour ago.