When we started the first Remnant game, Remnant: From the Ashes, I can’t say that we definitively set out to create a ‘Soulslike’ game. There are a lot of aspects to Remnant that don’t really fit that description: you don’t lose anything when you die, the world is randomly generated, etc. I can say, however, that there are aspects of Souls games that we really enjoyed as gamers and one of those was fair but challenging combat. From that point of view, we did want to create a game that presented a fair and compelling challenge to the players.
We do plan to expand the existing worlds through DLC, but that doesn’t mean that’s all we are planning to do. Beyond that, I can’t say much other than that we will let you know if we have anything else to announce.
Will future DLCs also focus on expanding each existing world, or can players expect to see some new worlds, game modes, etc.?
I think the biggest advantage is increasing the awareness of the game. The Remnant franchise has sold millions of copies, but of course, there are still millions of players who have never tried Remnant. Game Pass gives a good chunk of those players a chance to try the game.
I generally have a rule that the designer who implements the boss should be able to ‘Ace’ that boss, which means a no-hit run or a close-to-no-hit run. It’s generally a good barometer for difficulty. It also helps to ensure that there is a sense of mastery over the boss because if the person playing and tweaking that boss dozens of times a day can’t master the pattern, then perhaps the pattern is too complex to master.
Right now, we are focused on the second DLC we’re working on. That’s the ‘official’ answer. The ‘unofficial’ answer is we would love to explore a new game mode. Maybe not exactly like Survivor, but something that scratches the same itch
Is there any progress on a potential Survival Mode in Remnant 2?
Each DLC will come with its own unique items. Though, I will say our item team has their work cut out for them. Each ring, amulet, mutator, weapon, etc., in our game, is hand-crafted with its own bespoke advantages and abilities. There are no random gun drops, for instance. I think that’s really cool for the player, but it’s a lot of work coming up with all those unique ideas without them coming across as rehashes of other items. So… the answer is – yes – but hats off to the folks who have to come up with all those new item ideas.
It’s entirely possible I will implement some boss fights again. I tend to jump around on what I am working on. I will get into modes where I’m doing level layouts, writing up lore for new worlds, fleshing out biome storylines, setting up basic creatures, scripting the intro to the game, or implementing some new tech features. I tend to have my hand in a lot of pies, and I genuinely love working on games – boss fights included. I had started working on a few of the boss fights in Remnant 2 (Cube Boss, Many Faces) but ended up handing them off – so who knows?
Will you continue letting the team take over the boss creation, or can we expect to see some of your work on that front in future content?