Should You Play Remnant: From the Ashes Before Remnant 2?

Ah, the age-old question. When a sequel is out, and everyone is talking about it, would you feel left out if you skipped the original? In most cases, especially in the modern era of pick-up-and-go gaming, you won’t. But just in case, we’ll give you a quick rundown of how most people will acclimate to Remnant 2.

Remnant 2 has some nods to the first game, but you don’t need to play it in the slightest

As someone who played through the original Remnant, you won’t be missing out on anything major here if you dive directly into the sequel. There are some nods and familiar imagery (including a few cases where I visibly smiled at some references), but there is nothing major that you need to know from the first game that will make you feel lost in the second. The worlds are new, and even if a few aesthetics or locales are shared, the sequel takes them in a completely new direction that doesn’t require any prior knowledge to enjoy.

The second game has a self-contained story, with brand-new characters and a completely different game system. Nearly every gameplay element has either changed or has been expanded upon, including the new archetype classes. While Remnant was an interesting and moody game overall, it didn’t really push the envelope in terms of endgame content or build potential: whereas the sequel has far more knobs to turn and levers to pull.

In fact, going right into Remnant 2, with its vibrant and fresher player base, is ideal for a multiplayer game. But even if you’re planning on going at it solo, you won’t be missing anything major.