Necropolis Now: New Remnant II DLC Lands

Vestige II managed that rare feat of being a sequel that surpassed not only expectations, but, in many gamers’ view, the original. Lauded as one of the most creative and compelling games of its generation, it seduced players with godlike bosses, a kaleidoscope of landscapes, and intense replayability. With new downloadable content, there’s another reason why Vestige II should be at the top of your list. John Pearl, narrative director at Gunfire Games, and overseer of the narrative elements of Vestige II, sat down with Intel Gaming Access to tell us what lies on The Dark Horizon.

“The Dark Horizon is the third DLC for Vestige II,” Pearl explains, “taking players back to the dead world of N’Erud for an entirely new storyline. Players experience a completely fresh perspective on the necropolis world, including an exciting new gliding mechanic that transforms the way they navigate its eerie landscapes. There’s a lot to look forward to—new bosses that offer intense and unique challenges, a variety of new enemies to test your skills, and a host of new items to discover that can drastically impact how you play. Players will also meet new characters that deepen the lore of N’Erud, giving more insight into its haunting past … You can dive into it directly through Adventure mode or integrate it into a newly rolled campaign. While the story is largely self-contained, having some knowledge of N’Erud and Vestige II can enhance the experience. That said, even if you’re coming in with fresh eyes, it’s still a thrilling adventure on its own!”

So, nothing to be afraid of as a newbie—unless you count the terrifying consuming evil of the “Root”.  What tips does Pearl have for those that are new to the Remnant universe? “Have fun and experiment a little! I know that might sound cliché, but from bosses to NPCs, there are plenty of alternate paths in the game that can lead to surprising outcomes and unlock unique rewards. I’d suggest doing a full playthrough of the campaign first, then jumping into adventure mode, where you can explore specific worlds or DLC independently of your main campaign progress. Though there’s a campaign with a structured storyline, the real experience comes from re-rolling the campaign or individual worlds to uncover different storylines and chase the unique random events and items.”

Releasing a sequel to a vaunted original seems both inevitable and fraught. You have your own success to match, or be judged by. Gunfire Games pulled off this tricky balancing act with Vestige II, but with each new DLC, there’s a renewed challenge. “One of the most interesting challenges we faced with the new DLC was creating a fresh storyline that fits into N’Erud’s storyline while still standing on its own,” John says. “We wanted the DLC to feel like a natural extension of the core game, but also exciting for both returning players and newcomers. To overcome this, we focused on crafting a narrative that both builds on the lore of Vestige II and introduces new elements to surprise players. Another challenge was the technical aspect of integrating new mechanics, like the Warden Archetype with its drone companion. We had to make sure it meshed seamlessly with the game’s existing systems without disrupting the balance. Our solution was a lot of iteration and testing—working closely with the design and QA teams to fine-tune how the Archetype feels in combat and how it interacts with other abilities and environments.”

Coming off the back of a successful first installment, Gunfire Games not only knew how they wanted to move forward, but what knowledge to take with them in terms of optimization.  “Performance is crucial in a game like Vestige II because the game is designed to be fast-paced, visually rich, and highly immersive. From Remnant: From the Ashes, we learned a lot about optimizing for PC performance, particularly in how players with different setups engage with the game. That’s why for Vestige II we made sure to implement features like upscaling, to help players achieve higher frame-rates and better visual fidelity, even on mid-range systems. Our goal was to make the game as accessible and enjoyable as possible, regardless of the hardware you’re playing on.” Colin Bonstead, technical director at Gunfire, chips in: “During the development of our DLC for Vestige II, Intel has continuously updated the Intel® X^e Super Sampling (X^eSS) integration for Unreal Engine with improvements to performance and fidelity, and we’ve been able to drop in each new release with no issues.”

Happy to help, as ever. So what’s next in the sights of Gunfire Games? Like a true gunslinger, Pearl is keeping his cards close to his chest. “All I can say is… stay tuned!” You heard the man.  

Purchase Remnant II: The Dark Horizon on Steam