Exploring Game Design – A Deep Dive into Remnant 2

Welcome to this week’s Fateless Podcast Discussion, hosted by Brad, who is joined by Dane, Sham, and Dirk for a fascinating conversation about game design, narrative approaches, and the inspiration they’ve been drawing from other titles. This week’s main topic? Remnant 2—a game that’s been on Dane’s mind so much that it’s practically taken over every meeting!

Right off the bat, Brad calls out Dane for constantly bringing up Remnant 2 in meetings, prompting a discussion about why the game is so compelling. Dane eagerly jumps in, praising its engaging storytelling, tight gameplay mechanics, and seamless co-op experience. But what really makes Remnant 2 stand out to him is its ability to deliver a high-quality, modern game experience without the baggage of microtransactions, battle passes, and other monetization strategies that have become so common in modern gaming.

Dane also highlights how Remnant 2’s world-building and mechanics capture what gaming “used to be”, offering an engaging adventure that’s challenging yet rewarding, without holding the player’s hand. It balances difficult gameplay with rewarding exploration, making every moment of progress feel meaningful.

The conversation quickly shifts to Destiny 2, a game that many of the Fateless team members have played extensively. While Destiny 2 thrives on its live service model, Remnant 2 provides a more self-contained and immediate sense of accomplishment. Dane even admits that he hasn’t touched Destiny 2 in months because of how satisfying Remnant 2 has been in comparison.

Sham, however, raises an interesting point: if Remnant 2 is so amazing, why doesn’t it have a massive player base? Brad looks up the numbers on Steam, revealing a much smaller player count than expected. Dane argues that Remnant 2’s audience might be mostly on console, and its true value lies in how engaging it is, not necessarily its popularity.

Since the Fateless team is developing their own game, the conversation naturally drifts towards how Remnant 2’s design philosophy could influence their project. One of the biggest takeaways is Remnant 2’s approach to storytelling—it’s not a single continuous narrative but rather a series of self-contained, engaging encounters. This format allows players to explore different parts of the world at their own pace, making each story feel fresh and unique.

Dane suggests that the Fateless game could adopt a similar approach by creating modular, immersive storytelling elements rather than relying on a strictly linear campaign. This would allow players to engage with the game’s world more organically, much like The Witcher 3 or Elden Ring, where the story unfolds through gameplay rather than heavy-handed exposition.

Dirk and Sham weigh in on the broader conversation about narrative in gaming, with Dirk making the bold claim that most players don’t care about the story in games—they care about the gameplay and mechanics first. He argues that players only become invested in the story after they’ve been hooked by the game itself.

Sham supports this by pointing out that in mobile hero collectors, the genre the Fateless game is targeting, players usually focus more on which champions they pull rather than the deeper lore. However, he acknowledges that a strong setting and world-building can still add depth and immersion to the game, even if the story itself isn’t the main draw.

As the discussion wraps up, the team touches on how they’re structuring the campaign and story in their own game. While they can’t reveal too many details yet, they hint at a world shaped by myths, legends, and different factions, where players will explore unique areas and uncover their secrets in a way that doesn’t force a rigid narrative structure.

This podcast episode is a deep dive into what makes a game’s design compelling—from storytelling methods and gameplay philosophy to balancing challenge and reward. Remnant 2 might not have the biggest player base, but it’s certainly left a strong impression on the Fateless team, influencing their design choices and how they think about their own game’s narrative.