I loved "Remnant": an ambitious third-person game that takes you through a fantastical multiverse wonderland. It's a bit rough around the edges, to be sure, but it's a heartwarming piece of work. My #1 flaw, however, is that it took too long to unleash the uninhibited creativity that is the beauty of its setting.

For the uninitiated, both "Remnant" and "Remnant 2" share the basic premise of a world to and fro. The starting point is a familiar post-apocalyptic Earth, atrophied by "The Root," infested with hideous tree monsters bent on slaughtering humanity.

Don't get me wrong, I like Root. It's a nice "Last of Us"-style twist on the undead legions we often have to exterminate in Soulike. The problem is that the earth they invade is a bit boring.

Not necessarily bad, but criminally boring compared to the sand-blasting radioactive wastelands, plague-ridden swamps, and intractable forests filled with satyrs. In "Remnants From the Ashes," I was dragged down until I reached the best part. You have to run through a muddy, deserted cityscape with gunfights and dodge rolls.

Imagine my relief when I got "Remnant 2" a little earlier this week. Sure, there's a brief tutorial on Planet Earth, but I was too busy chatting up NPCs to think too much about how much better I'd be in the cyberpunk world showcased in the trailer.

Just as I began to worry that the game might make the same mistake twice, my men were whisked away to Losomun, a land where two alien races, the Doran and the Fae, are at war with each other. Completely unrestrained, with epic vampire architecture that would give Lady Dimitrescu a run for her money, it's as if "Bloodborne" and 2018's "God of War" collided in Alfheim.

Within moments, I was fighting flying sylvan creatures, gunning for knights with moonlight greatswords, and partying with this little freak:

Yes, they are juggling skulls on a pile of bones. Any fears that "Remnant 2" would be as dull as the early stages of the previous game were completely dispelled. The worlds in "Remnant 2" are structured very differently in the different versions generated, so tastes may differ, but none of them will be boring.

Remnant 2 will be released next week on July 25, but players who pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition can start playing it this weekend.