- Game: Remnant: From the Ashes
- Consoles: PS4, Xbox One (reviewed), PC
- Publisher: Perfect World Entertainment
- Developer: Gunfire Games
A Remnant: From the Ashes review code was provided by the publisher.
The summer months of the year tend to bring with them a number of surprisingly engaging games that fall under the radar. Gunfire Games’ brand new IP falls squarely into that description. Gunfire Games, the developers responsible for gifting gamers with the underrated Darksiders franchise, has taken a detour into a new genre mashup of sorts. While the setting and themes of this new game share some of its elements with that aforementioned series, its overall approach to combat, exploration, and co-op multiplayer is entirely different. Remnant: From the Ashes is a game that encompasses the best parts of the titles that inspired it and presents them within a respectable package.
Remnant: From the Ashes places you in the role of a survivor who fights alongside the last remnants of humanity. A vicious entity known as the “The Root” have made their way to our plane of existence and ravaged the Earth beyond repair. With the help of portals that transport you and your co-op allies to different dimensions, you’re entrusted with finding the source of The Root and ridding the world of their evil presence once and for all. While the plot being told in Remnant is far from original, it certainly has its moments. Moving to each of the game’s four varied hub worlds and coming across new revelations about the mission at hand will pique your interest. And as you befriend new NPC’s and unlock more key items, your curiosity will come into play as you delve deeper into the bowels of Remnant’s central safehouse (Ward 13).
Gunfire Games, Perfect World Entertainment
Remnant is an amalgamation of the “Soulsbourne” sub-genre of action games and co-op third-person shooters. Enemies, both human and demonic, are far from a cakewalk. As you explore dangerous expanses and crawl through harrowing dungeons, you’ll engage in hectic encounters with all sorts of baddies with varied attack patterns. Thankfully, the difficulty put in place here isn’t too punishing. You’ll die countless deaths, no doubt. But Remnant isn’t hard to the point where it feels entirely unfair. Your character and the class you choose for him/her regularly adapts as you obtain new weapons and gear. Evolving your scavenger is a fun process thanks to the connection between finding new secrets and obtaining new traits to upgrade. Remnant’s character progression system is one of its best attributes and is one of the main reasons why it implores you to tackle its world during multiple playthroughs.
Gunfire Games, Perfect World Entertainment
Like most Soulsbourne games, you’ll be confronted by basic foes and massive bosses that force you to adopt new gear load-outs and battle strategies. What sets Remnant apart from the pack is its reliance on ranged combat and co-op assistance. Your character has a higher chance of survival thanks to an armory full of pistols, shotguns, sniper rifles and other assorted firearms. Each weapon can be equipped with an alternate ability that gives you even more options to rely on during tough situations.
Tinkering around with each weapon and figuring out the best skill to attach to it is quite addictive. The same goes for equipping certain equipment sets and making the most of the combined stat boosts that come with them. Running around in the wild and engaging in intense firefights, slashing down anyone dumb enough to get too close and wreaking havoc with two human allies is quite simply a blast. Getting your hands on new weapons is a pretty rare occurrence, which makes you appreciate your upgraded loot that much more.
Gunfire Games, Perfect World Entertainment
Remnant tackles all of its features in a respectable manner. It’s a jack-of-all-trades type of experience that combines the best mechanics of your favorite games but doesn’t completely master them. It’s also pretty clear that this new IP is more of a budget release that sits a level below gaming’s more AAA fare. Remnant’s environment and enemy designs should be applauded, but its graphical prowess is a bit lacking. Moments of texture pop-in are a rare but noticeable occurrence, for example. Plus the game’s audio characteristics are also a bit of a letdown. You’ll quickly grow annoyed with your avatar’s repeated lines during and after hard-fought skirmishes, plus the music is nothing to write home about either. These issues can hopefully be ironed out with future updates.
Remnant: From the Ashes Takeways
Gunfire Games, Perfect World Entertainment
Remnant: From the Ashes came out of nowhere and pleasantly surprised this reviewer with a quality good time. Running around ravaged worlds with two trustworthy allies and combatting all manner of baddies is more fun than it has any right to be. The massive locales you get to explore, the many secrets you regularly uncover, and the balanced challenge this game presents you with must be applauded. What sticks out like a sore thumb though is Remnant’s mid-grade visuals and lackluster audio presentation. Don’t let these issues keep you from diving headfirst into Gunfire Games’ fun foray into co-op demon busting, however. Remnant: From the Ashes is best categorized as an enjoyable diamond in the rough.
Our Remnant: From the Ashes Review Score: 8.5 out of 10
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