Remnant: From The Ashes Review: Baby’s First Soulslike
Over the last decade or so, the industry has been dominated by the emergence of the Souls-like genre, which was first established after the release of From Software’s literal trip to hell and back, Dark Souls. The game broke new ground, not only for introducing players to a vast and expansive world with extensive lore, but its uncanny ability to break body, mind, and soul. People seemed to be into that kind of thing.
For over ten years, Dark Souls has formed the foundation for countless games attempting to emulate its monstrous level of difficulty and challenge to mixed results. Meanwhile, From Software has spent that time refining its winning formula, culminating with 2022’s Elden Ring. A game that has shaken the industry maybe 20 times over at this point. If you’re like me, you’ve quietly observed the success of the genre and maybe, occasionally, dipped your toe in the water only to realize that it is, in fact, scorchin’. If you’re like me, then you’ll maybe have given up any hope of enjoying or appreciating the genre, well… enter Remnant: From The Ashes.
The game was initially released in 2019 for consoles and PC but has only recently made its way to the Switch eShop library, and honestly, it’s a pretty stellar edition. Remnant: From The Ashes is developed by Gunfire Games, who in recent years are perhaps best known for their work rejuvenating the Darksiders series. The studio has since forged its own path with a clever, modern, and, most importantly, accessible twist on the Soulslike genre.
Remnant: From The Ashes places players in the role of a nomadic warrior who journeys towards the last remaining ruins of society, which have been populated by the deranged creatures known as the Root. The player is positioned as the last hope for humanity and must venture towards a mysterious tower at the center of the city’s ruins to push back the Root. The protagonist is quickly allied with the last remains of humanity in Ward 13 and tasked with finding an elusive genius to aid them in their quest. Thus the player ventures into the ruins of society as a lone gunslinger.
Shoot Your Shot
The game establishes itself almost immediately with its choice to largely forego the close combat encounters that are often found in the Soulslike genre. It’s made clear in the game’s tutorial that a sword isn’t going to be enough to battle the Root. Instead, players have access to three weapons, a rifle, a side-arm, and a melee weapon. This is perhaps Remnant’s main selling point.
Remnant largely plays like a standard third-person, over-the-shoulder shooter. Players can switch between their rifles and sidearm, aim down their sights, and take cover for tactical advantages. That doesn’t mean you can just go around spraying bullets, though. No, no, no. This is, in fact, where the game borrows the most influence from the Souls-like genre. Think of it this way. Your side-arm replaces your light attack, and your rifle takes the place of heavy attacks, which deal major damage. There’s also a stamina bar that must be used conservatively for dodge rolls and evasive maneuvers.
While the conventional third-person control settings are welcoming to new players of the Souls-like genre, it’s important to note that the game rewards precision. Every shot counts, with extra damage being dealt through headshots and enemy weak points. Depending on the difficulty setting you’re playing on the game, you may be generous with leaving ammo scattered around the world or amongst the remains of fallen enemies.
There are three class types that players can choose from that form the basis of the protagonist’s capabilities. Each class comes with its own traits and weapon mods that invite some replayability. Largely though, the class types are tailored towards short and long-range combat. You can blast enemies away with your shotgun as a scrapper or methodically pick them off from a distance as an ex-cultist.
A Fighting Chance
Remnants combat is riveting at the best of times and can make players feel like legitimate bad-ass gunslingers. It’s part of the reason that kept bringing me back to the game despite many deaths throughout the campaign. The game feels like it’s giving you a fighting chance, partly due to its diluted mechanics, but if you’re new to the genre, then it should be a considerable change of pace.
This brings us to the game’s difficulty. Remnant: From the Ashes can certainly be daunting, but it never feels unconquerable. The campaign gradually introduces you to new enemy types with formidable abilities as you venture further into the world. The varied enemy types can keep you on your toes; a simple mistake or misjudged roll can result in a sudden and brutal death. Like any game in the genre, though, Remnant rewards persistence and resiliency. The enemies and bosses in the game can pummel you for hours on end, but the satisfaction of finally working out their number to turn the tide is second to none.
The game does present challenges, but there are several mechanics that offer players far more of an advantage than they would find in From Software titles. One of Remnant’s biggest surprises is the absence of any sort of stand-in for runes or souls. Acquiring souls from fallen enemies only to lose them and start from scratch after death is perhaps one of the most crushing and frustrating mechanics in all of gaming.
Remnant: From the Ashes chooses to forego this in favor of trait points. There are four initial traits that are unlocked at the start of the game. Points can be spent to increase stats like health and stamina. It’s a far more straightforward approach as opposed to the daunting leveling system, which can be found in other Souls-like titles.
Armour and weapons can also be upgraded by vendors in Ward 13, along with powerful weapon mods, which can be unlocked as you progress through the game. The game is very generous towards the player. The most substantial advantage of all though is the ability to team up with other players. You can join two other players as you venture into the broken world and take on some of the more tricky boss battles.
Don’t go thinking that there’s necessarily safety in numbers, though. It can certainly help to have a fellow gunslinger have your back, but the game will adapt and adjust its difficulty so that the sense of challenge isn’t lost completely. Remnant wants the player to have fun and accommodates that while still largely maintaining the challenge the genre is known for.
Performance and Conclusion
What surprised me the most about Remnant is how well the game runs on Switch. I played on the Switch Lite, and while it can drain your battery, there is a novelty to enjoy in a competent Souls-like title to take on the go with you. While the Switch isn’t exactly tailored toward shooters, I found the controls responsive and smooth. That said, the game can suffer from long loading times, and after being spoiled with lightning-fast loading times on current-gen consoles, I found my patience wearing thin. It’s also not particularly pretty to look at either. Textures and character models have gone under a significant downgrade to accommodate the Switch.
In terms of presentation, the game offers a far more conventional campaign with little of the ambiguity that can be found in the likes of Bloodborne. Remnant’s campaign is not one that will stick with you, and there are no real standout cast members. The ruined earth featured in Remnant is one of the better post-apocalyptic settings simply for how utterly decayed the world looks. It’s not pretty to look at, and that almost feels like that’s the point.
Overall, Remnant: From The Ashes is a perfect entry point for those who are wanting to take their first steps in dabbling in the soulslike genre. Gunfire Games took me by surprise with this one. I was skeptical going in and doubted the third-person shooter mechanics would blend so seamlessly with the genre. Remnant 2 is due to be released later this year, and frankly, I can’t wait.
Final Verdict: 4/5
Available on: Switch (Reviewed), PC; Publisher: THQ Nordic; Developer: Gunfire Games; Players: 1-3; Released: March 21, 2023; ESRB: M for Mature; MSRP: $39.99
Full disclosure: This review is based on a copy of Remnant: From the Ashes provided by the publisher.
