Remnant: From the Ashes

Last updated
Remnant: From the Ashes
Remnant From the Ashes cover art.png
Developer(s) Gunfire Games
Publisher(s) Perfect World Entertainment [lower-alpha 1]
Director(s) David Adams
Designer(s) Nicolas Fikac
Anthony Norcott
Cindy To
Richard Vorodi
Composer(s) Rob Westwood
Engine Unreal Engine 4 [2]
Platform(s)
ReleaseWindows, PS4, Xbox One
August 20, 2019
Nintendo Switch
March 21, 2023
Genre(s) Action role-playing, third-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Remnant: From the Ashes is a Soulslike action role-playing video game developed by Gunfire Games and published by Perfect World Entertainment. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in August 2019, followed by a Nintendo Switch port released in March 2023. It received generally positive reviews from critics and sold over 3 million units by December 2021. A sequel, Remnant 2 , was released in July 2023.

Contents

Gameplay

Remnant: From the Ashes borrows its mechanics from franchises such as the Dark Souls series, [3] but rather than simply being melee combat, it incorporates a third-person shooter element where the player can wield up to two gun weapons, one main weapon and one side arm, alongside their melee weapon. [4] These weapons can vary between machine guns, shotguns, hunting rifles, sniper rifles and the like, and can also attach mods to them which give players extra abilities, such as teleportation. [5] Players can create their own custom character, and are required to defeat challenging enemies and bosses found throughout a randomly generated world, though the player still follows a set story. [6] Players are able to upgrade their weapons using materials they find throughout the world (armour can't be upgraded). They can also unlock trait points, which can be used to increase the stats of their playable character.

Remnant allows players to team up with two others and progress through the story, where the game scales the difficulty based on how many players are in the game. [7] The way this works is that if a player joins another player's game, while the joining player will earn the same loot as the original player, once the joining player returns to their world, they are required to progress through the story again. [8] This is because different elements found in one player's world may not be the same in another player's; this can vary according to which enemies and which bosses a player encounters. [8] Unlike other similar titles, players do not lose any items or skill points upon death, but are taken back to the checkpoint, where each time the enemies may differ in number or type, thus keeping a variety in gameplay. [9]

Plot

Remnant: From the Ashes takes place in a post-apocalyptic Earth that has been devastated and overrun by an interdimensional evil called the Root. The player is a wandering survivor of the apocalypse driven to put an end to the Root by traveling to a tower on an island that appears to be the epicenter of the invasion. Early in their journey they are brought to Ward 13, an underground bunker where human survivors live. The player is tasked with finding Ward 13's founder, Ford, and explores the devastated Earth city before finding a portal to an interdimensional rift known as the Labyrinth, allowing them to travel between worlds in search of Ford.

The player first travels to Rhom, the deserted remains of a once great civilization that destroyed its world to save itself from the Root. They unlock a monolithic tower in which the former ruler of Rhom, the Undying King, tasks the player with traveling to the swamp planet of Corsus to kill its Guardian - a being that protects the planet from invasive forces such as the Root - and bring him its heart so he can birth a new Guardian for Rhom, in exchange for pointing the player in Ford's direction. On Corsus, the player kills the Guardian and is given the choice of delivering the heart to the King, or giving it to the Iskal Queen, the ruler of a parasitic insectoid hive mind that has taken over the planet's former inhabitants. If the player chooses the latter, they are forced to kill the King before proceeding.

The player then travels to the forest world of Yaesha, where they encounter a civil war between its Satyr-like inhabitants and befriend a group of rebels. After some exploration, they find Ford imprisoned and free him. In exchange, Ford gives the player a key to activate a portal deep within Ward 13 that allows them to travel to the tower, which was formerly the humans' Ward 17.

In Ward 13, the player can find information revealing that the Root were brought to Earth due to a failed series of experiments using the human subconscious as gateways to other worlds; the Root themselves are linked to one of their subjects, known as Dreamers. The player travels to Ward 17 through the portal and encounters the Dreamer, whom they battle and defeat within his own subconscious. The Dreamer transforms into a massive Root creature, which the player finally kills, releasing them from the Dreamer's subconscious and killing the Root at their source once and for all.

Development

Remnant: From the Ashes was announced on July 28, 2018. [10]

Downloadable content

Swamps of Corsus

The first DLC for Remnant, Swamps of Corsus, was released on April 28, 2020. In addition to a roguelike-style survival mode, in which the player starts with nothing but a pistol and scrap and must upgrade and survive as long as they can, [11] the expansion features new bosses, enemies, weapons, mods, and events added to the Corsus area of the campaign. [12] Players can also purchase skins for their armor with a resource acquired in Survival or hard and nightmare difficulties. [12]

Subject 2923

The second DLC was released on August 20, 2020. With a focus on origins of "The Dreamers", this adds new areas and bosses.

Reception

Remnant: From the Ashes received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, while the Nintendo Switch version received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. [13] [14] [15] [22]

IGN scored the game an 8/10, stating, "Remnant: From the Ashes delivers a beautifully deranged vision of the apocalypse that's overflowing with twisted creatures hellbent on making you suffer. The thrill of finally beating a boss that's had your number for hours is right up there with the Dark Souls games that so clearly inspired it, though the underwhelming gear system sometimes brings down the high of overcoming the frequent difficulty spikes. Overall, it's a solid game that offers one of the best and most rewarding co-op experiences in quite some time, as long as you have a hint of desire to challenge and punish yourself over and over." [23] While GameSpot scored the game a 7/10, stating, "Confusing accurately describes Remnant: From the Ashes a lot of the time, especially when its combination of established ideas doesn't mesh. But for the most part, the experiment is a success, resulting in deeply satisfying combat against creative and challenging enemies. Remnant struggles to effectively transfer that success over to an engaging loot system and an interesting story to wrap it all up, but when you're blasting away foes with weapons crafted from the remains of your latest boss kill, it's hard not to do so with a wide smile on your face." [24]

Sales

By October 2019, Remnant: From the Ashes had sold over 1 million units. [25] By July 2020, the game had sold 1.6 million units, surpassing Gunfire Games' internal expectations. [26] By December 2021, it had sold over 3 million units. [27]

In February 2020, THQ Nordic announced that a physical edition would be made available on 17 March 2020. [28] In Japan, the launch of the physical PlayStation 4 version placed it at fifth position of the individual-format sale charts, with 19,244 units sold. [29]

Sequel

A sequel, Remnant 2, was announced at The Game Awards 2022. It was developed by Gunfire Games and published by Gearbox Publishing, and released on July 25, 2023 for Windows, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. [30]

Notes

  1. ↑ Published by THQ Nordic for the Nintendo Switch [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Saints Row</i> Action-adventure video game series

Saints Row is a series of action-adventure video games created by Volition and published by THQ and Deep Silver. The series follows the 3rd Street Saints, a fictional street gang originally operating out of the Saints Row district, hence the series' title.

<i>Grim Dawn</i> 2016 action role-playing game

Grim Dawn is an action role-playing game (ARPG), developed and published by Crate Entertainment for Microsoft Windows in February 2016 and released for Xbox One in December 2021. Developed using the Titan Quest engine, it is set in a thematically dark fictional world loosely based on the Victorian era. It received generally favorable reviews from critics and had sold 7 million units by February 2022.

<i>Hard Reset</i> 2011 video game

Hard Reset is a 2011 first-person shooter game developed by Flying Wild Hog and released for Windows in September 2011. The game features a cyberpunk plot within a dystopian world, and draws inspiration from the works of William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, and Philip K. Dick to create its story, setting and atmosphere.

<i>Borderlands 2</i> 2012 video game

Borderlands 2 is a 2012 action role-playing first-person shooter video game developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K. Taking place five years following the events of Borderlands (2009), the game is again set on the planet of Pandora. The story follows a new group of Vault Hunters who must ally with the Crimson Raiders, a resistance group made up of civilian survivors and guerrilla fighters, to defeat the tyrannical Handsome Jack before he can unlock the power of a new Vault. The game features the ability to explore the in-game world and complete main missions and optional side quests, either in offline splitscreen, single-player or online cooperative gameplay. Like its predecessor, the game features a procedurally generated loot system which is capable of generating numerous combinations of weapons and other gear.

<i>A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda</i> 2010 video game

A.R.E.S. Extinction Agenda is a 2.5D side-scrolling platform shooter for Microsoft Windows. It was developed by a Thai independent developer Extend Studio. An updated version called Extinction Agenda EX was released for Xbox Live Arcade on October 2, 2013, and for Windows via Steam on October 3, 2014.

<i>Saints Row IV</i> 2013 action-adventure game

Saints Row IV is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Volition and published by Deep Silver. It is the sequel to 2011's Saints Row: The Third, the fourth installment of the Saints Row series, and the final main installment in the original series that began with the original game. The game was released in August 2013 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, and was later ported to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Linux in 2015. A Nintendo Switch port was released on March 27, 2020, and a Google Stadia port was released on November 1, 2021.

<i>Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare</i> 2014 third-person class-based shooter video game

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is a 2014 multiplayer third-person shooter and tower defense video game developed by PopCap Games and published by Electronic Arts. The third game in the Plants vs. Zombies franchise, the basic premise revolves around plants defending humankind from a zombie invasion. In the game, players assume control of either the Plants or the Zombies, as they fight in various cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes. Upon completing matches and finishing objectives, players earn coins to acquire stickers that unlock customization items and character variants.

<i>Beat Hazard</i> 2009 video game

Beat Hazard is a music-themed video game developed and published by British studio Cold Beam Games on October 28, 2009 for Xbox Live Indie Games.

<i>Dark Souls III</i> 2016 video game

Dark Souls III is a 2016 Soulslike action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. The third and final entry in the Dark Souls series, the game follows an unkindled character on a quest to prevent the end of the world. It is played in a third-person perspective, and players have access to various weapons, armour, magic, and consumables that they can use to fight their enemies. Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of the series, returned to direct the game after handing the development duties of Dark Souls II to others.

<i>Warhammer: Vermintide 2</i> 2018 video game

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is a first-person action video game developed and published by Fatshark. It is the sequel to 2015's Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide. Vermintide 2 was released for Windows on 8 March 2018. It was released for Xbox One on 11 July 2018, free for members of the Xbox Game Pass. It was released for the PlayStation 4 on 18 December 2018. It also released for Xbox Series X/S on 3 December 2020. A spiritual successor, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, was released in 2022.

<i>Deaths Gambit</i> 2018 video game

Death's Gambit is a side-scrolling action role-playing game developed by White Rabbit and published by Adult Swim Games. It was released for Windows and PlayStation 4 in August 2018. An expanded edition of the game titled Death’s Gambit: Afterlife released in September 2021 for Windows and Nintendo Switch, in November 2021 for PlayStation 4 and in May 2022 for Xbox One.

<i>Minecraft Dungeons</i> 2020 video game

Minecraft Dungeons is a 2020 dungeon crawler video game developed by Mojang Studios and Double Eleven and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is a spin-off of the sandbox video game Minecraft and was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2020. It was also adapted into an arcade video game by Raw Thrills. The arcade version released in May 2021. The game would later cease development on September 28, 2023.

Watch Dogs is an action-adventure video game franchise published by Ubisoft, and developed primarily by its Montreal and Toronto studios using the Disrupt game engine. The series' eponymous first title was released in 2014, and it has featured three games in total, the most recent being 2020's Watch Dogs: Legion. Several tie-in books and comic book miniseries set in the games' universe have also been published.

<i>Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair</i> 2019 video game

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a 2019 platform game developed by Playtonic Games and published by Team17. As a spin-off to Yooka-Laylee (2017), the game was released digitally for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on October 8, 2019, followed by a version for Amazon Luna on October 20, 2020.

<i>Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot</i> 2020 video game

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is an action role-playing game developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, based on the Dragon Ball franchise. It was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows in January 2020, Nintendo Switch in September 2021, Stadia in October 2021, PlayStation 5 in January 2023, and Xbox Series X/S in February 2023. The game follows the main protagonist Goku and the Z-Fighters throughout the events of the Dragon Ball Z anime, including anime-original storylines and moments.

<i>Boyfriend Dungeon</i> 2021 video game

Boyfriend Dungeon is a dungeon crawler-dating sim developed and published by Kitfox Games. Taking place in an urban fantasy setting, the player character must fight through dungeons with the help of a human partner who can transform into a sentient weapon. Outside of dungeons, the player can date their partner in visual novel-style sequences that increase their power in combat. It was released for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows on August 11, 2021, followed by a PlayStation 5 version on February 14, 2023.

<i>Chronos</i> (2016 video game) 2016 video game

Chronos is a 2016 Soulslike action role-playing game developed and published by Gunfire Games for the Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset. The game received generally positive reviews upon release. An overhauled version of the game, titled Chronos: Before the Ashes was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Stadia on December 1, 2020.

<i>Saints Row</i> (2022 video game) Action-adventure video game

Saints Row is an action-adventure game developed by Volition and published by Deep Silver. It is a reboot of the Saints Row series, and the fifth main installment, following 2013's Saints Row IV. It was released on August 23, 2022 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Google Stadia. Set within the fictional city of Santo Ileso, loosely based on Las Vegas, the single-player story follows a group of four friends who start their own outlaw gang called the Saints, which they subsequently expand by seizing power from other criminal organizations in the city.

<i>Remnant 2</i> 2023 video game

Remnant 2 is a third-person shooter Soulslike action role-playing video game developed by Gunfire Games and published by Gearbox Publishing. A sequel to Remnant: From the Ashes, the game was released for PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S on July 25, 2023.

References

  1. ↑ "Remnant: From the Ashes".
  2. ↑ Thang, Jimmy (August 21, 2019). "Remnant: From the Ashes blends genres to become a unique co-op shooter". Unreal Engine. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  3. ↑ Grayson, Nathan (2019-08-27). "Remnant: From The Ashes, As Told By Steam Reviews". Kotaku . Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  4. ↑ Barbosa, Alessandro (2019-08-26). "Remnant: From the Ashes Review - In My Sights". GameSpot . Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  5. ↑ Carter, Chris (2019-08-26). "Review: Remnant: From the Ashes". Destructoid . Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  6. ↑ Alexandra, Heather (2019-08-22). "Remnant: From the Ashes Is Quickly Becoming One Of My Favorite Games Of 2019". Kotaku. Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  7. ↑ Lane, Rick (2019-08-20). "Remnant: From the Ashes review". PC Gamer . Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  8. 1 2 Nwosu, KC (2019-08-20). "Remnant: From the Ashes - Review in 3 Minutes". The Escapist . Retrieved 2020-01-01.
  9. ↑ Jagneaux, David (2019-07-18). "Remnant: From the Ashes Preview: A Brutal And Unforgiving Co-Op Adventure". IGN . Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  10. ↑ Barnett, Brian (2018-07-12). "Darksiders 3 Dev Announces Remnant: From the Ashes". IGN. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  11. ↑ "Remnant: From the Ashes is worth revisiting with the Swamps of Corsus DLC". Destructoid. 14 April 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  12. 1 2 "Swamps of Corsus DLC Now Available on PC". www.remnantgame.com. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  13. 1 2 "Remnant: From the Ashes for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  14. 1 2 "Remnant: From the Ashes for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  15. 1 2 "Remnant: From the Ashes for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  16. ↑ "Remnant: From the Ashes for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  17. ↑ Carter, Chris (20 August 2021). "Review: Remnant: From the Ashes". Destructoid . Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  18. ↑ Tack, Daniel (20 August 2021). "Remnant: From The Ashes Review – Burning Bright And Fading Fast". Game Informer . Archived from the original on August 29, 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  19. ↑ Barbosa, Alessandro (20 August 2021). "Remnant: From the Ashes Review - In My Sights". GameSpot . Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  20. ↑ Jagneaux, David (20 August 2021). "Remnant: From the Ashes Review". IGN . Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  21. ↑ Lane, Rick (20 August 2021). "Remnant: From the Ashes review". PC Gamer . Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  22. ↑ "Remnant: From the Ashes critic reviews". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  23. ↑ Jagneaux, David (August 20, 2019). "Remnant: From the Ashes Review". IGN . Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Remnant: From the Ashes Review - in My Sights".
  25. ↑ McAloon, Alissa (October 30, 2019). "Remnant: From the Ashes sells 1 million copies in just over 2 months". Gamasutra . Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  26. ↑ Lane, Rick (July 16, 2020). "Remnant: From the Ashes devs were 'really surprised' by 1.6 million sales". PC Gamer . Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Embracer Group acquires Perfect World Entertainment" (PDF). December 21, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  28. ↑ Carey, Sean (February 10, 2020). "Remnant: From the Ashes is getting a physical release next month". TrueAchievements . Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  29. ↑ Romano, Sal (July 2, 2020). "Famitsu Sales: 6/22/20 – 6/28/20 [Update]". Gematsu. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  30. ↑ Dinsdale, Ryan (December 10, 2022). "Gearbox Announces Remnant 2 for 2023". IGN . Retrieved December 10, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.