Remnant: From the Ashes is a third-person shooter action RPG created by Gunfire Games. It has been an absolute blast to play both solo and with friends and I wholeheartedly recommend this game.

Remnant’s gameplay is innovative yet familiar, drawing inspiration from the Souls series, such as the bonfire system in which resting at a checkpoint refreshes your health but respawns surrounding enemies, and the gear system. Weapons are few and far between, but each one is unique in both use and appearance. Dragon hearts are akin to Estus Flasks in Dark Souls. Dodge-rolling and equipment weight, all staples of the tried and true formula of the Souls Series. Into this formula, Remnant implements ranged weapons as the primary method of defeating enemies. Although melee weapons exist, they are relegated to an auxiliary role. This addition to the game adds a layer of complexity in addition to managing ammunition and the mods you apply to your various weapons. Mods are abilities tied to weapons that can be cast after dealing a certain amount of damage. These abilities can create a healing field, summon a dog to attack enemies, and much more.

Special weapons and mods can be obtained from defeating Remnant’s many bosses. Weapons and mods obtained by defeating bosses are some of the most powerful in the game. They introduce unique mechanics that completely reshape Remnant‘s gameplay, and will serve as your main tools as you progress through the game. The difficulty of defeating these bosses varies wildly from glorified bullet-sponges to tough and strategic encounters. Some bosses will also drop different loot based on the way you kill it.

My personal favorite aspect of this game is the ability to play co-op with friends. Friendly fire is turned on in Remnant, something my friends and I found out the hard way. Remnant: From the Ashes is always a great game to mess around in with friends. When playing with friends, the difficulty of bosses and enemies scales to match the increase in manpower, as well as the levels of those in game. This can make playing with friends whose level far exceeds your own a challenge. Remnant’s tone differs greatly between playing with friends and playing alone. While playing alone, Remnant becomes a survival game, and rather than barreling through hordes of enemies with superior weaponry, you have to carefully pick your battles and conserve both health and ammunition.

While most people will inevitably ignore Remnant’s story, I found its narrative fascinating, especially if you’re willing to dive into the lore. From the start, you are trying to survive your battle against the Root, a race of tree creatures that have overtaken Earth. Along the way, you stumble upon Ward-13, your homebase in your quest to solve the mystery of the root. Each campaign that you play is procedurally generated, meaning that the experience that you have will be wholly different from the experiences your friends have, encountering different bosses and side-missions. The main plot of each campaign, however, will remain the same throughout each playthrough.

Overall, Remnant: From the Ashes is a triumph that finally answers the age-old question: What if Dark Souls had guns? It innovates brilliantly within the Souls formula, with creative weaponry and designs. I wholeheartedly recommend everyone to gather up your friends and give Remnant a try. It’s an unforgettable experience. Currently, Remnant: From the Ashes is available on PC, PS4, XBox One, PS5, and XBox Series X/S for $39.99.