Remnant: From the Ashes

Remnant: From the Ashes is a co-op action-RPG that's punishing and grotesque, but exciting and beautiful all at the same time. Despite the occasional difficulty spikes and slightly disappointing gear system, the thrill of finally beating a boss that's had your number for hours is unmatched.

Although not all of its ideas mesh at times, Remnant: From the Ashes is still a satisfying action-adventure with punchy third-person shooting and fantastic bosses to overcome.

A flawed but fascinating hybrid, Remnant: From the Ashes is a looter-shooter charged with potential.

Before I started Remnant, I was worried that its ranged combat wouldn’t provide the same kind of challenge or depth as other, more melee-focused, action games. But Remnant is still finding ways to surprise and challenge me, after I’ve put nearly 10 hours into the game, and each boss teaches me something new about the game and how to play it. I can’t wait to see what I’ll learn next, and what I’ll see — and kill — on the way.

Gobs of lackluster bosses and lack of any real endgame experience drag down a whimsical world full of secrets, challenges, and fun customization

Remnant: From the Ashes takes too long to get going, but when it does, it lets it rip. The randomization element is too half-baked to really propel this project above the rest of its ilk, but Gunfire Games has some really good ideas that I hope to see employed more often in the future.

Remnant: From the Ashes is immediately familiar and infinitely enjoyable. Gunfire Games has created something really special.

In one sense, Gunfire Games have seemingly achieved the impossible in providing us with a shooter-focused RPG whose gameplay loop is validated by its plentiful, challenging encounters.

Remnant From the Ashes is bound to be a polarizing game, much like Dark Souls was when it first released, and I highly anticipate scores to swing wildly from outlet to outlet. Players may find that their first playthrough is not what they had hoped for, and they might write the game off because of this, and I nearly did so myself. However, there is much more to Remnant than it appears, and the deeper you dig, the more you will find that the things you loved about the Souls series are present, just in smaller quantities.

Remnant, is a solid action game that sells itself short with a terrible opening half-hour. Get through that though and there’s a lot to recommend in the solid gunplay and exploration of an intriguing setting. The Switch port, however, isn’t great and you can pick this up on other platforms for about half the price. If you’re dead set on handheld (and don’t own a Steamdeck…) then it’s still a bit of a tough sell at £35, but if you spot this in a sale and like the sound of shooting a bunch of Groot-clones through a ruined city and beyond then I think it’s certainly worth taking a chance on.