What you need to know
- Remnant: From the Ashes is a third-person shooter from Gunfire Games.
- The game is getting a new expansion called Subject 2923 on August 20.
- You'll explore a new frozen region and come across a plethora of new weapons and gear.
- You can purchase Remnant: From the Ashes for $40 through the Microsoft Store.
Remnant: From the Ashes is a third-person action game along the lines of Dark Souls. Instead of a slew of melee weapons, the game focuses on gunplay. Each session is randomized, so you encounter different bosses and come across different weapons and armor every time you reset the game. In order to experience it all, players have to help out other gamers through the online co-op mode.
Recently, publisher Perfect World Entertainment and developer Gunfire Games announced the final downloadable content (DLC) for Remnant: From the Ashes called Subject 2923. It's coming to Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4 on August 20 for $10. According to the teams, Subject 2923 will introduce a brand new campaign mode that concludes the game's post-apocalyptic story. The final DLC will also be packed with two unique zones, all-new quests, bosses, weapons, trinkets, armor sets, and more.
The DLC's description gives us more details about what's in store. Players will discover the origins of the Dreamer Program and its connection to the Root. Following the downfall of the Dreamer, the streets have grown quieter, and more humans are braving the city. Hope has been rekindled, but Earth is not rid of the Root just yet. As players seek out the location of the remaining Root, they will meet unexpected allies, traverse unfamiliar zones and dimensions, and overcome new threats to put an end to this evil force once and for all. This new adventure will span across the rugged wilderness of Earth and beyond.
Subject 2923 sounds like the DLC many Remnant: From the Ashes players have been asking for months now. From my understanding, it should answer all remaining questions when it launches in August. However, it also adds one particularly interesting weapon that needs to be highlighted: the Frostborne axe. Frostborne is a crystal axe that's excellent for supplying a constant flurry of alternating attacks with a chilling touch. Charge attacks hit multiple times and deal considerable damage. It uses the new Stasis effect that's being added to the game with Subject 2923.
I had the chance to interview Ben Cureton from Gunfire Games and discuss the new weapon. He's the Principal Designer at the studio and has worked in games for over 25 years. He's shipped dozens of games, and his previous projects include Darksiders, Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age, Fear 3, and Marvel's Avengers.
Cureton walked us through how Frostborne was designed and what the team hopes it will be used for. In my opinion, many melee weapons that are currently in the game are only good for finishing off enemies. You can't really use them against bosses because they don't do tremendous amounts of damage. Luckily, Frostborne slows anyone that it touches, and the effect multiplies quickly if you continue the barrage of hits or equip trinkets that boost Stasis.
From my discussion with Cureton, it seems like Frostborne is perfect for going up against bosses too because it slows them down and allows your teammates — who hopefully have other weapons equipped — to get in some great hits. I can also think of dozens of other enemies in the game that are fast-moving, so having a Stasis weapon equipped will help with those encounters. As seen in the trailer, Frostborne is quite versatile because it obliterates lesser foes too.
Many games have support weapons, and Frostborne is a great example of. I'd be curious to experiment with different builds where one team member has Frostborne equipped and the other two are solely focused on dealing as much damage as possible. This will lead to interesting outcomes because slowing bosses down, and maybe getting even more hits on them before they fly away or trigger some acrobatic move, will result in even faster ways to take down these behemoths.
Do you play Remnant: From the Ashes? What do you think of this new weapon? Let us know. The game is currently available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers as part of their membership. You should play it if you haven't already. In my review, I wrote, "Despite some questionable voice acting and repetitious dialogue, Remnant: From the Ashes is a superb title even though it has a lot of similarities to a number of games out there. Its biggest inspiration appears to be Diablo III because randomness is its best feature. The fantastic creature design — which seems to take inspiration from The Lord of the Rings and even Halo 5: Guardians — is another standout aspect. This is easily Gunfire Games' best game in my opinion and one of the biggest surprises this year."
Kill all monsters
Remnant: From the Ashes is a third-person survival action shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by monstrous creatures. You have to rid the world of the Root.
It'll last you a couple of months
Xbox Game Pass gives you access to over 200 games for one monthly fee. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also adds Xbox Live Gold to the package so you can play online with your friends.
Xbox
Main
