Remnant: From the Ashes - Rise Above Frustration

Post-apocalyptic games are nothing new these days. What sets these games apart is the story and enemy types. In Remnant: From the Ashes, you are tossed into a world with a story of its own and enemies that come off as a sinister and twisted Groot family reunion with some fiendish ghouls as guests.

Story:
You play as a customized character sent out to sea on a mission. You are to reach a tower in the middle of the ocean to discover the fate of the fallen last hope and to face what lurks within. As you nearly reach the tower, you are consumed by a massive wave. You are then carried instead to land plagued with otherworldly creatures. After being relentlessly attacked in this post-apocalyptic world, you take critical hits as your life is nearly ended. A group that has survived and made a home out of this land of death saves you and takes you back to their base. Refusing to give up on your original mission, you decide to team up until you are once again able to face the tower, unknowingly getting entangled in their story.

Gameplay:
Remnant is, for the most part, a story/mission-based third-person RPG survival shooter with a few twists. As players progress they can acquire different weapons and armor that can be upgraded, craft and even spend points on abilities. There is a wide range of enemy types that you encounter. Each with a unique look and set of characteristics in which they attack and can be defeated. Due to the typical mass number of enemies spawned in an area, stealth and strategic gameplay are a definite must to progress. Pieces of history in this post-apocalyptic world are hidden throughout the game for those gamers who enjoy exploring and like to add more to the current story. If you find yourself struggling on your own or simply enjoy gamming with a teammate, Remnant offers an online co-op.

Pros:
Enemies are randomized for the most part, which helps keep the areas unpredictable and keeps you on your toes. One of the quickest ways to become infuriated in games is when you not only die repeatedly but have to go through the exact same thing endlessly like your own personalized purgatory. The high number of unique enemy types also prevents the game from becoming a bore and mundane. The environments and overall visual truly bring you into the game with a great depth to the atmosphere. Remnant is definitely challenging which keeps players engaged and using their brains more versus a mindless run-through game. Even though being a lone wolf can make you look like a badass, the co-op is most certainly fun, running through a mess of baddies with a partner or two turns into a truly enjoyable experience. The upgrades, crafting, and abilities create a more grounded feel in the game and give you a more unique experience.

Cons:
During my playthrough, I encountered a lot of glitches while playing co-op. It made it difficult to progress and was highly distracting (although funny up to a point). This is most likely due to the WiFi connection strength but it is still a heavy annoyance. As mentioned before, Remnant is a very challenging game, sometimes a little too challenging. It can become overwhelming and although this could still be a pro since a challenge is a good thing, only more experienced players will be able to make it through the game without an overbearing frustration.

The Verdict:
Remnant has an untold story definitely worth a playthrough. The randomly spawned enemies are powerful and great in number with each type having specific characteristics that create unique and challenging encounters. There is a lot of depth to the game from crafting and abilities to the scenery and character designs (bad guys included) and more. For me, there were a lot of glitches for co-op and sometimes the game became too overwhelmingly frustrating that discouraged me from continuing on. Overall, this game is definitely worth a playthrough. It has a lot to give and the experience although infuriating at times, was truly worthwhile.