Buy Remnant: From the Ashes

Last year's Remnant: From the Ashes was a charming surprise. An interesting take on the Soulsborne genre, it was one of the more enjoyable variations on the formula. The release of the new DLC, Swamps of Corsus, gives us a good excuse to revisit the game and adds a brand-new mode that can completely change how you play Remnant for the better.

The first part of the DLC is a new zone (the titular Swamps of Corsus) and a smattering of new bosses, enemies and weapons, which are distributed throughout the old and new areas. The new bosses and items feel like something added to flesh out existing content, rather than anything super cool or new. One big issue with experiencing them is that the semi-random nature of the game means that you may not even encounter them in a runthrough or require a lot of grinding to do so. I would say it's a great addition for a new playthrough, but it lacks the best part of Dark Souls' DLC, which is going back and experiencing new things.

The selling point of this DLC is the new Survival mode. If the mode appeals to you, it's where the bulk of the game value will be. Survival mode effectively turns the game into a true roguelike. You're left with a pistol and some money, and you must make your way through randomized dungeons in order to get better gear and better items, so you can survive as long as possible. The further you progress, the more difficult it gets, and eventually, even the most skilled players will be struggling for their virtual lives.

The plus side is that this mode is incredibly fun when everything comes together. The basic structure of Remnant: Rise from the Ashes absolutely welcomes this style of play. The game already had some minor elements of randomization, and this just amps it up. This isn't necessarily superior to the main game, but it offers an enticing alternate play style.

The downside is that the randomization can sometimes be absurdly unfair. If you get poor rolls, you can end up fighting powerful bosses with only your pistol, and that isn't going to end well for all but the most experienced players. Survival mode could use some more logic to assure that you're not facing bosses until you've had a decent amount of time to put together a theoretically capable kit. This isn't a sure thing by any means, but it happened more often in my playthroughs than I would have liked. Skilled players can push past some of these barriers, but it's never assured.

All in all, Remnant: From the Ashes - Swamps of Corsus is a solid DLC for the $9.99 cost. The new area and weapons are by the book, but the Survival mode does wonders for extending the game's replay value. If you're a fan of the game, it's a must-have for the Survival mode alone. Some patches to the logic of when/where enemies appear would do wonders, but otherwise, it's a welcome way to return to a well-made game.

Score: 8.0/10