“Dark Souls with guns”. This is how most people I know have initially described Remnant: From the Ashes, originally released in 2019 to some surprisingly positive reception. It wasn’t exactly the kind of game that would end up winning awards, but everyone I know who has played it really enjoyed it. It was the perfect example of a AA game filling a specific niche with honors. One thing everyone praised about it, besides the fact it was a soulslike with an emphasis on guns, was its fun online co-op multiplayer. Nearly four years later, the heavily online-favoring game is now available on the Switch, a console not particularly known for good netcodes or online infrastructure.

I really like covering these absolutely unnecessary Switch ports for the sheer novelty of their existence. I want to clarify that Remnant: From the Ashes is indeed a very good game, and in the realm of games that suffered a lot of setbacks in order to run on some outdated mobile hardware, this is actually quite impressive. But it doesn’t mean this game is a good fit for the Switch.

First of all, the positives: it runs surprisingly well. Sure, since this is the Switch we are talking about, the “surprisingly well” in question means a stable 30fps, but I’ll take it over more inconsistent ports available on the system. Granted, there were some visual setbacks, namely in the lighting effects and dull character models, but the textural work, often considered the bane of a Switch game’s existence, is actually pretty decent. On the other hand, they take a while to load, especially during cutscenes, giving the game a borderline surreal feeling.

So in theory, Remnant: From the Ashes is actually a pretty good Switch port. The core gameplay loop remains intact, being a third-person shooter with Soulslike elements, blessed by some beefy and punchy combat. Most of its issues are things inherited from the base game. The lethargic movement, for instance, is not only featured on this port. The same can be said about the dull story and forgettable music. The problem lies elsewhere… in its co-op aspect.

Let’s not mince words: what will make or break this particular version of Remnant: From the Ashes will be the amount of players populating its online lobbies. This is a co-op game through and through, but while there is an option for local co-op, I didn’t find it ideal. Likewise, lobbies aren’t very full on the Nintendo Switch at the moment. Quite obvious, considering that the game has already sold more than a million copies on other platforms. People have already played the original to death and are waiting for the sequel, so this will be mostly enjoyed solo, which is fine, don’t get me wrong, but not ideal.

Maybe this particular version of Remnant: From the Ashes arrived a few years too late, since our attention has been completely shifted towards its upcoming sequel, but as far as Switch ports go, this one is not bad. Sure, compromises are apparent, namely in the visual department and some egregious loading times, but I had a good time with it. Or better yet, I had as much fun with this particular port as I could on my own. This is still a co-op game at heart, so we can only hope more people buy it in order to populate its lobbies. As of now, however, I can’t say this is a must-own.

 

Graphics: 7.0 The original versions of Remnant: From the Ashes weren’t particularly amazing to look at, but the Switch port somewhat managed to retain a decent amount of graphical fidelity. With that being said, lighting effects are somewhat dull, and character models are simplistic.	Gameplay: 7.0 It runs surprisingly well, considering the hardware. Shooting is really fun, but your character’s overall movement is clunky and lethargic.
Sound: 7.0 Somewhat decent voice acting, forgettable music, average sound effects. It gets the job done.	Fun Factor: 7.0 Despite featuring a solid gameplay loop, the big emphasis on co-op hinders this particular port, which isn’t populated enough to guarantee matchmaking.
Final Verdict: 7.0

Remnant: From the Ashes is available now on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch.

A copy of Remnant: From the Ashes was provided by the publisher.