Remnant: From The Ashes is still one of the most unique Dark Souls-like games to this day. It has a focus on guns rather than swords and shields, the narrative is based around traveling between different dimensions, and the multiplayer is much more approachable than the Soulsborne titles.
And, if more people knew just how exactly the multiplayer worked in the game, it would likely be more popular than it already is. So, to help those people out, and all those who are checking out the game thanks to the Next-Gen upgrade, here’s everything to know about the multiplayer before hopping into Remnant.
It’s Drop-In & Drop-Out Multiplayer
First and foremost, it’s hop-in hop-out multiplayer. What this means is that players can either use the lobby system to find and join their friend's lobby at any time, or they can simply join them through their friend's list. And, with the title now on Game Pass, there are a lot more people playing. There’s no having to start up the game, load into the world, and place down a summon sign or anything like that. This makes it incredibly easy to hop in and join a friend if they’re playing, something that the Souls series always struggled with.
Picked Up Items Apply To All Players
This is likely one of the most appealing parts of Remnant’s multiplayer, and it’s the fact that everything picked up is also given to those currently connected to the lobby. So, if a player finds and picks up the Beam Rifle, every player will also get their own Beam Rifle or an equivalent amount of Scrap if they already had the weapon. This mechanic makes grinding the game out with friends so much more enjoyable.
Dodge Timing Can Be A Bit Off In General
Gunfire Games did a pretty stellar job creating this game, but it isn't perfect. Sometimes connections can be pretty wonky since the game is peer-to-peer, but not many players have had a lot of “rubber-banding” experiences overall. When the connection between players isn’t perfect, the main thing impacted is the dodge timing, which can be deadly in a game like this. In-game, this will appear as if an attack the player dodged still managed to hit them, even though they know they got the timing right. It can be a real pain during boss fights, but thankfully the ability to pick up teammates, tank damage, and heal makes this issue a lot more bearable than expected.
Friendly-Fire Does Exist
To some people, having friendly-fire in Remnant will actually add a lot of fun to the experience, because after all, who doesn’t like messing with their friends? But, to others, it’ll be a constant thorn in their side. Either way, it’s not like the friendly fire is gratuitous or anything, but it does do enough damage that players can absolutely down each other if they aren’t paying enough attention.
Luckily, there’s a way to unlock a Trait that lowers the amount of friendly fire damage taken, so at least there are options.
There Are No Level Requirements
In some of the Souls games, particularly Dark Souls II, players could only be matched up with players of a similar level of progression. Players would have to stop themselves from progressing on their own so they wouldn’t limit the number of friends they can play with in case they're a bit behind. Remnant isn’t like that. Quite literally, anyone can join a lobby and play together. It doesn’t matter if they’re on their fifteenth run of the campaign compared to a first-timer, as long as the lobby is public, it’ll work.
Every Mode Has Multiplayer
There are a couple of different modes in Remnant. One is the Campaign, of course, meant to tell the narrative from beginning to end. Then there’s Adventure Mode, where players can re-experience and re-roll specific realms as much as they want without losing story progress. The third is Survival Mode, which was added in the Swamps of Corsus DLC. This is a roguelike sort of mode, where players run through different realms as fast as possible, buying new randomized gear at the start of each new level. Frankly, this mode is part of why the SoC DLC is one of the best around. Then, technically, there's Hardcore Mode, but this is more of a difficulty setting than a separate mode. And, luckily, players are able to experience the game with their friends no matter which mode they want to play!
There Is An Indirect Way To Trade Items
The concept of trading items between players is something thats commonly discussed for these types of games. For example, if some random person joins them and drops a massively overpowered late-game weapon, that can ruin someone's experience. But, on the other hand, it can be used as a way to make the co-op experience with friends better, allowing friends to trade items and try new builds. In Remnant, there’s no direct “trading” or “drop” feature, but there is an indirect method. Ace runs the material shop in Ward 13, but she’s also the merchant players can sell excess items for Scrap. And, whatever is sold to her, she’ll re-sell (for a higher price). So, a player can sell the item they want to give to their friend to Ace, and all their friend has to do is re-purchase that item from her.
Tons Of Items & Weapon Mods Are Tailored For Multiplayer
Now, the multiplayer in Remnant isn’t like the multiplayer in some other games where the co-op partner feels like a “clone” of the player character. No, in this game, the player brings their own create-a-character into someone else's “world”. And, more than that, Gunfire Games actually have a lot of gear in the game thats specifically tailored for Multiplayer.
Any Weapon Mod that projects an Aura, any of the area of effect consumables, any of the Teamwork Trait weapons and armor, it all is meant to be used primarily in a multiplayer environment. And the best part is, these types of gear/mechanics don’t take away from the single-player experience of Remnant at all.
It’s A Great Way To See All The Map Variants & Explore Large Areas
If there’s one thing that everyone can agree on about Remnant: From The Ashes, it’s that the game is incredibly diverse with its landscapes. One Realm is a post-apocalypse version of Earth, Rhom is a gigantic nuclear wasteland of a desert, then Corsus which a swamp overrun by mutant-bugs, next is a bioluminescent wonderland of trees called Yaesha, and the last one, Reisum, is filled with rats like Warhammer Vermintide, but in a "winter wonderland" landscape. The game has a lot to explore, a ton of variants, and plenty of hidden items or events. And, that’s where multiplayer comes in to help. Because players share whatever items are picked up, it’s almost a given to split up in large areas, making it incredibly easy to 100% clear these areas in about half the time.
You Can’t Go Too Far Apart
Lastly, while there are a ton of different gigantic maps to explore with friends in Remnant, that doesn’t mean the game is one entirely cohesive and connected open-world. Conceptually it is, but in practice there are maps, and in each map, there is an entrance and one or more exits. Each exit leads to a new map, which either has a dead-end or leads to another exit. This is especially true for Reisum, the Realm added in the Subject 2923 DLC. Clearing all these maps will eventually have players stumbling across the boss and going to the next Realm. But, players can’t split up between maps. Once a player interacts with any of these “exits”, a countdown starts, and once it hits zero, the whole party is moved to the next map. Doesn’t change the overall experience all too much, but it is something people should know going into the game.