I didn’t get a chance to play Remnant: From the Ashes last year so I immediately jumped at the chance to review its latest DLC. It gave me an opportunity to start from the beginning and see what the fuss is all about. I have to say, Remnant: Remnant From the Ashes doesn’t disappoint. However, its Subject 2923 DLC is somewhat of a different story. Subject 2923 is the conclusion to Remnant’s Root problem. I won’t be spoiling anything but in terms of story, Subject 2923 doesn’t hit the mark. The plot is interesting enough to keep you going but in the end, it falls flat the rest?
The biggest problem I had with Remnant: From the Ashes Subject 2923 is its clunky controls which have become somewhat of a staple for this genre. There is a big problem the ADS that jams every chance it gets. What I found interesting is that the ADS jams when it’s most convenient for the enemy.
It is a problem during normal encounters but it cranked up for some reason during boss fights. It happened so conveniently for the enemy that at one point it felt like a deliberate mechanic to make boss fights artificially challenging.
The ADS jamming isn’t the only problem, swapping weapons often fail. The controls need a lot of work and hopefully, developers will smooth things out in a future update. The biggest draw for was the amazing atmosphere that immediately pulls you in.
From the dark, gritty rural farmlands to creepy hallways of Ward Prime, every corner is designed as well as it could be. The atmosphere combined with the game’s audio design creates plenty of bone-chilling moments. The farmland especially reminded me of old school Alone in the Dark and Silent Hill games.
There is plenty of new weapons, and a killer armor set you can work towards. You will need the best gear possible because the enemy AI, on all difficulties, is relentless. Enemy AI is smart, very good at flanking, and keeping you on your toes.
Every engagement feels challenging so you won’t have many dull moments. Most challenging parts of the game are fun but there are sections that are completely frustrating to the point that it made me take a break for an hour. The problem stems from the poor technical state of Subject 2923.
I had problems with changing damage numbers, traits, and stats not having any effect, and after looking around for a bit, it seems I wasn’t the only reviewing facing these issues. The game wouldn’t even save my key-binds, a small yet annoying problem every time I went back into it.
Storywise, Subject 2923 was supposed to be this epic conclusion. While it builds things up nicely, it falls flat on its face in the end. It felt rushed and a lack of attention to detail is apparent. The script is, at the best least, good enough but nothing to write home about. I completed the final boss and credits rolled, the end! All the problems in the world just went away, the game tells you everyone is fine, we won and that’s it. But it still doesn’t feel like the conclusion.
Should You Buy It?
If you loved Remnant: From the Ashes, you won’t hate Subject 2923. For $10 it is not a bad deal and despite its problems, you will have fun with it. However, if you are a new player I suggest getting the Complete Edition. You will get both Subject 2923 and Swamps of Corsus DLCs.
