Remnant: From the Ashes – Swamps of Corsus DLC Review – Is it Good? Of Corsus!

Remnant: From the Ashes was probably one of my most enjoyed games in recent years. It provided an engaging gameplay loop, had interesting lore and was overall a very satisfying game to play. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Gunfire Games invited us to review the new Swamps of Corsus DLC, which ended up improving and expanding on an already great experience. 

For those who have not heard of Remnant: From the Ashes, it is a SoulsBorne inspired action-RPG that revolves around exploring dynamically generated maps for loot and discovering hidden secrets. At the same time, you battle your way through various foes and giant monstrous bosses. It takes some of the core gameplay aspects of titles such as Dark Souls and builds on it with shooter mechanics and other refreshing changes. For more information on the base game, you can check out my review of Remnant: From the Ashes.

Now, when it comes to this new DLC, Swamps of Corsus adds a fair amount of new content for its 10 dollar price tag. The DLC offers an upgraded Swamps of Corsus map that includes additional story content as well as stimulating new enemies, minibosses, and bosses. One of the bosses I encountered was a giant praying mantis type monster that shot deadly needles around the room while it slashed at me with its scythe-like arms. As always, I found the bosses to be challenging but fair, and the creature designs and mechanics were as terrifying as they were excellent.

Returning Remnant: From the Ashes players will know that new bosses mean new loot. When you kill a boss in the game, it drops one of two craftable items depending on how you slay the creature.  These items can be used to make new weapons, armor, and mods that offer unique abilities.

Swamps of Corsus still features these mechanics, and while I did not get the chance to see a lot of the new gear, one item I was able to obtain was a weapon mod that summoned a clone of my character, which drew aggro and exploded while I slipped away. I found the mod to be interesting, and it already had the gears spinning in my head on how to utilize it best. I am sure the other equipment is just as exciting, and part of the fun of Remnant: From the Ashes is discovering the stuff for yourself.   

On top of the new story and gear, the developer has placed a hefty cherry on top of this sweet sundae of content with the added Survival Mode. This was hands down my favorite addition to the game and one that I didn’t even know I wanted. Survival Mode is entirely separate from your adventure playthrough, so you don’t have to worry about overwriting your character and losing all of your hard-earned gear. After clicking on the red stone in Ward 13, I selected the Survival Mode option, which gave me a new character and dropped me in a hub with a red stone in the center and several other stones surrounding it. 

My character had zero starting equipment besides a pistol and some currency. With the currency, I had to buy my starting gear and eventually used the red stone to get started with the survival portion. What followed was me trying to keep my character alive as I made my way through random dungeons fighting enemies and bosses. Along the way, my character picked up new traits and equipment gradually getting stronger as the game progressed.

The enemies, however, also became stronger as time went by, which was indicated by a timer at the top left of the screen. Survival Mode made an already tense game have even higher stakes, which made each encounter exciting. You also get the chance to see and use gear that you may not have encountered yet in your base playthrough of the game, which makes the mode fun for seeing everything the game has to offer.

Swamps of Corsus blew me away by the amount of content that you get for the DLC’s very low price point. Survival Mode alone would be worth what you’re paying for, but the inclusion of new gear, enemies, and the story really make this DLC a must buy.

For those who have never played Remnant: From the Ashes, now is the perfect time to grab the game as Gunfire Games seems to be set on expanded this addictive and intense gaming experience.