Remnant: From the Ashes is getting its second and final DLC today: Subject 2923. MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus was able to test the new content in advance and had quite a hard time with the tricky puzzles there. But the puzzles are not the only changes.
What is Subject 2923? The second DLC brings the story of Remnant: From the Ashes to a close. You are going to uncover the origin of the Seed and try to defeat it once and for all.
In the process, you will get lost in another world: Reisum, the world of the Urikki – These are very human-like rat beings that live in Nordic-inspired huts and villages and are not always friendly towards humans.
Subject 2923 is now available as a DLC for PS4, Xbox One, and PC – available in the Epic Store or on Steam. Anyone who got Remnant for free in the last 7 days only needs the new DLC to play for €9.99. We have embedded the trailer for the DLC here for you:
Note: The article deals with content from the new DLC Subject 2923. I have tried to keep it as spoiler-free as possible, but some information and insights into details and features are still included.
Super hard puzzles? Well, at least for me …
The DLC does this really well: Let’s start right with one of my highlights. During my first steps through the new campaign, I handled things pretty clumsily and spent a good one or two hours on a puzzle.
This one is already located in the second area of the DLC, an abandoned research facility. There, you have to crack the code to a storage room. The code itself is actually completely obvious, if you know how to solve it:
Everything you need to crack it is actually already here. The only hint you get is the number 5. It cost me an estimated two hours and a lot of internet research on cryptography and mathematics to solve the puzzle.
The puzzle is not necessary for progressing in the game. Behind it lies just a (admittedly pretty cool) weapon. Still, ambition drove me to want to solve it.
The solution was actually quite easy, and I felt pretty dumb afterward. At that point, however, it became clear to me how wonderful it is that a game can make me feel so foolish and yet so delighted when I achieve my reward.
SPOILER: This is the code and how you find it
Weisskopf’s hints mean that he is using a variant of a so-called “quinary numeral system”. There are only numbers from 1 to 5. 6 would be like 11, 7 would be 12 and so on. But he starts at 11 for A, the first letter.
The solution is therefore: 24 13 51 for ICU.
However, these puzzles and extras are not the only things that captivated me about Subject 2923. The entire aesthetic, the world, and the new enemies kept me occupied for hours.
Subject 2923: Bloodborne meets Warhammer
What does the DLC look like? When the base game is compared to Dark Souls, Subject 2923 definitely hits the mark of Bloodborne. It is similarly hard, and in terms of aesthetics and environment, it strongly reminds one of the dark, English world.
It starts right away with the fact that the first areas are a dark forest, followed by a facility with patients. For anyone who enjoyed playing Bloodborne, familiar feelings will arise here.
There are also numerous enemies that seem to be inspired by Warhammer – something that I personally find very good. The Urikki resemble Skaven, some of the more grotesque enemies resemble Chaos Worshipers. One could say:
- Remnant: From the Ashes is like Dark Souls meets Fallout
- Subject 2923 is like Bloodborne meets Warhammer
The rat people appear quite surprisingly human, yet also like disgusting monsters. This creates a pleasantly uncomfortable, oppressive atmosphere – something that really fits the game’s style.
Two-headed rats, ninja rats, rat mages, and more
What features are there? The cool puzzles are actually just the smallest new feature and more of a detail than a substantial content addition. With Subject 2923, the following comes into play:
- 2 new zones
- 6-8 new quests, some of which are related to the puzzles
- 6 new bosses
- 4 new base and boss weapons each as well as 4 new mods
- 2 new armor sets
- 21 new trinkets
- and 3 new consumables
Regarding the bosses and quests, there are some really cool new creatures to discover. Some of my favorite characters were a ninja rat, a warrior riding a giant naked mole rat, and a fat two-headed rat that wants to negotiate and kill me at the same time. Here are some impressions from the test:
How long do the contents entertain? As I mentioned recently, I find it hard to stop playing Remnant. That’s why I already completed the campaign during the test, at least once on normal difficulty.
It took me exactly 8 hours, during which I discovered and solved quite a few secrets and puzzles. However, since the world is randomly generated, I probably saw only about half of the new content, maybe even a bit less.
Therefore, I estimate the playtime to be roughly 20 hours if you want to find all the new weapons, equipment, and extras. The adventure mode, which you can use to farm equipment, is particularly suitable for this . Depending on the difficulty level and skill, this can also turn into 30 hours or more.
Additionally, all new enemies are available in survival mode from the “Swamps of Corsus” DLC. So it adds some replay value as well, but it does require the first DLC.
Is the DLC Subject 2923 worth it? From my point of view, absolutely. The story concludes nicely with Subject 2923 and is particularly worthwhile if you have already completed the main game. I also strongly recommend doing so beforehand.
The new items I have found so far are really good and feel unique to play. Those who want to try out new builds and styles of play will find numerous toys here to play around with.
So far, I haven’t found any spot that would be too difficult. The difficulty suits beginners and advanced players well, and can be adjusted even more through the various difficulty levels. However, anyone who still needs some starting assistance or has just begun playing Remnant through Epic’s offer will find useful tips for getting started in Remnant: From the Ashes.
Please, more of this
Subject 2923 was a lot of fun. Especially the tricky puzzles and cool boss mechanics, as well as the relatively high replay value make it currently an extremely attractive game for me.
It is rare that especially hard tasks or opponents like these in games do not frustrate me but rather are enjoyable, even if they make me feel foolish. Remnant strikes a good balance regarding the difficulty of puzzles, bosses, and enemies.
I regret not having started earlier. On the other hand, now is probably the ideal time because I can play through the entire story from start to finish – without any waiting time.
Right now, Remnant: From the Ashes still makes many evenings enjoyable in the base game, and I look forward to fully enjoying Subject 2923 with friends or alone. It’s just a shame that this story is probably now coming to an end. I would have liked to see more of it.
Benedict Grothaus
Freelance author at MeinMMO
