Remnant: From the Ashes tips, tricks, and cheats

Remnant: From the Ashes is the new third-person action title from Gunfire Games. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where the Root has...well, taken root, you play as a survivor who can band together with others online to fight back. The combat can be compared other difficult games but there's a twist: guns are a major focus. Rifles, hand cannons, pistols, and more are all available alongside melee weapons like salvage swords.

While quite a bit of the game is very accessible, there are still some tips and tricks that newcomers are better off knowing. So I've compiled a few of them that should be helpful for anyone looking to start out, especially if you'll be playing the game with a friend or two.

Your Trait points need to go into Vigor

As you complete quests and destroy the various forms of Root that have overrun the world, you'll gain experience points. Each time you level up (or complete a couple of specific quests) you'll gain a Trait point. You'll have a few different options open for Traits, unlocking more as you progress through the game. You can check out the full list of Traits right here. Early on, you need to be pumping points into Vigor. All the other stuff is great but none of it matters if even basic enemies can kill you in one or two hits.

It's alright if you occasionally put a point into something else like Endurance, which increases your stamina, however, the majority needs to be in your Vigor in order to buff up your survivability. Each Trait has a cap of 20, which is the level any trait can reach. So, once your Vigor hits 20, you'll naturally be able to (and should) be upgrading other stats.

Don't shoot your teammates, even in jest

Don't shoot at your teammates, as friendly fire is on for guns. It's reduced to 25 percent but if you're firing off countless shots in a heated fight, you're going to injure your companions. Coordinate your locations and try to stick to a plan - else, when a gaggle of galloping goons gangs up and tries to ghoul-grab your guys and gals, you'll end up killing them yourself while you're trying to save them. Melee weapons do not have friendly fire enabled however so, by all means, whack away!

Are you a Hot Shot? You should be

Early on, your combat options will be somewhat limited. You'll have basic starting gear that you need to make the best of. One way of doing that is by pairing the Repeater Pistol with the Hot Shot mod. The Repeater Pistol is extremely easy to obtain since you get it in the Tutorial. The Hot Shot mod can then be purchased from McCabe for 750 Scrap.

Mods charge up by landing hits with your guns, so the Repeater Pistol's extremely rapid rate of fire is well-suited to charging up quickly. Upon activation, your shots will deal fire damage, which many enemies and even some bosses are vulnerable to. When you've just begun your journey, this is easily the best damage-dealer to use.

It's a randomized game, embrace that fact

When you're just starting out, if you've played games like Dark Souls or Bloodborne, you're probably used to going back through an area with a friend and helping them grab every little thing. While you can and should help each other out, you need to understand that there's a very, very high chance your friends will have a different world from you. Enemy combinations and spawns, bosses, level layouts, and more are all generated differently, chosen from a pool of possibilities.

Don't look at helping your friends as a "oh, you've got to go here and do this" but rather, a new (if sometimes similar) journey together. Maybe you'll encounter the same boss and that's great! If not it's okay, learn the patterns of the new one together.

Loot for one, loot for all

A great feature in Remnant: From the Ashes' co-op is that almost anything picked up is picked up by all players. So as long as you're playing together, you don't need to worry about making sure everyone hits the exact same locations in each building. Did one of you pick up that Scrap? Awesome, you'll all get it. Find a snazzy new weapon? Congrats, you all get to enjoy it.

Related: How to get Remnant: From the Ashes 'Tarnished Ring' and what it does

If you can adapt to this system, it means you can efficiently speed through areas, exploring different rooms at the same time to maximize your productivity. Don't go too far from each other though, as this can be a challenging game and if one of you falls into an ambush, the others need to be there to help.

Xbox

Main

Samuel Tolbert
Freelance Writer

Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter @SamuelTolbert.