Shacknews Best Co-Op Game of 2019 - Remnant: From the Ashes

There were a lot of great co-op games to choose from in 2019, so picking one that stands above the rest was no easy task. Thankfully, Gunfire Games created something truly unique and special with Remnant: From the Ashes, and our staff had a great time not just playing it but playing it together.

Remnant: From the Ashes was one of those games that slowly snuck onto my radar post release. I wasn’t hyperaware of it before it launched, but a couple staff members who played couldn’t say enough good things, and suddenly I was buying it on Steam even though my crew had no time to play. You see, while you can play Remnant: From the Ashes solo, my full intent from the moment I knew it was co-op was to play through it with my nightly gaming crew. We don’t really crave the PvP life anymore, but we’re always ready for the next great co-op experience.

When we did get to jump in, we quickly started to rack up the hours and dive into the game even when we weren’t playing. The dungeons were unique and creepy, not to mention randomly generated to the point where one dungeon might be in my world but not my friend’s. The bosses were clever in ways that fully took advantage of the co-op play style. It’s often necessary for one of your team members to draw an enemy’s attention while the other deals damage and, if you fall, they are the ones you’ll be depending on to get you back into the fight.

It’s important to note that Remnant: From the Ashes doesn’t just have great co-op mechanics, though, and that’s partly what makes it this year’s best co-op experience. We’ve all seen great co-op games where their main selling point above everything else is that you can play with others. That’s important, but with Remnant: From the Ashes, it’s also just a good game. It looks fantastic, sounds fantastic, has an incredible depth to its combat and character customization without being overwhelming, and has clever gameplay mechanics that are tough without feeling overdone.

It’s satisfying to play a great game on your own and think back to all the fun you had. It’s better to play a great game with friends and talk about your experiences long after they're done, to chat throughout the workday and plan your next adventure. In the Shacknews Remnant: From the Ashes review, Sam stated that, “Gunfire Games has created something really special.” He’s right, Gunfire Games has created the Shacknews Best Co-Op Game of 2019.

Bill Lavoy

Managing Editor

Bill, who is also known as Rumpo, is a lifelong gamer and Toronto Maple Leafs fan. He made his mark early in his career through guide writing and a deep understanding of editorial SEO. He enjoys putting in the work to create a great content, be it a wild feature or grinding out an in-depth collectible guide. Tweet him @RumpoPlays if you have a question or comment about one of his articles.