It might be easy to dismiss Gunfire Games’ Remnant from the Ashes as simply "Dark Souls with guns," but there is a lot more to the game than players might realize. The studio behind Darksiders 3 has found a way to take the formula of a Dark Souls game but spin it with unique lore and third-person shooter mechanics.

Still, there are some familiar elements that Dark Souls veterans will recognize and that function much in the same way as in FromSoftware’s series.

Chief among those items and mechanics is the Dragon Heart, which is Remnant: From the Ashes’ version of the Estus Flask. Players get a set amount of uses of the Dragon Heart and consuming it will replenish their HP. But unlike a basic healing consumable, the Dragon Heart recharges its uses any time that a player visits a checkpoint in the game.

What is the Dragon Heart?

At the beginning of Remnant, players will have 3 uses of the Dragon Heart available to them between checkpoints. The item can be used to replenish a significant portion of their health (a Trait can increase the health regeneration) or it can be used to revive a downed teammate.

Luckily, players aren’t limited to 3 uses throughout the game; Remnant: From the Ashes lets players upgrade the Dragon Heart for more uses. But getting to a point where they can upgrade the Dragon Heart will take some time.

Step 1: Find the Root Mother

The first step to unlocking the Dragon Heart upgrade is visiting the Root Mother who is in the church on Earth. Talk to her and she will ask the player to protect her for 2 minutes while an onslaught of The Root advance on the church. Once the 2 minutes is complete, The Root Mother will wipe the remaining enemies, talk with the player, and then travel to Ward 13.

root mother fight in remnant

Once Root Mother is in Ward 13, she turns into a vendor for the HUB area. She will offer the player upgrades of the Dragon Heart in exchange for Lumenite Crystals (10) and Simulacrum (1).

Step 2: Find Simulacrum

Unfortunately, developer Gunfire Games has designed Simulacrum to be a very rare resource and there is a limit on how many players will find throughout their playthrough. There is only one Simulacrum for each of the game’s 4 worlds and it appears randomly while exploring.

Players will know that they have found a Simulacrum because it appears as a floating item over a dead body. Getting close to it will notify the player that it is Simulacrum and they can pick it up as they would any other item.

Unlike, the Estus Shards that are static in Dark Souls, there is no rhyme or reason as to when the Simulacrum will appear or where, but players will only see 1 in each of those 4 worlds. So once they have found the Simulacrum for Earth, for example, they won’t find another until they venture out into a new world.

simulacrum in remnant from the ashes

Similarly, there is no way to predict where the Simulacrum will appear. Make sure to explore every area available and keep an eye out for the corpses with the glowing light item above them.

With the Simulacrum and enough Lumenite Crystals, Remnant: From the Ashes players can then upgrade their Dragon Heart with another “charge.” Now they will be able to use it 4 times to heal their HP or to revive a teammate.

Remnant: From the Ashes is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.