Game Review: ‘Abyssus’ is an Unforgettable Brinepunk Roguelike
Abyssus is a multiplayer roguelite arena shooter developed by DoubleMoose Games and published by The Arcade Crew. While it can be played solo, the game encourages teaming up with friends or other random players. This game will challenge players to their best ability to work together in search of treasure and glory.
The only way to play Abyssus at the time of writing this review is on PC through the Steam storefront and platform. The game supports mouse and keyboard play in addition to some controller support, although my experience with using a controller was mixed at best when it comes to aiming, so be aware of this when attempting to use a controller.
Abyssus: a Brinepunk Roguelite
The developers of Abyssus describe the game as being “Brinepunk,” a genre that takes its name from being similar to Steampunk. While Steampunk and Brinepunk share some similarities, Brinepunk is a more surreal aesthetic involving stormy seas, anchors, and the supernatural while also feeling safe and comforting at the same time.
Like most roguelites, Abyssus will take you through a random assortment of room layouts, objectives such as activating beacons, destroying targets, or having the goal of defeating all of the enemies in a room. While this game is indeed incredibly fast-paced, the main goal is to get to the lowest depths possible, where each act is broken down into rooms, shops, and finally a boss on the fourth act.
When you first load up Abyssus, you will be placed in a tutorial level that goes over the basics of the game, and after a brief introduction to the controls and abilities, you’ll have to face enemies in a series of rooms. The tutorial sequence isn’t revolutionary, but it’s a good primer for those who’ve never played a game like this.
Fun and engaging gameplay
Like other games in the roguelite shooter genre, Abyssus will have you select a loadout of one weapon and a special ability. Most weapons have a primary fire and a secondary firing mode, with each of the modes having their own unique powers and upgrades. I found every weapon that I unlocked and used to feel unique yet satisfying, each with their own powers, and if any two weapons had similarities, they must be subtle because I couldn’t tell.
Throughout your journey into the depths, you will periodically come upon upgrade alters that will allow you to apply different elements and special powers to your firing mode of choice. You can have one element applied to your primary firing mode, and if your weapon allows it, you can set a completely different element to the secondary firing mode.
In addition to being able to apply powers to your main weapon, you can do the same thing with your special ability. Included in Abyssus, there are many different types of attributes you can modify your weapon with. Some of these attributes include spirit energy, freeze, and bleed. During one of my expeditions, I had a fire element on my primary fire, a bleed power attached to my secondary, and my ability set to shoot lightning. There are so many combinations of powers you can apply, plus you will come to other altars that can continue to upgrade the powers, add to them, or even change the way they work.
There are also altars where you can gamble your earned gold or even sacrifice your health for a chance at gaining an advantage on life in the game. I found myself constantly spending both gold and life multiple times per each run because there is always going to be a chance of getting a good reward for the risks you take.
Single Player vs. Multiplayer
Abyssus can be played either solo, or it can be played online by becoming a team effort with the multiplayer option. Personally, I have more fun playing this game with three other people, whether they be friends or random players online. The online multiplayer option, which can be accessed via the server browser, has so far been a fun and welcoming experience with other players. My first worry when joining a multiplayer game with random individuals is that I am bracing to see toxic behavior in the text chat, and even worse if the game has a voice chat option, which thankfully Abyssus does not.
While this game’s online features have been seamless and easy to use, I unfortunately ran into some issues where a game would start with three other people, making it a four-person outing. During my first foray into the online co-op, I had two random users join me, where they proceeded to show me the ropes of the game. As I progressed through the game, I was introduced to secret areas and weapons, and while I didn’t discover everything on my first run, the game immediately had its hooks into me.
Unfortunately, Abyssus isn’t without some minor technical issues, at least from what I have experienced so far. The only issue I ran into was when a multiplayer game was going and we were deep into the fray of things, and out of nowhere, the game would seemingly freeze and kick everyone out and back into the starting hub, causing all players to start the run all over again.
When getting kicked out of a game, it kills all the momentum and energy we had. If we were especially far into a run, I would lose interest to continue and shut the game down only for me to come crawling back for more fun, usually within five to ten minutes later.
The grimy world design
For all of the intense action that Abyssus has, the standout aspect of this game is the way it looks with its presentation when it comes to the artistic vision that DoubleMoose Games set forth. The game is packed with unique flavor for each of the different levels of depth you’ll encounter on your expeditions.
Once you engage the diving bell at the beginning of your mission, you’ll come across greens inspired by sea algae. As you move forward in your mission, you’ll start seeing vibrant vegetation and beautifully constructed spires, which made me realize that there is a hidden society the deeper you get into the planet’s oceans. Continuing your journey, you’ll eventually see deep purples and a desolate area covered in bleached white stone.
As I played Abyssus, I realized more and more how carefully crafted the game was in terms of design. My biggest concern is that players might be too engaged with combat or trying to progress through the levels as fast as possible, making it harder to appreciate the whole package.
A game like this isn’t just about the combat, the damage you do, or how quickly you can get through a boss fight because it should be about taking it all in. I’m not saying you can’t appreciate a game if you try to speedrun through it, I just feel like the game becomes better for everyone if you take notice of the surroundings.
The aesthetic of Abyssus isn’t just about graphical detail; it also includes the sound design of each weapon and enemy. The use of synths and drums comes with a dark tone that can both give the players a sense of dread while at the same time getting their adrenaline pumping. After each encounter there is a serene moment allowing players to breathe a bit after the tense action. The most memorable part of the score was the areas right before a boss fight because it starts off soft right before the intense music of facing those bosses.
Final thoughts on Abyssus, currently available on Steam
What initially drew my attention was the fact that this game was a co-op roguelite shooter with a cool look and feel, but what kept it was that this game is a blast to play either alone or with close ones. Abyssus is wildly addicting, and my biggest hope is that more people will discover this game and get sucked into it as much as I did. Even when playing with random people, so far I have had nothing but helpful and polite players join me or allow me to join them.
Is this an easy game? Absolutely not. Will you need to work hard and find all the secrets to unlock weapons? Definitely. If you are craving a highly engaging game with a fun community of other players, then you should check out Abyssus.
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