Ocean-dwelling offspring apparently combines the elements of Deep Rock Galactic and Dead Cells, according to Abyssus.
In the vast expanse of the gaming world, a new contender has emerged, ready to challenge the status quo. Abyssus, a sci-fi roguelike FPS game, is making waves with its distinctive underwater "Brinepunk" setting, deep weapon customization, and a unique blend of fast-paced combat with strategic meta-progression.
Aquatic Atmosphere and Brinepunk Twist
Abyssus takes players on a journey to the ruins of an ancient underwater civilization, creating a distinct atmosphere reminiscent of BioShock but with a "Brinepunk" twist. This aquatic environment is a fresh visual and narrative experience, setting it apart from other roguelikes and FPS games.
Weapon Customization
The game features 8 base weapons, each with 6 different modifications, leading to 48 weapon mod combinations overall. This provides a high level of customization and variety in play styles. Players can collect upgrades, alternate fire modes, and cosmetic changes to gear, enhancing the personalization of loadouts per run.
Blessings and Charms System
Abyssus includes about 150 blessings and 40 equippable charms that modify player abilities and damage, many tied to elemental themes such as fire, lightning, frost, and spirit. These blessings dynamically affect gameplay by altering weapon effects, adding strategic depth beyond typical FPS mechanics.
Challenging Combat and Movement
Combat in Abyssus relies heavily on fast movement, dodging, and targeting enemy weak points for critical hits. The game emphasizes learning enemy patterns and positioning, with mechanics such as double jumps and dashing supporting fluid maneuvering. The difficulty ramps up with progression, especially notable in tough boss fights that require mastery over time.
Co-op Gameplay and Meta-progression
Abyssus supports up to 4-player cooperative play, altering difficulty and encouraging team strategies. Its meta-progression uses a "Wheel of Souls" to exchange collected Soul Fragments for permanent upgrades, making each run more impactful and rewarding in the long term. This meta layer enhances replayability and progression outside individual runs.
Unique Features Compared to Other Games
While Abyssus shares elements with games like Dead Cells, Deep Rock Galactic, and Risk of Rain, it stands out by combining fast-paced, precise FPS combat in a unique underwater setting with deep weapon and ability customization, supportive cooperative multiplayer, and a distinct meta-upgrade system.
In contrast, Dead Cells is a 2D roguelike metroidvania focused on melee and platforming combat in procedurally generated levels. Deep Rock Galactic is a cooperative FPS but centres on space dwarves mining in destructible cave systems, emphasizing teamwork and mission variety rather than fast-paced dodging and heavy customization. Risk of Rain mixes 2D platforming with roguelike shooter mechanics and scaling difficulty, but its aesthetic and gameplay mechanics are quite different, focusing more on item stacking and scaling waves of enemies.
Gameplay Mechanics
The Soul Wheel in Abyssus grants long-term power-ups to the character, such as an extra Syringe. Players can find eight glowing green orbs called Surge Fissures in the game, which unlock a new piece for the player's outfit. There is no way to heal in Abyssus without the syringe item, and players can earn more syringes by finding keys and purchasing them from a creepy-looking skeleton merchant.
Abyssus features Blessing Altars, which provide temporary, run-specific buffs. The Engine Rifle's secondary fire mode unleashes a rapid-fire stream of lead but overheats quickly. The boss in the fourth floor of the Depths is challenging and seems designed for group play. The Engine Rifle, a combination of a steampunk machine gun and a diving bell, is the starting weapon in Abyssus.
However, the levels in Abyssus are repetitive and not visually distinct enough from each other. The game does not hold the player's hand and leaves many mechanics unexplained. Despite these minor drawbacks, Abyssus offers a unique and engaging experience that fans of Dead Cells should not miss.
In the realm of gaming, Abyssus combines technology and entertainment by providing players with cutting-edge gadgets, such as an array of weapons with intricate customization options, as well as immersive underwater settings that redefine the boundaries of science fiction and versus shooter games. The unique features of Abyssus, including the Brinepunk aesthetics, deep weapon modification, and innovative meta-progression system, elevate it among its competitors, offering an unprecedented gaming experience for enthusiasts of gadgets and technology in the entertainment industry.
