As a huge fan of the roguelike genre and of titles from both Dotemu and Guard Crush Games, I was eagerly awaiting the chance to get my hands on Absolum, an original beat-’em-up and a new property from the minds behind Streets of Rage 4.
Absolum is a medieval fantasy roguelike beat-’em-up featuring Dotemu’s distinct, inky and bold comic book–like aesthetic, which forgoes pixels in favour of punchy, high-fidelity art. The Steam Next Fest demo for Absolum, which I was given access to, ran for about an hour—roughly equivalent to the first major zone of the game world. Although still far from complete, the narrative in Absolum already feels compelling, with the core story focused on a world where magic has been exiled following a cataclysmic event. Players face off against the oppressive rule of the Sun King Azra, hoping to restore the world to its former magical glory.
The Absolum demo features three playable characters (with the final build promising to bump that up to four), one of which must first be unlocked after encountering them a few times within the story. At the start, I was able to choose between Karl and Galandra—a feisty, fighting dwarf and a badass, sword-wielding warrior, respectively.
Galandra is an interesting take on the typical warrior or knight archetype, offering a mix of heavy attacks and quick dashes that make her an ideal starting class. She feels the most familiar to anyone used to traditional melee characters. Arcana moves—the game’s special attacks, activated using the right trigger—augment her move set with magically imbued strikes, such as a Metroid-like screw attack. If you’re a fan of The Witcher or just like women with big swords, Galandra is a sure bet.
“Absolum coalesces into the perfect blend of beat-’em-up action and roguelike complexity.”
Karl, who is currently my favourite character to play, is, in typical dwarven fashion, an explosive firecracker. He just so happens to have a fighting game–inspired move set reminiscent of Guilty Gear, making him a deadly combo and juggling machine in combat. His secondary and special skills include ranged attacks that deal area-of-effect (AOE) damage using his bayonet-style firearm. My favourite move is a volley of bullets that shower nearby enemies—an attack that’s as satisfying to pull off as it is effective.
Finally, Cider is an agile, ninja-like thief character and is seemingly the glass cannon of the group, featuring fast movement tech and a focus on traps for her secondary skills, making her well-suited for those later runs once the player becomes more accustomed to the game and has a few Soul Tree upgrades and augments.
Speaking of the Soul Tree, Absolum features a bevvy of permanent upgrades and modifiers that give invaluable boons to the player, such as added armour or increased health and Arcana bars, which not only feel rewarding but help alleviate the frustration of making it to the end of a run, only to succumb to a boss or particularly difficult encounter. Soul Tree upgrades can be earned by completing (or failing) runs, which result in the player character being reborn, which then tallies accrued radiance points, which can be used to unlock said permanent modifiers from the Soul Tree.
“Dotemu’s punchy, high-fidelity art style once again proves stunning, trading pixels for bold comic-book visuals.”
Other currencies include gold and gems, which can be used to hire the occasional NPC to fight alongside real players, as well as to buy Rituals and healing items. Rituals are non-permanent and randomly assigned augments that add interesting effects, such as extra attacks or status modifiers. These can range from leaving behind a trail of fire in your wake to using elemental moves like trapping enemies inside giant bubbles.
Multiplayer includes both couch co-op and online options, which feel essential to the experience, as the game can be quite challenging early on. Players constantly need to be mindful of their remaining HP. Having an extra pair of fists—or a sword—can make all the difference, especially when facing a tough boss or helping a fallen ally back on their feet before hitting a game over screen.
With RNG-based spawns, branching paths, and a growing list of upgrades and Arcana moves, Absolum coalesces into the perfect blend of beat-em-up action and roguelike complexity. It’s a fun and addictive 2D brawler that I can’t wait to play more of.
With even just an hour’s worth of content, Absolum is already shaping up into a fun mix of genres with the potential for a lot of replayability due to its excellent use of roguelike elements, making it a game worth keeping on your radar for fans of both beat-em-ups and roguelike titles alike. With at least another character left to be added on top of new areas to explore, Absolum seems it will have the legs to keep fans entertained when it hits consoles and PCs later this year.
