Abyssus

Abyssus delivers fast-paced roguelite FPS action with satisfying progression, stylish brinepunk visuals, and excellent co-op gameplay, making it an exciting experience despite some repetitive elements and a solo mode that feels less rewarding.

Abyssus arrives on consoles as a competent roguelite, bolstered by a "brinepunk" setting that manages to stand out in an increasingly crowded genre. However, recurring connection issues render the multiplayer experience virtually inaccessible, undermining much of what the game has to offer. Playing solo is possible, but it is far from the ideal way to enjoy everything Abyssus has to offer.

Every aspect you would expect from a roguelite game is present in Abyssus, fueled by a frenetic and fast-paced first person shooter. Despite the countless RNG possibilities, prepare yourself to embrace a few hours of frustrated runs until you finally adapt to the challenges at hand.

Abyssus takes a fairly straightforward concept and manages to do a lot with it. There’s never a dull moment, and even if certain challenges can get a little frustrating — every run presents a couple of objective-based rooms, and they’re never as fun as just killing guys — I never got tired of the experience as a whole. If anything, one of the most positive things I can say about the game is that even after writing this review, I plan on going back for even more expeditions just for the hell of it. It’s got its blemishes for sure, but it’s an undeniably great time if you’re in the mood to wreak havoc in dimly lit rooms.

Abyssus is a solid cooperative roguelike FPS: imperfect and repetitive at times, but still entertaining and leaving you wanting to return to its depths. It’s not a must-have title, but it has the right qualities to grow and, with post-launch support, become a potentially more and more compelling experience.

All told, Abyssus doesn't really do anything terribly new with its cooperative roguelite, FPS formula and is certainly let down by a lack of imagination in regards to its various locales. That said, the technical presentation is solid, the brinepunk setting still feels fresh, combat is fast-paced and enjoyable, the progression systems are finely tuned to the point that you always want to go back to improve your Brinehunter more and the whole affair becomes much more fun with friends. Throw in its relative budget price point (£19.99/$24.99) and Abyssus quickly presents itself as a compelling way to see through this summer and beyond.

When everything clicks it becomes extraordinarily difficult to put down

Roguelites can feel punishing for the sake of it at times, but Abyssus seems content to give us a good pasting while also offering a hand out to pick us back up and shove back into the fray for another go immediately. Simple, good fun and very moreish in every regard.

Abyssus ticks off every box that I want out of a cooperative FPS roguelite. It excels at none, though; once the aiming is fixed on consoles, it doesn't fail at any either.

Abyssus is a stylish and mechanically polished roguelite shooter with a fantastic “brinepunk” (if that term is even a thing) identity and an incredibly satisfying shooting experience. It shines brightest in its chaotic co-op moments, which are the highlight of the entire experience. However, it’s held back by a few rusty screws: brutally high and poorly balanced difficulty in co-op, occasionally repetitive level design that gets tiresome over time, and a slow progression system. It’s a very good game that’s just missing that final layer of polish and balance to make it great and allow it to boldly stand up to the titans of the genre. However, it’s still being updated, and my complaints may disappear over time.