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Despite previewing Absolum twice and finally playing the whole game, I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around the concept of a roguelike and a beat ’em up, and I mean that in the most positive way possible. I was never expecting to see a game that combined the Dotemu side-scrolling fighting trademark with an excellent roguelike loop that rivals some of the best in the market. In truth, these two genres shouldn’t work together that well, but Absolum mixes them faultlessly, showing that bold combinations are what the gaming industry needs right now.
The Outcasts of Talamh
While the bread and butter of Absolum is its gameplay, the truth is that its story, even if a bit cryptic at times, is quite remarkable thanks to its deep worldbuilding and plot twists.
Absolum takes place in the land of Talamh, where magic caused a cataclysm. Because of this, the inhabitants don’t trust wizards or magic for that matter, and the evil Sun King swoops in to capture them all and ban all wizardry from the place. That’s where your outcasts, Galandra, Karl, Cider, and Brome, come in. They are in charge of leading the rebellion, as they travel through different zones to reach the Sun King and end his reign once and for all.
At a glance, Absolum appears to have a straightforward fantasy story with many of the genre’s tropes, such as wizards battling an evil empire. In many ways, it reminded me of The Owl House and Amphibia. However, the narrative goes much deeper than that, and it is enhanced thanks to the worldbuilding you discover by talking to many of the land’s characters, those in your hub, and after finishing any of your runs. Truth be told, my jaw dropped at many moments of the story because I was not expecting some major plot twists, which I won’t spoil, of course. Yet, those who are used to playing a roguelike first for the gameplay and then for the story should pay attention to both.
My only minor complaint is that, despite the many runs I went through, I feel that not every character had time to develop as the story progressed. Don’t get me wrong, the worldbuilding and lore enhance everything about Talahm and the people you meet in its lands, but more character-centric stories or quests would have improved the experience even further. Yes, there is banter between the outcasts, and you can definetely get to know more about their background when you go through runs with them, but sometimes the world feels more like the protagonist than those who live in it. There’s nothing bad with it, but there’s a lot of potential in the characters that I would love to see exploited if we ever return to these magic lands in the future.
Beat ‘Em With Magic
Absolum offers two gameplay fronts: your usual roguelike loop that lets you see how far you go on your run and unlock permanent upgrades to make the next journey easier, and the fighting part, which combines all the years of beat ’em up experience Dotemu and Guard Crush have under their sleeves. I’ll talk about the latter first.
There are four characters you can pick, two at first, and two you can unlock by progressing through the story and meeting certain conditions. Each one is unique in terms of moves, skills, unlockable abilities, and play style. I tried all four, but Galandra and Cider were my mains, with the latter becoming my favorite, as she had the fastest moveset of them all.
Cider, for instance, focuses on quick aerial attacks and an extendable arm that allows her to approach enemies, kick them in the face, or even grab them to slam them to the ground. Galandra, whom I also used during a big chunk of my playthrough, had slower moves but hit harder with her sword, which allowed her to hit multiple enemies at once with ease.
Each character has different upgrades that you can purchase in the hub and then find during your run. Take Cider’s grab skill, for example. When she grabs an enemy normally, she can smack them in the face a couple of times or do a wrestling-like move to smash them on the ground. However, one upgrade allows her to do an Izuna drop of sorts. The same applies to each character you can use, and this is a terrific approach that makes combat feel fresh regardless of how many times you use a character.
When facing a foe, there are different ways to beat them, but also to defend yourself against them. If you time your dodge with an enemy’s move, you can cause a Clash, which negates the damage and lets you counter with a Punish move. However, if you use your Special Skill when the enemy attacks, you can trigger a Deflect, which also mitigates all damage but also stuns the enemy, regardless of how strong it is.
Absolum has a very high skill ceiling that is still quite approachable for newcomers. There are even assist options that let you modify how much damage to deal and receive, which can make the game much easier if all you care about is the story. However, I discovered that leaving the game in its normal mode was the most rewarding experience, as nothing is as satisfying as perfectly dodging all the blows the enemies throw at you and then answering back with a punishing blow that sends all foes flying to the other side of the arena.
I’m not the beat ’em up expert, but I’ve dabbled in a few of them, especially those that come from Dotemu and Guard Crush Games, and Absolum stands above many of their titles because of how smooth the combat is. It even surpasses Streets of Rage 4 in many ways, and that’s something I didn’t think would be possible.
Ever-changing Paths
When you begin a run, you start inside your hub, which at first has nothing in it. You only have the characters you’ve unlocked, a few NPCs to talk to who may give you quests, depending on how far you’ve gone in your journeys, a training area, and a basement that lets you equip trinkets at the cost of crystals, which is the currency you’ll use to unlock permanent upgrades.
Once you’ve talked to everyone, picked up a few missions, and tested some of your skills, which I encourage you to do, as many of the defensive abilities are explained in the training area, and you can head to the exit to start a run. Here, you’ll get to pick an Arcana, which is an ability that you can cast with enough mana. In Galandra’s case, most involve sword attacks, such as a shockwave, an uppercut-like move, and even a counterattack. Cider’s Arcana skills had explosive mines, mannequins that taunt enemies, and even a chakram of sorts. When picking one, you’ll notice that at least one of these skills will be shining, meaning that if you select it, you’ll earn more currency at the end of your run.
The gameplay loop of Absolum will always take you to the same land masses, but each one will have different stages each time. Take the first zone, for instance. It starts with three paths that branch to even more paths, yet every run will be different because every area changes each time you enter. You might encounter mounted enemies in an area that previously had a mix of flying foes and a few goblins.
Another way Absolum keeps things fresh is by offering you the freedom of choice about which boss you’d like to face. All areas have one big baddie you need to take down, but to reach it, you need to face one or two boss encounters, and the game shows those bosses on the map, so you can pick who to fight. If you want to face the same big goblin every time, go ahead. Do you want to beat the captain repeatedly? That’s fine, too.
As with any other roguelike, each encounter has its own rewards, whether it is the end of a room or a boss fight. For the former, every room will give you either currency to purchase things at some vendors, crystals to use back at your base, or a new Ritual, which are passive abilities that enhance your active skills. At first, you’ll only have a couple of Rituals, with more becoming available as you progress through the game. There are way more than the ones you saw in the demo, by the way, and a few other secrets you can find, but I won’t spoil that.
In any case, these Rituals tend to change your playstyle and significantly affect your run. For example, the Earth Ritual focuses on spawning throwing daggers or a turret that fires spikes. I often went with it as it synergized better with Cider, but each element has its own gimmick, such as Water that traps enemies in bubbles, Fire that burns enemies with each hit, or Wind that builds up a tornado that launches enemies in the air.
While sticking to one element is excellent, the system shines when you do some wacky combinations, and it gets even better when you unlock new Rituals back at your base that combine two elements in one Ritual, making it even more powerful and chaotic.
The Rise of the Rogue ‘Em Up Genre
Overall, Absolum is an excellent experience for those who are fans of beat ’em ups and roguelikes alike. While it is undoubtedly challenging and punishing at times, it also offers several options to tailor all runs to everyone’s preferences, allowing players to enjoy it in their own way. Furthermore, it features an excellent co-op mode, a gorgeous art style, and a stellar soundtrack, which are superb additions to an already outstanding game.
In the end, if you’re a fan of roguelikes and beat ’em ups, you’ll find a new home here. Dotemu has brought the best of two genres to create the first rogue ’em up, and also one of the most unforgettable gaming experiences of the year. I only hope that the universe of Absolum returns because it is brimming with potential, originality, and one of the most solid gameplay loops of recent memory.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Absolum (PC Reviewed)
Absolum combines two iconic genres to create the first rogue 'em up, which ends up being one of the most addictive and unique gaming experiences of the year.
Pros
- Excellent mix of roguelike and beat 'em up systems
- Superb art style
- Top-notch worldbuilding
Cons
- Some characters didn't have time to develop in the narrative
