Last year, I was fortunate to review Abyssus at launch, and while I fell in love with its art style and atmosphere, I remember that the whole loop, especially in terms of progression and co-op balance, felt a bit uneven. Fortunately, DoubleMoose Games and The Arcade Crew have made a lot of strides to make this brinepunk roguelike shine again, and with its update 1.3, I think Abyssus feels like the best it’s ever been. With a new area, bosses, enemies, and boons to pursue, roguelike fans are about to have a field day.
Into New Depths
Despite having some issues at launch, I admit that I came back for several runs in Abyssus, as it is one of the most unique titles in the genre with a fantastic art style and chaotic FPS fun that gets better with other players. Still, I always felt as if you’d discover everything quickly after a couple of runs, which is why I’m so glad the 1.3 update is here.
Many already know about. We have a brand-new area called The Submarine, as well as several new enemies and even Blessings from the Brine God itself. As soon as you step into this new biome, you’ll notice just how challenging it is, as there’s a new breed of enemy throwing Brine attacks at you, which is, well, quite fitting.
For me, enemy variety has always been a strength of Abyssus, and update 1.3 didn’t disappoint. At first, you begin facing a few long-range foes, but everything scales up quickly to bring floating enemies shooting at you, colossal creatures rushing toward you, and a few other surprises that I won’t spoil because you should all have the same heart attack as the one I had when I saw them. In all seriousness, though, the studio has yet again provided enough variety to keep that chaotic FPS experience untouched, or rather, make it feel enhanced.
Naturally, for me, the highlights were the elite and boss encounters. Now, some of you might have seen one already in the trailers, but there are still some things that will test your skills and build, and will make you wonder if you grabbed the right weapons and Blessings for the job. Speaking of which, the Brine God is offering boons now, and I liked the whole gameplay aspect of it. You basically get vials that fill up depending on the damage, and you can then trigger by pressing your melee kit. I found these vials particularly useful against hordes of enemies, as they did splash damage with some DoT effects. Also, update 1.3 added even more Blessings to previous Gods, so there are even more build options out there now.
Progression has also been improved. The whole skill tree has been revamped, and while I didn’t like its initial release, this one actually had me planning carefully each upgrade I would take. Everything felt much more impactful and useful in the long run, which is one of the things the game was missing at launch.
May the Brine Be With You
Overall, I’m happy with the state of Abyssus now, thanks to the long-awaited 1.3 update. After feeling as if the game was lacking in some areas, this patch makes it shine as it has fixed many of the issues I had with it at first. Furthermore, it is pushing what it can do with this engaging formula, especially with the new area that adds so many challenges and mind-blowing encounters that actually eclipse some of my former favorite bosses in the game. In the end, this is the perfect time to jump back into Abyssus, especially if you’ve benched your Brinehunter for a while. And if you’re a new player, Abyssus feels like a complete experience, and it’s in the best state it has ever been.
