In an act of going for a triple P scenario, Phantom Abyss has today released the patch notes for its Power Update, so here’s the full list of changes and fixes with this patch. Unlike most patches for games, a lot of the changes made in today’s update change how the core systems work and fundamentally modify the game. This is many due to the new Power system, which offers power chunks that can be earned through the end of each floor. These power chunks can be put towards certain abilities you use during the run, such as a double jump and things of the sort. There’s plenty more added today though so, without further adieu, here’s everything new with Phantom Abyss in its Power update!
Phantom Abyss Power Update Patch Notes
General Changes
- You will now start your runs with 1 hit point. Extra hit points can be obtained by collecting phantom essence.
- When you die, the trap that killed you will become a “phantom” and will no longer be harmful to future players. For example, if you die of spikes, those spikes will appear to be transparent for all future players that encounter them.
- Find your way around new “dark rooms” which are very difficult to see in. Grab a crystal to illuminate the area around you, but beware, phantoms can also grab these crystals, too.
- Challenge yourself in a new room type with a bunch of “invisible floors”. The floors are revealed when anything comes into close proximity, including the player and other phantoms.
- The Power Update introduces rooms with “switches” either in the form of a pad on the ground or a whippable crystal.
- Sometimes, a timer will appear on the screen if a switch is timed. Multiple switches can all contribute to this timer in a single room.
- 18 (hidden) Achievements have been added to the game.
- Many traps and rooms have had rebalancing and improvements
- Looting chests (and interacting in general) has been made easier to do
- The Devouring Rage now deals 1 damage rather than instantly killing the player.
- Many more bug fixes
Power System
A new “power bar” has been added to the game. The power bar will only appear if the player unlocks an ability that uses “power”. All power abilities are unlocked at shrines, located at the end of each floor.
Each ability that consumes power has a cost associated with it. Some powers consume a single segment such as “double jump” which consumes 2 segments. Other powers consume segments for as long as they are held, such as “wings”.
Players have 4 power segments by default. The power bar refills in the following ways:
- A player buys a new blessing (ability) from a shrine. (full refill)
- A player starts a new floor (full refill)
- A player finds an “essence” (left on the corpse of a dead player) (refills 1 segment)
New Blessings
- The following blessings are new abilities available to purchase from shrines:
- Banishing Whip – Players can temporarily banish Guardians by whipping them. (Devouring Rage, Masked Defiler and Eye of Agony. Only 1 appears per temple)
- Soul Armor – Become invulnerable for a few seconds
- Whip Again – Whip again in the air
New Whip Powers
The following whips have had their powers changed. (New power in brackets)
- Crikey (+1 power container)
- Cable (+1 heart container)
- Obsidian (Essence does not give power)
- Bamboo (Double essence dropped, blessings deal half a heart of damage)
- Abstract (-1 power container)
- Feathers (+1 power container, +1 heart container)
- Hobbiest (-2 power containers)
- Wooden (+2 power containers)
- Fire (blessings hurt half a heart)
- Void (Max 1 health)
Phantom Abyss and the Power update are available on PC through Steam. For more information regarding this update, check out the official Steam post.