Yes, Abyssus looks somewhat like BioShock, with its distintctive aesthetic and underwater world. Glad we got that out of the way.
Abyssus is it’s own game and we’re here to talk about what it does and what it is, and not what it isn’t. So if it isn’t BioShock…
What is Abyssus, then?
Developed by DoubleMoose Games and published by The Arcade Crew, Abyssus is roguelite first-person shooter set in a strange realm hidden deep beneath the waves.
You are part of a second expedition to this incredible temple that somehow exists under the sea. It’s your job, along with up to three of your briniest friends, to follow in the footsteps of the first team, work out what has happened to the, and uncover the secrets all around.
You do this, for the most part, via the barrel of a gun. Abyssus is a frantic and fast-paced shooter that borrows elements from a bunch of quite dispirate sources, however, the end result is actually very engaging, especially when you’re playing in a party.
Borrowing from the best
There influences that underpin Abyssus are really interesting. From a structural point of view, it bears a strong resemblance to the likes of Gunfire Reborn. The world and setting is blend of Cthulu-mytholoy and BioShock-inspired retro-futurism. The enemy design, especially in first biome, reminded me somewhat of Destiny.
I just made a bunch of lofty comparisons, and I think any game would struggle in the face of such fierce competition. To its credit, though, Abyssus is a really decent first-person shooter that I think is missing the final layer of spit and polish, but is otherwise a bunch of fun to play – and that’s why we’re all here at the end of the day.
It does take a few hours to warm up, and that’s because the weapon unlocks are a bit too slow to get going for my liking. I wanted more options sooner in the loop, but the pacing of the game, as is so often the case in this genre, is intended to give you something to keep returning to again and again.
Strange things are lurking
Throughout your play you will be working towards weapon and cosmetic unlocks, and also adding mystical shards that level up your personage, boosting your damage output and extended your health bar. This is all done back at your main base, a strange cavern filled with sunken ships and submarines. It is here that you coordinate your party and prep yourself for the run ahead, before jumping into a giant diving bell and then heading down into the abyss.
Once you’ve arrived at the temple, the room layouts feel fairly static, however, their order is always shifting (there are 64 different rooms, I’m told). During one of our team sessions, we all agreed that the early run variety wasn’t as good as it could be, although the number of enemies does seem to scale with your group, which helped keep us fully engaged during combat. I also rather liked the different objective-based missions, with challenges such as taking down towers or standing on pressure plates. They pop up from time to time and stop things from feeling too predictable.
The world of Abyssus looks incredible, with really interesting environmental storytelling littered throughout the place. Apart from one or two annoying invisible walls and dodgy spawn points, this is a compelling location to explore and an eye-catching place to behold. Having said that, your progress through each run is very linnear, and the sense of wonder and exploration quickly starts to feel superficial.
The enemies that you meet, whether they be frog people or floating automatons, bring dynamism to each encounter. Each of the enemy types has their own abilities and attack patterns, creating an ever shifting battlefield, even moreso if you factor in the fact that your chosen weapon very much dictates how you’ll approach each encounter.
Is it better down where it’s wetter?
The best thing about Abyssus, in my opinion, is the gunplay. I’ve got a lot of unlocks to work through still, but I’m already loving the shotgun. The weapon-feel is pretty decent, and there’s great differentiation between them all. The pool of potential abilities that you can use to upgrade your weapons isn’t massive, to be fair, but there is some variety and once you’ve got a full-set equipped it’s possible to synergise quite effectively.
I think the only weapon that I’ve tried so far that doesn’t feel great to me is the melee attack; a great way to stun enemies and even knock a few blocks off, however, it didn’t have the same weighty and and satisfying feel as the rest of the arsenal.
Your weapons have primary and secondary features. My shotgun, for example, has standard fire on the right trigger, but if you pull the right trigger you let rip with an almighty blast that kicks you back and, potentially, out of harms way. Suddenly, the gunplay and the traversal started to blur into one Doom-esque battle flow. The action can get really intense, the combat encounters short but deadly, and as with most action-roguelites, your growing strength and increased game-knowledge helps you progress further and further each time.
There is a third ability alongside your main weapon. As standard these are auto-replenishing frag grenades, but you can unlock new options via the game’s challenge system. In fact, I think it was probably the run where I stacked my grenades with powerful chain-lightning that Abyssus really clicked with me.
The added damage dealing from the chained bolts of lightning meant I was able to fight the bosses and manage their supporting minions, and so I was able to progress further and see more of the game. Some of the abilities are very fun – especially the ethereal tentacles that rise from the floor, and of course my beloved electricity powers.
As you’ve no doubt deduced if you’ve read this article rather than simply skipping to this concluding paragraph: I really like Abyssus, particularly when playing in a party. It’s in the game’s most chaotic moments that it shines brightest, when the team is up against it and working together. That’s not to say that it’s perfect, because the game has definitely landed with one or two little bugs and annoyances, although after pushing through a slow first couple of hours, I started to have a bunch of fun with Abyssus, I’m looking forward to diving back in, both alone and with my co-op buds.
Abyssus is out on PC (Win). We played the game via access kindly provided by the developer and their PR shipmates! YAR!
