"Absolum: Stunning Roguelite by Streets of Rage 4 Creators"

Guard Crush Games, the developers behind Streets of Rage 4, are teaming up once again with publisher Dotemu for a new beat-'em-up titled Absolum. This marks Dotemu's first venture into an original IP, featuring stunning hand-drawn animations by Supamonks and a captivating soundtrack composed by the renowned Gareth Coker. Despite being an unproven project, my hour-long hands-on session suggests that Absolum is poised for success.

Absolum is a roguelite side-scrolling beat-'em-up action-RPG designed to offer "deep replayability with branching paths to explore, quests, characters, and challenging bosses." From my experience, this description holds true. The game is a visually stunning fantasy adventure with multiple player classes, including the sturdy, dwarf-like Karl and the agile, ranger-esque Galandra. Players can engage in combat with evil creatures, destroy environments in search of health-replenishing items like carrots, explore buildings for treasure or face ambushes, tackle bosses with formidable health bars, and restart the cycle upon defeat. Additionally, although I didn't get to experience it, the game supports two-player same-screen co-op.

For fans of classic two-player beat-'em-ups from the '80s and early '90s arcades, as well as titles like Golden Axe on the Sega Genesis, Absolum evokes a nostalgic charm with its Saturday morning cartoon-style art and animation. The game features a simple yet effective two-button combat system that allows for varied attacks based on the enemy encountered. The roguelite aspect adds a modern twist, enhancing the game's replayability and appeal.

Throughout the game, players will encounter both hidden and visible power-ups, including equippable active weapons or spells activated by triggers and face buttons, and passive items in the inventory. These power-ups randomize each run, introducing a risk-reward system that can influence gameplay strategies. For example, in one run, I equipped two orbs that boosted damage by 20% each but reduced my health by the same percentage, resulting in a precarious health bar but quicker enemy takedowns. Players can drop any item from their inventory if the trade-off becomes too risky.

Absolum - First Screenshots

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As a roguelite, upon death, players return to a realm with a shop where they can use in-game currency to purchase items or power-ups for future runs. This feature was not fully functional in the early build I tested, leaving the quality of items and power-ups to chance each time.

Absolum shows immense promise, highlighted by its art style, animation, classic side-scrolling beat-'em-up gameplay, and roguelite mechanics. Coupled with the developer's experience in the genre, the game has a strong potential to be a success. For those who miss the days of couch co-op, Absolum could be a refreshing return to form. I eagerly anticipate playing a more refined version as development continues, and I remain highly optimistic about its future.