Absolum Is a Gorgeous Roguelite from the Makers of Streets of Rage 4

Guard Crush Games, the creators of Streets of Rage 4, are teaming up once again with Dotemu for a new beat-'em-up. This time, it's Dotemu's first original IP: Absolum. Featuring stunning hand-drawn animation by Supamonks and a soundtrack by the acclaimed Gareth Coker, Absolum boasts a pedigree that promises big things. My hands-on experience confirmed this.

Absolum is a roguelite side-scrolling beat-'em-up action-RPG built for deep replayability. It delivers on that promise with branching paths, quests, diverse characters, and challenging bosses. The game is a visually captivating fantasy adventure. I played as Karl, a tanky dwarf-like character, and Galandra, a nimble ranger-type wielding a sword. Gameplay involves battling creatures, smashing environments (hoping to uncover health-replenishing items!), exploring buildings, battling bosses with massive health pools, dying… and then repeating the cycle. Two-player same-screen co-op is also planned, though I didn't get to try that during my playthrough.

Absolum - First Screenshots

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As a roguelite, death sends you back to a shop where you can spend in-game currency to purchase items for your next run. This wasn't fully functional in the preview build.

Absolum shows immense potential. The early boss encounters were challenging (I unfortunately lack footage of the first, a mammoth troll summoning goblins). Two-player co-op would significantly alter boss fights, adding to the fun.

The art style, animation, classic beat-'em-up gameplay, roguelite loop, and developer pedigree all point to Absolum being a strong contender. For those missing couch co-op, this game looks set to fill that void. I'm highly optimistic about the final product.