Absolum: A Journey Through Spirited Innovation

What do you get when you merge Dead Cells with Streets of Rage 4? To spare you the suspense, we’re here to reveal the answer. You receive Absolum, a ‘Rogue ‘em Up’ developed by Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, and Supamonks, which we recently had the opportunity to experience through an online preview session. It combines the sleek, streamlined, and user-friendly combat mechanics typical of classic beat-‘em-up games with exciting runs that feature branching paths, permanent upgrades, items, and quests.

Trading the bustling environments of Streets of Rage for vibrant, picturesque landscapes reminiscent of a scene from Tolkien (or, perhaps more aptly, Golden Axe), Absolum places you in the shoes of one of four rebels determined to overthrow Sun King Azra, a formidable being ruling over the fantasy realm of Talamh. In the brief preview session, we were able to select from two of the playable characters: Galandra, a nimble sword-fighting expert, and Karl, a sturdy dwarf whose firearm allows him to attack foes from afar.

The game immediately engages you with action, demonstrating that Dotemu and Guard Crush have leveraged their experience from Streets of Rage 4 to create a combat system that is both satisfying and deceptively intricate. We used an Xbox controller during this preview, and you simply press ‘Y’ (‘X’ on Switch) to execute a quick melee combo, ‘X’ (‘Y’ on Switch) to pull out your weapon and launch a heavy attack, and ‘RB’ (‘R’) to unleash a powerful special ability that is sure to send multiple enemies soaring.

Encounters are frequently presented as you navigate the environment, and, true to the beat-‘em-up genre, progress is halted until all adversaries are defeated. What stands out here is that certain successful battles lead to optional upgrades for your character, which is where Absolum truly embraces its roguelike elements.

Similar to Dead Cells and Hades, upgrades typically appear in pairs or triplets, allowing you the choice to select which one seems more appealing and best aligns with your playstyle. You might pick an upgrade that adds a burning effect to your melee combos, or perhaps you prefer a shocking dash of lightning that triggers during a well-timed evade.

We can only imagine the possibilities that will be available in the full game, but even with this relatively brief preview, the additional abilities significantly impacted the battles, making you feel considerably more powerful as you progressed through the levels. Indeed, it’s still no walk in the park, and death can come quickly if you aren’t cautious or find yourself overwhelmed.

Once again, drawing inspiration from Dead Cells, every death results in a fresh run through the game’s world, allowing you to reassess your condition, restore your health, acquire a few useful items, and embark on a new quest. The structure evolves with each run, yet…