96) Absolum (2025)

As the first original intellectual property released by publisher Dotemu, Absolum combines everything the publisher had learned working on other side scrolling beat'em ups they had published for other developers, as well as Guard Crush Games' experience as the co-developer for Streets of Rage 4. Looking to create something new and bring the beat'em up genre to a new audience, the team decided to add roguelike elements to the game after with them in Mr. Nightmare X, the DLC for Streets of Rage 4. Citing games such as Golden Axe, Shadow Over Mystara, and Dead Cells as inspiration, the game's striking visual design comes from the team at Supamonks Studio as their first foray into the video game medium.

Set in the fantasy world of Talamh, we begin the game with only two playable characters who are members of a resistance group seeking to free their captured leader, Uchawi. Uchawi's powers allow our characters to be reborn when they fall in battle, giving us our gameplay loop as we fight our way to confront the tyrannical Sun King. As we proceed, we're presented with branching paths that can vastly change how our run will go with plenty of secrets to find and even a few side quests that will permanently alter the world. We also gain access to two additional characters, along with unlocking various elemental magics and recruiting a few helpful characters for our home base.

One of the most impressive things about the game to me is just how vastly different each of the four characters feels and plays. This is especially impressive considering the relatively simple controls and lack of dedicated combos that you may expect to find. Furthermore, each character has a selection of special moves to choose from that further changes how they play. I most often found myself playing as Karl, the blunderbuss wielding pugilist dwarf, and even something as simple as changing his special move would determine how I played. Add to this the eight unlockable elemental rituals, which can be upgraded and have various ways of interacting with one another, and each run truly feels unique and adds a ton of variety.

The story and tone are mostly edgy and grimdark, but the developers knew to add in humor to keep things light. Whether it be the goofy appearance or silly animations of some of the enemies, or the much lighter tone most of the optional sidequests take, the game strikes a precarious balance which, honestly, makes the moments it leans into more grimdark themes all the more impactful.

Marrying all of this together is some of the tightest gameplay and smoothest animations that I've seen in quite some time. Blocking, dodging, and parrying feel satisfying and natural, even for the defense averse players such as myself. Certain characters appear to be dancing along the screen once you get into a good flow, and the animation sells this beautifully. The sound design, music, and voice acting add to the charm, making the game seem like a Saturday morning cartoon at times. The fact that all of this can be done with a second player in full coop adds to the couchworthy fun of the experience.

Absolum is an absolute masterclass in both the beat'em up and roguelike genres. It's an incredibly addictive experience that will leave you wanting to play "just one more" run, only for you to discover a new route or secret that keeps you glue for another two hours. The game is punishing, but incredibly fair, and I never felt as though I was unfairly punished. Sure, sometimes the loadout available for a particular run may not be ideal, but that just forced me to experiment and get creative, ultimately pushing me to play the game better. I cannot recommend Absolum more highly, as it sets a gold standard in every regard. Even for those who are usually hesitant of the genre, I'd say this is a must play experience.