These include Scavenger Ordeal, where end-of-level rewards are disabled, but enemies still drop items. While other Ordeals haven’t been detailed, it’s possible to create Custom Ordeals and share them with other players.

There are also corrupted regions which boast more challenging enemies (and better rewards). Mystic Ordeals will influence how frequently these appear, but if you want to corrupt the whole world, go for it. It poses the “ultimate challenge” while still promising an “ultimate number of rewards.”

You can also look forward to Elite Mounts, stronger versions of the current mounts with more powerful attacks, and new skins. The characters will also receive new emotes with unique voice lines.

Stay tuned for more details on the update when it rolls out next month. Absolum is available for PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Check out our review here.

These Ordeals offer more granular control over the game’s difficulty, from boss and enemy life to enemy speed, aggression, multiplier, and more. The player’s attributes can also seemingly be modified, though these weren’t fully detailed. Of course, this is only the “tiniest glimpse” of what’s to come, so expect more details as the development team ponders “the future of Talamh and Absolum in the months (and years) to come.”

It’s also working on hotfixes for some of the “most significant issues,” though once again, an ETA remains to be announced (aside from “soon”). Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Absolum is available for PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Check out our review here – we awarded it a nine out of ten with the combat, rogue-lite structure, build-crafting and presentation receiving top marks.

Developed by Dotemu, Guard Crush Games and Supamonks, Absolum is a beat ’em up title with support for up to two players. It offers the same refined combat that the Streets of Rage 4 team is known for, but adds rogue-lite elements and branching paths across a massive world. Each character has unique Specials and can learn new moves on top of augmenting their abilities with elemental properties.

Absolum is available for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC. Check out our review, where we gave it a nine out of ten for its stunning presentation and incredible combat. Even the rogue-lite elements meshed incredibly well with the beat ’em up core, keeping runs fresh throughout.

Such demos, indispensable as they are, can also send expectations down a dangerous path. I’m hooked, but how much more could the actual game offer? As it turns out, in Absolum, a lot. A shocking amount, to the degree that I’m surprised that Dotemu and Guard Crush Studios have kept the sheer scale of this so carefully under wraps. It not only offers some of the best beat ’em up combat that the genre has to offer, but a compelling branching rogue-lite with cool discoveries, build-crafting that complements the gameplay loop without completely overtaking it, fun narrative events, and a great setting with its own nuances.

"As you progress further, more details about the Cataclysm, Azra’s character, and the core cast are revealed. Without delving into spoilers, the circumstances turn out to be more complex than initially imagined."

All that said, Absolum does take time to envelop you in its world-building and lore. You play as one of the children of Uchawi, a Root Sister who helped nurture magic in the world. Unfortunately, after the Cataclysm, Azra rose to effectively enslave the world, bringing his special brand of order and oppression while outlawing magic. Following your rescue of Uchawi from imprisonment, the mission to defeat Azra and liberate the world begins, which would probably be easier without having to best his various kingly allies first. But where’s the fun in that?

As typical as the setup feels, it unfolds in an organic world connected by the greater empire that Azra has crafted, yet boiling over with its own conflicts and events. The goblins in the Grandery’s forest who insist you best their champion before seeking safe passage; the once prosperous dwarven mines, now teeming with all sorts of hazards; the swamps and jungles of Jaroba where the arena awaits – each is distinct, memorable and teeming with secrets, quests and alternate paths. Yet events in one can easily impact the others, whether it’s sea-faring pirates who offer passage to Jaroba conducting a heist in a Grandery town, or the mysterious mist in the first region, which could hold the key to finding Yeldrim. As you progress further, more details about the Cataclysm, Azra’s character, and the core cast are revealed. Without delving into spoilers, the circumstances turn out to be more complex than initially imagined.

These regions offer their fair share of unique characters, and I wish some of them had a bit more development. As you progress, completing quests can result in narrative ramifications on future playthroughs. Helping to rebuild that bridge in the Grandery may seem like a good idea at first, until the goblins scorn you later, tossing out rotten food instead of trinkets that could help on your journey. Absolum is still very well put together, to the extent that you’ll want to revisit areas to discover new things. The sheer variety of things to do, whether it’s hiring mercenaries to accompany you in the arena, or failing to notice a trap and falling into a boss battle in prison, and so on, freshens up each run in so many unique ways.

Of course, branching paths means having to prioritize certain encounters and quests over others, which can also impact your build, but for the initial hour or two, Absolum is a stunning yet fairly straightforward beat ’em up. The crew that you’ll control includes Galandra, who alternates between elbow strikes to unsheathe a greatsword; Cider, a rogue-ish fighter that likes to grapple and attack in mid-air; Karl, who relies on firearms and flaming fists; and Brome, a frog wizard who can unleash beam attacks. Each has a unique light attack, heavy attack, and Special (with an even more powerful yet limited-use Ultimate unlocking later). As you complete runs and gain resources, you can swap Specials. Galandra’s rising slash can be substituted with a Stinger-like piercing stab or a wave slash that’s also usable in mid-air, perfect when juggling fools, but that’s not all.

"It’s not all about how many elements you can stack, though. Sometimes, it’s about trapping enemies in water bubbles at the end of combos, chaining them continuously, or summoning clones all over the place while bouncing enemies into afterimages of attacks when your floating spectral sword isn’t smacking them around."

Various upgrades discovered throughout Talamh can also change up your regular attacks significantly. A knee-lift dash attack could gain the ability to grab an enemy in mid-air and slam them down. That singular Heavy slash could be used three times in a row or charged up to break through armored enemies more easily. Then you have the elemental augments, the real meat behind the build-crafting, starting with typical effects – dealing burn damage or building up static to unleash chain lightning – but it’s not long before you’re sending out tidal waves, summoning tornadoes and turning the screen into a visual mess (affectionate). Augments can also be upgraded mid-run to deal more damage, letting you further lean into something that’s working well.

It’s not all about how many elements you can stack, though. Sometimes, it’s about trapping enemies in water bubbles at the end of combos, chaining them continuously, or summoning clones all over the place while bouncing enemies into afterimages of attacks when your floating spectral sword isn’t smacking them around. Or just throwing all sorts of random nonsense at enemies a la Moon Knight because one upgrade generates throwable items on critical hits. The persistent progression, which dictates benefits like increased max health, more damage dealt by recruited companions, etc., can feel a little too straightforward for one’s liking. However, it also provides options like crafting trinkets instead of healing or increasing the likelihood of higher rarity Trinkets and higher level augments appearing.

Again, nothing too crazy, but they absolutely freshen up each run while providing meaningful power spikes, helping you inch ever closer to Azra. Instead of spending valuable gold on equipment when none of the choices satisfy you, craft trinkets at Hearthroots for free and prioritize building a posse of mercenaries. Petting mounts in each region results in one waiting for you in a new Haven – upgrade their damage and available time for smoother sailing. Of course, you’ll also gain a separate resource that can be spent to upgrade each augment, which allows different elements to synergize with each other. Enable chain lightning to burn enemies, then increase fire damage and burn damage for each enemy affected. The interplay between all these allows for some truly broken builds, but they also encourage exploration. After all, you can’t take advantage of these elemental possibilities without discovering their respective crystals in the wild and reclaiming them in the name of Uchawi.

None of this would matter if the overall combat didn’t feel good, as if there was a possibility of that, given the developers’ pedigree. But everything – the impact of blows, both given and received; the throws and collateral damage when enemies are knocked together; and the sheer power of Specials – feels fantastic. It can take some practice to differentiate between blows that should be dodged, parried or outright jumped over, and reacting accordingly.

"I didn’t expect to enjoy Absolum as much as I did… As a fusion of incredible beat ’em up action and deceptively simple build-crafting, it delivers an enjoyable experience with immaculate pacing, bolstered even more by a fantastic presentation."

However, standing toe to toe with a boss, punishing their mistakes, and breaking their guard to unleash a world of hurt feels so satisfying. Enemy variety is also on point, whether it’s a ghost that disappears and re-materializes into an unblockable attack or reptilian heavies that block most blows before unleashing counterattacks. That’s not even getting into the boss battles, which also feel unique, challenging and downright enjoyable in their own ways.

And while it’s been said already, it bears repeating – Absolum looks absolutely amazing. The animation work alone is just vibrant and stylish, matching the art direction and environmental design in almost every facet. The soundtrack is similarly incredible, thanks to the likes of Gareth Coker (Ori), Motoi Sakuraba (Dark Souls), and Yuka Kitamura (Sekiro), alongside Gordon, with tunes ranging from heavy metal and orchestral rock to epic symphonies and vocals that would feel right at home in a FromSoftware game.

I didn’t expect to enjoy Absolum as much as I did, though some part of me craves more, whether it’s additional systems to further mix up each run or more in-depth narrative arcs for the core cast. Nevertheless, as a fusion of incredible beat ’em up action and deceptively simple build-crafting, it delivers an enjoyable experience with immaculate pacing, bolstered even more by a fantastic presentation.

This game was reviewed on PC.

In the meantime, a launch trailer is available, highlighting the main playable characters and insane action that they’ll get up to. As members of a resistance against Azra, the Sun King, players must traverse the world of Talamh to defeat him. Each has unique abilities and playstyles, from Galandra’s well-balanced playstyle to Brome’s magic attacks and staff surfing.

Traversing new locations unlocks Rituals, which can provide powerful passive elemental buffs or change up a character’s attacks entirely. Of course, there’s also local and online co-op, allowing two players to team up and wreak havoc. Stay tuned for more details when Absolum launches later today and check out the free demo in the meantime.