Info about Absolum:

Official game description:
Crafted with passion by the dream team that redefined side-scrolling beat 'em ups, _Absolum_ mixes top-of-the-class combat action with modern roguelite elements, bringing all the vibes of the fantasy arcade hits of the past into an immersive adventure set in **the original world of Talamh**.
Talamh has been shattered by a magical cataclysm caused by ambitious wizards, leaving magic mistrusted by the common folk. **Sun King Azra** took advantage of this panic, enslaving wizards through his Crimson Order and placing loyal princes to rule over the conquered realms.  
As Azra’s forces claim more and more lands, **the high enchantress Uchawi** and a small group of rebels rise from the shadows, wielding forbidden magic to challenge his oppressive regime and defy his absolute magic power.  
Meet the outcast heroes of Talamh, each with their unique fighting style.  
From the shadows of Yeldrim, **Galandra** emerges as an unstoppable force of nature. Her colossal sword strikes with deadly precision, combined with chilling, destructive necromantic powers. Her calm demeanor is a thin veil, barely concealing the furious anger brewing inside her.  
**Karl** is the last free dwarf of Talamh. Armed with an ancestral blunderbuss and his bare fists, he’s a master of close-range brawls and explosive tactics. What he lacks in reach at mid-range, he makes up for with raw strength and quick thinking, making him a stalwart ally in the revolt against Azra's oppression.  
During their ordeals, two mysterious heroes will join them on a quest to overthrow the Sun King: **Brome**, a wizard prodigy on a mission to preserve the future generations of his people, and the enigmatic **Cider**, a nimble skirmisher in search of answers among the scattered fragments of their own soul.  
_Absolum_ combines **Dotemu** and **Guard Crush**’s mastery in beat ‘em up gameplay with Supamonks' best-in-class art and animation. With its fast-paced action and endless replayability, _Absolum_ will challenge you with multiple paths to explore and unpredictable encounters for a new experience each time you play.  
Take down Azra’s elite guard with a mix of rapid combo chains and spellcasting powers, unleashing moves that feel as raw as they are strategic. Use magical counters and rare items to turn the tide in your favor and experience a combat system that demands skill and timing, pushing you to craft new strategies at every run to wreak havoc among the enemy ranks.  
Lead the uprising against Azra's regime as a lone hero, or team up with a friend on your couch or online. Combine your elemental powers and synchronize your attacks into incredible chained combos!  
The world of Talamh is an intricate tapestry brimming with secrets, stories, and betrayals. From the majestic mines of Grandery to the lush forests of Jaroba, every step of your odyssey will be accompanied by a magnificent soundtrack by composer **Gareth Coker** (Ori, Halo Infinite, Prince of Persia), with collaborations from **Yuka Kitamura** (Dark Souls, Elden Ring), **Mick Gordon** (Doom Eternal, Atomic Heart), and more!
_**Controllers are required to use the local multiplayer feature.**_

Release date: Oct 9, 2025

Categories: Beat 'em up, Roguelike, Real-time Combat, Cooperative Multiplayer, Single-player, Character Progression, Procedural Generation, Exploration


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Innovative Beat 'em Up Roguelite (weight 0.91): The game is lauded for its successful and innovative blend of beat 'em up and roguelite genres. Many consider it a true evolution of the beat 'em up genre, often comparing it favorably to classics like Streets of Rage and modern roguelites like Hades. This combination provides a fresh, replayable, and deeply engaging experience.
- Exceptional Gameplay & Fun Factor (weight 0.86): Players consistently praise the game's core gameplay, describing it as incredibly fun, enjoyable, and addictive. The combat mechanics are highlighted as well-designed, satisfying, and offering a good balance of challenge without frustration. The overall game feel, foundation, and execution are considered top-tier, making it a highly engaging experience.
- Stunning Art & Sound Design (weight 0.52): The game receives widespread acclaim for its magnificent art direction, hand-drawn visuals, and fluid animations. Coupled with an amazing, epic, and fitting soundtrack featuring legendary composers, and top-notch sound effects, the game offers a visually and audibly immersive experience.
- High Replayability & Content (weight 0.5): The roguelike elements, including procedural generation, branching paths, diverse enemies, and character progression, contribute significantly to the game's high replayability. Players appreciate the constant sense of evolution, new content, and secrets that keep each run fresh and engaging, offering great value for money.
- Dotemu's Quality & Passion (weight 0.11): Players recognize Dotemu's expertise in revitalizing the beat 'em up genre and commend their passion and care evident in the game's development. The game is seen as a fantastic original IP that showcases the developers' years of experience and artistic vision.
- Balanced & Accessible Difficulty (weight 0.1): The game strikes a good balance in its difficulty, challenging players without causing frustration. It is also noted for being accessible to newcomers with simple controls, while still rewarding skillful play and knowledge of defensive mechanics.

Common complaints:
- Frustrating & Shallow Combat (weight 0.53): Players find the combat system to be shallow, repetitive, and often unfair, with enemies juggling players and possessing super armor. The limited move sets, forced bare-handed attacks, and lack of depth contribute to a frustrating experience, especially with scarce healing.
- Weak Roguelike Implementation (weight 0.5): The roguelike elements are largely criticized as uninteresting, lacking depth, and feeling forced. Players feel it detracts from the experience, leading to repetitive runs and a lack of meaningful progression or variety compared to other games in the genre.
- Scarce & Inconsistent Healing (weight 0.4): A recurring complaint is the severe scarcity of healing items throughout runs and before boss encounters. This lack of consistent healing options significantly increases the difficulty and frustration, especially in continuous battles.
- Subpar Online Multiplayer (weight 0.4): The online co-op experience is hampered by high latency, frequent disconnections, and screen clutter that makes it difficult to track one's character. The lack of crossplay and limited player count (2 max) further detract from the multiplayer appeal.
- Weak Story & Content (weight 0.21): The story is described as generic, short, and largely non-existent, failing to provide an engaging narrative or interesting characters. Players also feel there is a general lack of content, contributing to the game's repetitive nature.
- Poor Control Scheme & Bindings (weight 0.2): The control scheme is a significant source of frustration, with counter-intuitive bindings and a lack of mouse support. Specific issues include the same key for run/dash/dodge, stiff character controls, and uncomfortable keyboard layouts, leading to physical discomfort and gameplay errors.
- Unfavorable Comparisons (weight 0.04): Players frequently compare the game unfavorably to established titles in the roguelike and beat 'em up genres, such as Hades and Streets of Rage. This highlights a perception that the game lacks excitement and innovation.

Gameplay feedback:
- Diverse Character Roster (weight 0.19): Players can choose from four distinct characters, each with unique movesets and playstyles. Two characters are available from the start, with the remaining two unlocking through game progression, encouraging replayability.
- Robust Defensive Combat (weight 0.16): The combat system emphasizes defensive maneuvers, featuring multiple options for parrying, dodging, reflecting, and counter-attacking. This adds a layer of skill and strategy beyond simple button-mashing.
- Variable Difficulty & Progression (weight 0.11): While some players find the initial difficulty easy, the game offers a balanced combat experience that is neither too simple nor overly punishing. Roguelite progression ensures that dying leads to buffs and unlocks, making each attempt contribute to overall advancement.
- Weak Dodge Mechanic (weight 0.04): Some players noted that the dodge mechanic feels weak, with a short attack distance after dodging. Additionally, dodge and parry are bound to a single function key, which can sometimes lead to unintended actions.

Performance notes:
- Excellent Performance & Optimization (weight 0.13): Players consistently praise the game's smooth performance across various hardware, including handheld devices like the Steam Deck and Ally X, and even low-end PCs. The game maintains a stable 60 FPS, contributing to a polished experience.
- Graphics Options & Preferences (weight 0.04): The game offers different visual modes, including retro, bloom, and no bloom. Players specifically noted that the 'no bloom' mode is visually superior, suggesting a preference for cleaner aesthetics.
- High Online Latency Issues (weight 0.02): Public online matches are frequently plagued by high latency, with players reporting pings of 100ms to 300ms. This significantly impacts the online multiplayer experience.
- 60 FPS Lock (weight 0.02): The game is capped at 60 frames per second. While stable, some players might prefer an uncapped framerate option for higher refresh rate displays.
- High GPU Utilization (weight 0.02): One player noted that GPU utilization is consistently above 98%. While this could indicate efficient use of hardware, it might also suggest the game is very demanding on the GPU, potentially leading to higher power consumption or heat.

Recommendations:
- Highly Recommended Game (weight 0.52): Many players strongly recommend this game, citing its fun, uniqueness, and overall quality. It's considered a worthwhile purchase, especially for fans of its genres, and offers a solid experience.
- Difficulty is a Core Feature (weight 0.29): The game's difficulty is a significant aspect, appealing to players who enjoy a challenge. However, some find the 'forced difficulty' uncomfortable, suggesting a need for more flexible options.
- Great for Genre Fans (weight 0.28): The game is highly recommended for fans of beat 'em ups and roguelites, often compared favorably to titles like Streets of Rage 4 and Hades. It's seen as an excellent continuation of the roguelite and beat 'em up combination.
- Suggestions for Alternatives (weight 0.08): Some players suggest alternative games like Streets of Rage 4, Hades, Dragon's Crown, or DnD Shadows Over Mystara, implying these might offer a better or different experience in similar genres.
- Gameplay Tips (weight 0.03): Players offer advice such as playing with a joystick for an 'old-school' feel, recruiting allies early, and mastering parrying for a more enjoyable experience.

Other player notes:
- Desire for More Content (weight 0.1): Players express a strong desire for additional content, including new game modes, levels, and characters through future DLC. An arcade mode is specifically mentioned as a welcome potential addition.
- Experienced Development Team (weight 0.06): The game benefits from being developed by genre veterans, specifically those who previously set a high standard with Streets of Rage 4. This background instills confidence in the game's quality and design.
- Guest Music Contribution (weight 0.04): The involvement of Mick Gordon, known for his work on other popular game soundtracks, for a boss composition is noted and appreciated by players.
- Affordable Price Point (weight 0.03): Players perceive the game's price as reasonable and even cheaper than expected, adding to its value proposition.
- Generic Fantasy Setting (weight 0.03): The game's fantasy world is described as somewhat generic, indicating that while the visuals are strong, the lore itself might not be particularly unique or engaging.
- Keyboard Control Suggestion (weight 0.02): A specific suggestion was made to allow keyboard players to map primary attack commands to the mouse, which could improve accessibility and control options.
- Cyrillic Font Issue (weight 0.01): There is feedback regarding unadapted Cyrillic fonts appearing unpleasant, suggesting a localization issue for some players.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.38): Players are highly satisfied with the game's overall quality, encompassing its engaging combat mechanics, diverse roguelike elements, and high replayability. The stunning art direction, excellent soundtrack, and smooth performance across various platforms, including Steam Deck, also contribute significantly to this positive sentiment. Many feel the game offers great value for money and successfully blends genres, providing a fresh and enjoyable experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.18): Excitement stems from the game's 'addictive' and 'super fun' gameplay, particularly its innovative genre blend and diverse combat mechanics. Players are thrilled by the engaging co-op experience, the constant surprises, and the potential for countless hours of play. The phenomenal art style, gorgeous soundtrack, and awesome bosses further amplify this enthusiasm, with many considering it a top-tier beat 'em up.
- Frustration (weight 0.1): Frustration arises from performance issues, unfair combat encounters, and problematic control schemes, especially the lack of proper mouse support and rebind options. Players are also annoyed by super armor enemies, ineffective counter-attacks, scarce healing, and a repetitive roguelike loop in early runs. Online disconnections and high latency further contribute to a negative experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.08): Disappointment is primarily linked to the combat system's perceived lack of depth and move variety, as well as issues with difficulty balance and the reward system. Players are also let down by the implementation of roguelike elements, which some find uninteresting or not meeting expectations for run length and build variability. Generic story elements, limited content, and character design choices also contribute to this feeling.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Players experience joy from the game's fun and entertaining gameplay, particularly the unique combination of genres and the blast they have in co-op. The game's ability to provide a genuinely fun and addictive experience, often described as 'unbelievably fun,' brings smiles to players' faces.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Appreciation is directed towards the game's music, the developers' effort, and the timeless hand-drawn art style. Players value the game's accessibility options, couch co-op, and good Steam Deck compatibility, recognizing the overall quality and value for money it offers.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Admiration is expressed for the developers' artistry, care, and overall excellence in creating the game, often described as a 'work of love.' The stellar visuals, animations, and art style, along with a good voice cast, contribute to this high regard for the creators.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Players express hope for future improvements and expansions, including more control customization options, additional game modes, and new characters. There is also a desire for future DLC and for the game to become even smoother-flowing.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.02): Enjoyment stems from the engaging co-op experience, the compelling music, and the satisfying combat feel, including the dodge/parry system. Players appreciate the game's balance, accessibility, and depth, finding the overall gameplay and gorgeous visuals highly pleasurable.
- Engagement (weight 0.02): Players feel engaged by the captivating story, the depth that encourages replay, and the immersive experience that keeps them playing for hours. The addictive flow, gratifying progression, and evolving roguelite elements contribute to a strong desire to continue playing.
- Love (weight 0.02): Love for the game is driven by its combat gameplay, the successful blend of genres, and its overall high quality. Players deeply appreciate the entire game experience and specific character designs, finding the rogue-lite beat-em-up genre mix particularly appealing.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger is caused by frustrating vertical movement controls, perceived unfair difficulty spikes, and poor partner design. Players also express anger over the game's instability and what they see as deliberate design flaws.
- Addiction (weight 0.01): Players report addiction due to the game's compelling gameplay loop and its highly engaging qualities, which make it difficult to stop playing.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from specific design choices, such as bare-handed attacks despite having weapons, and difficulty understanding parry/block mechanics. Some players are also confused by negative reviews from others, given their own positive experience.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance is caused by repetitive cutscenes and the story's generic nature with sappy dialogue, which detract from the overall experience.
- Discomfort (weight 0.01): Players experience discomfort due to the current keyboard control scheme and the rebirth process after death, which some find unpleasant.
- Concern (weight 0.01): Concern is expressed regarding the possibility of running out of upgrades and the potential for roguelite elements to deter beat 'em up purists, indicating worries about long-term engagement and audience reception.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Anticipation is driven by the desire to see how the game holds up over time and the expectation of sinking many hours into the game, indicating a positive outlook on future play.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Awe is inspired by the game's incredible visuals and audio, leading players to describe the game as 'absolutely incredible' due to its stunning presentation.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players express surprise upon discovering the game's desired genre mix, particularly the unexpected blend of elements that creates a fresh and novel experience.}