PS5

Absolum

Absolum is a 2025 beat'em up video game with roguelike elements. Developed by Guard Crush Games and Supamonks, it was published by Dotemu for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, Android and iOS.

FightingRole-playing (RPG)AdventureIndie

Time to beat: about 9.8 hours

Overview

Absolum is a side-scrolling beat'em up video game. It features multiple character classes, with each having its own unique combat style and abilities. Karl is a dwarf who fights enemies with his guns and bare fists; Galandra the elf is equipped with a huge sword; Cider is an agile character who wields two daggers which allow them to attack quickly; Brome is a humanoid frog and a wizard who can surf in the air using his scepter. Each character has a basic light and heavy attack. Consecutive attacks against an enemy will build up combos and mana for the player character, which can be used to unleash "Arcana", a special attack that can deal significant damage to their opponents.

Absolum is set in the fantasy world of Talamh, which is ruled by the tyrannical Sun King Azra and his army of zealots known as the "Crimson Order". In response, the sorceress Uchawi leads a resistance group composed of four warriors: Galandra, an elven swordswoman; Karl, a dwarven fighter; Cider, a mysterious assassin with mechanical limbs; and Brome, an anthropomorphic frog with magic powers. The warriors fight Azra's forces all the way to his stronghold and defeat him. However, it is revealed that Azra's main objective was to contain and control a powerful interdimensional being known as "Absolum" that could destroy the entire Talamh, and that Uchawi was Azra's wife, pregnant with his child.

The game was developed by Guard Crush Games, one of the co-developers of Streets of Rage 4. It was also the first original intellectual property by Dotemu, which had previously published several beat'em up games under the license of other publishers. Both studios were interested in creating a new video game instead of reviving another dormant franchise, and seek to introduce the beat'em up genre to a new audience. As a result, Guard Crush Games added roguelike elements into the game, after briefly experimenting with it in Mr. X Nightmare, a downloadable content pack for Streets of Rage 4. The team cited Golden Axe, Dead Cells and Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara as their sources of inspiration.

Absolum received "generally favorable" reviews, on review aggregator website Metacritic. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received "mighty" approval, being recommended by 97% of critics.