The resurgence of the beat-em-up in the last few years is so damn refreshing for adolescent me. Even though the graphics, techniques and boss difficulties have improved a lot since Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, there’s still the core idea of raging on a group of baddies (or one big bad) with people by your side. I think we all applaud the design and power of Shredder’s Revenge for bringing the genre back into the limelight, and Dotemu was at the helm there as they are now with this new title, Absolum. Having seen it at multiple events this past year and been able to play it across multiple consoles, I can say this dark fantasy brawler has tons of potential for those willing to take the journey, as long as you don’t mind digesting a lot on the way.

Honestly, this should be the mantra of almost every person right now.

The setup is one that’s both new and very familiar, depending on your background in gaming and literature. There’s this kingdom that has plenty of magic in it, but then some dudes get scared and outlaw magic, and now magic is underground and totally illegal. You’re one of several characters who is part of the resistance and wants to keep magic wild and free, and that involves longform plans for assassination and beating the tar out of those who would keep you down. Maybe you’re a dwarf, an elf, a frog the size of a human, or a masked steampunk cyborg who fights with two daggers (dual wielding is always awesome), but you all have one thing in common: hating the government and fixing society through violence. I might be oversimplifying this a bit, but you’re playing an action brawler with RPG elements and unlockable characters, lore can get murky.

There’s a lot to love about Absolum from the drop. First and foremost, the art styling is spectacular and honestly better looking than it deserves to be. The different mobs are a mix of classic humanoids, outfitted in various armor and uniforms, to all types of classic fantasy races, like goblins, giant mushrooms and the undead. The animation is smooth as silk even on a low end PC like mine, and you can really see details about the world and the backdrops pop into being with each traversal between areas. The animation also does some heavy lifting to bring things into focus, particularly with the attacks that you unleash upon the enemies and bosses that stand between you and victory. Things can get a bit muddled when you have more than one player character on screen at the same time, but that’s more about the overall experience.

Spoiler: it won’t be you.

Additionally, the progressive nature of the game gives players the Hades vibe without the full extent of the procedural generation. Each “run” of the characters allows you to invest in unlocking additional passive traits, like elemental boosts to certain attacks or increased stat points, to get further and further in. While there are certainly a lot of roguelike elements that come into play (enemy spawning, drops within a stage), you can plan out how you’d like to proceed a bit more fully than you would in, say, Enter the Gungeon. Absolum lets you plan out your build fairly early on, and you can invest more in that with each cleared room to dictate which way you’ll be headed on your own path of glory.

Even if you’re not a planning type, Absolum ensures that all players end up with joyful moments of baleful mayhem. Besides a standard light and heavy attack, the additional shoulder buttons bring in chargeable magic-centric strikes that hold a host of game changing moments. Whether it’s a beam of magic that sweeps in front of you, a dashing strike to drive back hordes or a flurry of stabs to bring enemies to their knees, the frenetic excitement is palpable once the game gets going. Plus, one of my favorite elements of brawlers – items you can pick up and throw – takes center stage, with everything from rocks to axes being available for looting and hurling. If you’re like me and prefer melee to range, being able to grab something, toss it and then rush in to brutalize your way forward is a never-ending delight.

Me versus four dudes, plus whatever’s coming out of the ground. Good odds.

Plus, the characters are all fantastically different in their play style. If you favor a balanced character, go with Galandra and mix both close combat and a bit more reach. Karl is muscle through and through, so he makes a great tank as well as a battering ram. Brome’s magic can have fantastic reach and does exceptionally well for early stages in particular, whereas Cinder’s dexterity makes him formidable for experienced players who prefer speed over strength. As you expand your payload the further a run goes, each character can become an elemental master, focusing one of several types of magic into their moves and defenses. It’s possible to make a full run of the game by yourself, but being able to pair up with anyone else makes the dive both more strategic and more fun, which plays to the strengths and weaknesses of Absolum.

On the one hand, being able to fight along with someone else is both exciting and incredibly necessary to deal with all the bosses that come up along the way. The Underking, for example, has some brutally punishing attacks…that are directionally based. If you have two players, the second can easily snipe and get in quick body blows while the first draws the fire. Additionally, being able to build out two different elemental attackers gives you a variety when you move further into the game and have the benefits of both fire and electricity to take out certain types of mobs. Not to mention the very nature of the game is simply more fun with a second person: the chaos factor is upped considerably, and being able to take on overwhelming odds with the two of you is ideal. Not to mention the fact that your friend can revive you if and when you fail.

Ah yes, the best way to help a fallen friend: yelling at them.

On the other hand, the game can feel very lonely if you’re going at it alone, but also a bit more balanced. In the few times that I did the co-op play, the combat was always a bit unbalanced in Absolum, and I either felt like I was being carried or was carrying someone else, and I’m just simply not that good to keep another person alive long enough for them to get strong enough to carry me. The solo approach means more time to drink in the story, more variety in the stage boons (as the other player in co-op might snipe your choice first), and a better chance to unlock achievements in a more satisfying way. I don’t begrudge the awesome Cinder player I matched with, but they destroyed several bosses that I hadn’t yet reached, without my help, and activated Steam nods that I did not earn.

Lastly, Absolum feels like it could and should be two different games. The combat and the advancements are satisfying, but I constantly get distracted by the storyline that’s just below the surface. It’s actually a real feat to mix in a compelling arc of lore and progress with addictive gameplay mechanics, so it’s not a failing on Absolum’s part that I ended up losing the thread. The representation of the Mother of magic is fascinating, and the incredible amount of voicework weaves this world that I want to know so much more about. The plot and the lore could have easily been baked into a turn based RPG or a standard adventure game, and it was ambitious to attach it to a roguelike beat-em-up. Unfortunately, I preferred the hitting to the reading, which left me yearning for a better way to drink in the entire tale.

Tell me more, froggy wizard!

But if the greatest complaint I have is “the game is too fun for me to read,” then Absolum is truly a banger of an experience. With so many chefs involved (Supramonks, Dotemu, Guard Crush Games) I am pleasantly surprised by how tight and succinct the gameplay is. You can absolutely get lost in a delight of combos, spellwork, and tossable things, and you get better each and every time. The production is top notch, the characters are unique and the lore – as difficult as it can be to glean – is fascinating. Dotemu has made themselves known for their beat-em-ups, and Absolum takes the formula to a new, fantastic level.

Absolum is available now on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5.

Reviewed on PC.

A copy of Absolum was provided by the publisher.