Abathor

About

Abathor is a single player and multiplayer arcade platformer game. It was developed by Pow Pixel Games and was released on July 25, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

"Know, oh prince, that in the years when Atlantis ruled the oceans, sins and arrogance unleashed fierce demons. When everything seemed lost, four heroes arrived to close the Gates of Abathor.” The Atlantean civilization has angered the gods. They have sent hordes of monsters to punish Atlantis by destroying the continent. Players must cooperate and compete to save Atlantis, going through a series…

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 173 reviews

gameplay15 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Abathor is a nostalgic throwback to classic arcade games like Rastan and Golden Axe, featuring beautiful pixel art and an engaging soundtrack that captures the essence of the 16-bit era.
The game offers a diverse selection of four characters, each with unique abilities and playstyles, enhancing replayability and allowing for strategic gameplay, especially in local co-op mode.
The level design is varied and challenging, with over 50 hand-crafted stages that keep the gameplay fresh and exciting, rewarding players for skillful play and exploration.

The game features a punishing difficulty curve, with a lack of checkpoints between levels that can lead to frustration, especially for less experienced players.
Some players have reported issues with the controls feeling sluggish and hitboxes being inconsistent, which can detract from the overall gameplay experience.
The upgrade system is criticized for being underwhelming, with minor percentage increases that do not significantly impact gameplay, leading to a sense of lack of progression.

gameplay
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
74%
4%
Gameplay in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the distinct mechanics and character diversity, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic and easy, lacking depth and challenge. The controls are generally responsive, but some find the movement mechanics stiff and the early stages dull, which may hinder replayability. Overall, while the game captures the essence of classic arcade titles with its nostalgic feel, it could benefit from more varied mechanics and a more engaging difficulty curve.
- “The gameplay is fast-paced and challenging, with tight, responsive controls that capture the spirit of arcade classics.”
- “You play as one of four heroes, each drawn from different archetypes—Crantor the barbarian, Sais the warrior maiden, Kritias the ninja, and Azaes the warlock—each offering distinct gameplay mechanics, special attacks, and strategic strengths.”
- “The pixel art is beautiful, the music is fun to nod along to, there's great diversity in environments and mechanics even before you consider that each of the four characters plays differently with meaningful strengths and weaknesses.”
- “The vast majority are far too easy or just use RPG mechanics in place of more straightforward game mechanics to solve the problem of trying to make gameplay interesting.”
- “The gameplay itself is a 2D platformer with lots of enemies to hack and slash, almost like a beat-em-up, and lots of obstacles to traverse, jump over, or climb under.”
- “Gameplay is solid for the most part with a few places where it could use some smoothing out.”
music
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
34%
5%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its nostalgic chiptune-inspired soundtrack, reminiscent of classic 16-bit titles, which perfectly complements the visual style and enhances the gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the distinct musical identities of each zone, the catchy and varied tracks, and the overall quality of the composition, although some note that certain pieces can be repetitive. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that evokes a strong sense of nostalgia and fits seamlessly within the game's retro aesthetic.
- “Musically, the game complements its visual style with a chiptune-inspired soundtrack that sets the tone perfectly.”
- “Each zone has a distinct musical identity that reinforces the world’s mythic tone, and the tracks adapt well to the escalating intensity of gameplay.”
- “The soundtrack truly shines while conveying an epic sense of adventure.”
- “Music is too repetitive.”
- “The music could be better, however.”
- “The soundtrack has a solid amount of variety that keeps you interested and only gets better the more you progress in the game.”
graphics
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
52%
9%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning pixel art, rich detail, and smooth animations that evoke a nostalgic 16-bit aesthetic. While many reviewers appreciate the vibrant environments and overall visual quality, some note inconsistencies in texture quality across different levels, which can detract from immersion. Overall, the visuals are celebrated as a love letter to classic gaming, complemented by a fitting soundtrack that enhances the experience.
- “The pixel art visuals are gorgeous, with rich detail and smooth animations, and each environment—from poisonous swamps to ancient ruins—feels alive with atmosphere.”
- “The graphics remind me of a high-budget 16-bit game, with amazing pixel art, backgrounds, and animation all crafted with lots of care, and the music is glorious.”
- “Authentic retro aesthetic: the game features detailed pixel art and a chiptune soundtrack that effectively capture the essence of 16-bit classics.”
- “The graphics look very empty, like a screen full of the same 16x16 tile of sand, which gives me kind of no immersion in the scene.”
- “On the same topic, I felt like the later worlds also had better visuals for the tiles, where the first three sometimes didn't have a good texture on the rocks, looking cheaper than the second half of the game, but the effects like water and overall coloring still looked good.”
- “Like Atlantis looks twice as good as most of the early areas, so it just feels a little odd that you have such gaps in visuals.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The story of the game is set in the mythical land of Atlantis, where players embark on a quest to close the gates of Abathor while battling various monsters and bosses. As players progress, they unlock lore articles that enrich the narrative and provide depth to the characters, each of whom has a unique backstory and skillset. Overall, the story is well-received for its engaging premise and the additional lore that enhances the gaming experience.
- “Set in the mythical land of Atlantis, players embark on a quest to close the gates of Abathor, battling hordes of monsters and formidable bosses along the way.”
- “The more you progress through the areas, the more you unlock story articles that tell you about the characters, premise, and story that is unfolding, and they're pretty good as well for a game of this type.”
- “Every level also makes available some lore text about the characters and world that help flesh out the story and setting.”
- “There's a story, and the characters have some life to them if you read the lore.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game offers significant replayability through its diverse character selection, multiple difficulty modes, and the pursuit of true endings and achievements. While some players find the initial stages too easy, which may deter repeated playthroughs, the variety of heroes and gameplay strategies encourages exploration and experimentation. Overall, the combination of unique abilities and co-op options enhances the game's longevity and replay value.
- “To get the true ending, you have to clear epic mode, which only unlocks after beating heroic mode, so there's plenty of replay value.”
- “Amazing game with lots of replay value!”
- “Abathor lets players choose from four distinct characters, each with their own combat style, strengths, and special abilities — adding a welcome layer of strategy and replayability.”
- “Gameplay is pretty solid, but I do have one serious gripe: as with most modern games now, the first few hours are way too easy and dull, which will seriously reduce the game's replayability as I can't see people wanting to keep redoing those early stages.”
- “It might be the longest arcade sidescroller I ever played, at least 4 to 5 hours on the lowest difficulty, potentially much longer if you play with only 5 credits, not to mention some replay value if you go for the true ending or replaying with different characters.”
- “Very long for an arcade game, even if you only play it once it still feels very long, not counting replay value with true ending or achievement hunting or playing it with different characters.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its chaotic and strategic gameplay, especially when played with friends, leading to shared laughter over mishaps and unexpected challenges. Players find joy in the game's unoptimized nature, which adds to the comedic experience, making it enjoyable for all ages. Overall, the game fosters a lighthearted atmosphere that enhances the fun of cooperative play.
- “Playing with friends transforms the game into a chaotic, hilarious, and deeply strategic experience.”
- “It's something special when my 7-year-old kid and I love playing the same game, cooperating and laughing our heads off when we fail to kill or dodge a bird mid-air and fall to our deaths.”
- “But this is not only more bearable (and extremely funny) when you’re with friends, as you can promptly understand what got you as well.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its stunning pixel art visuals and smooth animations, creating vibrant environments that feel alive, from swamps to ruins. The retro aesthetic and engaging overworld music contribute to a captivating atmosphere that significantly shifts the player's mood, making it a delightful experience. Overall, the combination of visual detail and sound design effectively immerses players in the game's world.
- “Sometimes, after getting frustrated on competitive games like SF6, I change to a beat 'em up, and everything changes: my mood, the atmosphere, etc. This one is really good, and I've been having a lot of fun since I bought Abathor!”
- “Great retro atmosphere.”
- “The overworld music is an earworm, and it fits the atmosphere perfectly.”
- “In fact, even Castlevania 1 from the NES had a bigger range of tiles, with everything made to support the atmosphere.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game initially enjoyable, but it quickly becomes tedious after a couple of hours, as they are left with repetitive tasks and a lack of long-term objectives.
- “Started out fun, but after 2 hours, the levels become long and tedious.”
- “Just grinding and crafting with no long-term goal in sight.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly on the Steam Deck with responsive controls and no reported bugs or glitches.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players describing it as a "hilariously unoptimized mess" that affects gameplay, such as difficulty in reaching ledges and inconsistent performance during boss fights. Overall, the poor optimization detracts significantly from the gaming experience.
- “This game is a hilariously unoptimized mess.”
- “I still could not reach the ledges I was barely able to reach, bosses still took the same amount of damage, and I couldn't tell if I was running faster due to the horrid performance.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is highlighted as a strong point, featuring varied and interesting combat alongside beautiful and sometimes disturbing art, which enhances the overall experience and depth of the characters.
- “This is just an excellent time, with varied, interesting combat, beautiful (and sometimes disturbing) art, and cool character design.”