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Absolver

Combining unique and rewarding combat with the freedom to explore its beautiful areas in any order you see fit, Absolver is one of the best adventures of the year.
73%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, stability
72% User Score Based on 18,340 reviews
Critic Score 74%Based on 37 reviews

Platforms

Mac OSMac OSPCPCPlaystation 4Playstation 4Playstation 5Playstation 5WindowsWindowsXbox OneXbox OneXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SLinuxLinuxPlayStationPlayStationXboxXbox

About

In "Absolver: Digital Deluxe Edition", become an Absolver and engage in intense combat in theAdalian Mines, either solo or in online cooperative play, with the new Faejin Combat Style. This expansion, "Absolver: Downfall", offers a new game mode, a new combat style, school challenges, and additional gear. The package also includes an official soundtrack and a digital artbook.

Absolver screenshot
Absolver screenshot
Absolver screenshot
Absolver screenshot
Absolver screenshot
Absolver screenshot
Absolver screenshot
Absolver screenshot
Absolver screenshot
Absolver screenshot
Absolver screenshot
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72%
Audience ScoreBased on 18,377 reviews
story508 positive mentions
grinding607 negative mentions

  • The combat mechanics are unique and highly praised, allowing for customizable fighting styles that provide a rewarding experience for players willing to invest time.
  • The game's art style and atmosphere are beautiful, creating an immersive experience that enhances gameplay.
  • The multiplayer aspect is enjoyable, with a humorous community and engaging interactions during PvP matches.
  • The game suffers from a short length and lack of content, with the single-player experience often feeling like a brief tutorial.
  • Many players report significant performance issues, including bugs, glitches, and server instability that detract from the overall enjoyment.
  • The narrative is criticized for being extremely short and lacking depth, leaving players wanting more context and engagement with the game's world.
  • story
    3,633 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Absolver" is widely criticized for being extremely short and lacking depth, with most players completing it in about 3 to 6 hours. Many reviews describe the narrative as more of a tutorial than a fully fleshed-out experience, often leaving players wanting more context and engagement with the game's world. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and the potential for deeper lore, the consensus is that the game primarily focuses on its combat mechanics rather than a compelling storyline.

    • “The story is very interesting to me, doing a good amount of show, don't tell but telling you when it needs to.”
    • “The story is short, but you can still roam around and kill enemies in the map after completing the story.”
    • “The story, while short, does leave you wanting for more.”
    • “The story is very short, so if you are here for a deep story then look elsewhere, friend.”
    • “The story is essentially nonexistent: you're tasked with defeating a series of bosses in the world, and then a final boss, but there's really no narrative to speak of besides bookending the front and back.”
    • “The story unfortunately holds back the reins, and is quick and not explained well at a first playthrough.”
  • gameplay
    3,610 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of *Absolver* is characterized by its unique combat mechanics, allowing players to create customizable fighting styles through a "combat deck" system. While many players praise the depth and fluidity of the fighting mechanics, they also note the game's short length and lack of content, with the single-player experience often described as a brief tutorial for the more engaging PvP elements. Overall, the game offers a rewarding experience for those willing to invest time in mastering its mechanics, but it suffers from issues like server instability and a dwindling player base, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “The gameplay is phenomenal and one of my favorite fighting systems ever created, really giving that 'becoming a master' feeling when you sink in the time to learn moves.”
    • “Absolver has always been one of my favorite games in both gameplay and style.”
    • “The combat mechanics are amazing, probably best I've ever seen, and the variety of moves is incredible.”
    • “The gameplay is similar to that of For Honor, but with some deckbuilder elements.”
    • “This game is pretty much a showcase of a very nice combat system with a moderately steep learning curve and very little gameplay otherwise.”
    • “The dodge mechanic sometimes does not work, counter gets countered, etc.”
  • graphics
    2,137 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Absolver" are widely praised for their unique and beautiful art style, which combines minimalistic and stylized elements to create an immersive atmosphere. Many players appreciate the fluid animations and vibrant environments, noting that the visuals enhance the overall gameplay experience. However, some users report performance issues and graphical glitches, particularly on lower-end systems, which can detract from the enjoyment of the game. Overall, while the graphics are not considered cutting-edge, they are seen as a strong point of the game, contributing to its artistic identity.

    • “The art and aesthetic of the game is beautiful.”
    • “The graphics are highly stylized and that helps them to not feel too outdated.”
    • “The visuals are hands down beautiful to admire and enjoy.”
    • “Awful, I can run Witcher 3 on max settings but can't run this on low. I had it for not even an hour because I spent more time looking up how to fix it than actually playing it. Reinstalled my drivers and the game multiple times, nothing works, constant FPS drops no matter the graphics settings, and the motion blur is ridiculous and you can't even turn it off.”
    • “The graphics are pretty terrible and it's not very optimized, especially when you need to do frame-perfect dodges and attacks, but you can't because the game drops frames a lot. Like it's 1 year old and optimization is nothing new, so I don't know how they are having these problems.”
    • “I have a hard time sticking with it because of the 'bare-bones' graphics (I find these 'robot' graphics a bit hard to look at). If the graphics weren't so computer-ish, it probably would've been a lot better received by people.”
  • grinding
    617 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback from players. Many find the extensive grinding for moves, gear, and levels to be tedious and repetitive, especially after completing the short main story, which can take only a few hours. However, some players appreciate the grind as a necessary part of mastering the combat system and enjoy the challenge it presents, indicating that while grinding is prevalent, it can also be rewarding for those who engage with it fully.

    • “Besides that, PvP is what you'll be doing for the majority of your time spent playing if you're not grinding cosmetics/moves.”
    • “Overall, a very pleasurable experience with enough challenge during fights and variety in location design to not be boring during fights and not tedious during exploration.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You will only need 3-4 hours to complete the main story and there aren't any more PvE content except grinding the areas again.”
    • “The progression is very grindy and tedious with no endgame to work for.”
    • “After you've completed the game you're left with a niche farming simulator and a poorly made roguelike mode where you run the exact same runs over and over again.”
  • music
    448 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its atmospheric qualities and ability to enhance immersion, while others find it forgettable or lacking in variety. Many appreciate the soundtrack's calming and rhythmic nature, which complements the game's art style and combat, but some feel it doesn't match the intensity of gameplay moments. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the experience, it could benefit from more variety and presence throughout the game.

    • “A strangely beautiful game with a complex combat system and a breathtaking soundtrack.”
    • “The soundtrack and visuals are also top-notch, providing an immersive experience that elevates the gameplay.”
    • “The music, art direction, sound design, and gameplay combine to be surprisingly relaxing and deeply engaging.”
    • “I bought this game a while ago and managed to get two characters each to level 60 but the grind needed to unlock the various kicks and punches burned me out long before I came close to finishing the game, and I became extremely tired of the soundtrack.”
    • “The music is okay but not really memorable, basically just background sounds.”
    • “The soundtrack is very uninvolved, forgettable, and has a horrible jump in volume whenever it does decide to play, which is usually in a boss fight or a fight with a marked one.”
  • stability
    354 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous players reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and connectivity issues that significantly detract from the overall experience. Many reviews highlight game-breaking problems such as crashes, invisible enemies, and lag during online play, leading to frustration among users. Despite its enjoyable combat mechanics and graphics, the lack of ongoing developer support since 2019 leaves the game feeling unfinished and riddled with unresolved issues.

    • “Runs great on my two year old PC.”
    • “I can't speak for everyone, but so far I'm 100% bug free and have been playing online most of the time.”
    • “But no glitches that break the game aside from an audio bug that makes the background music double over itself, increasing the volume, but can easily be solved by restarting the game.”
    • “This game is really buggy and abandoned by its developers (last update was 2019). Am I still going to play it? Yes. Is it going to make me break 5 keyboards, 3 mice, and 4 controllers? Yes.”
    • “Managed to convince a friend to buy it with me on release, but after a few hours of buggy online system and gameplay, we refunded it.”
    • “The game is full of glitches, bugs, and errors that just break the game.”
  • atmosphere
    278 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, haunting sound design, and immersive world-building, often drawing comparisons to the likes of Dark Souls. Players appreciate the unique blend of serene exploration and intense combat, although some note that the lack of a compelling narrative and variety in gameplay can detract from the overall experience. While the art style and ambiance create a captivating environment, opinions vary on the effectiveness of the soundtrack and the game's ability to maintain engagement over time.

    • “The atmosphere is impeccable (sound and visual design).”
    • “The graphics are wonderful, the atmosphere is amazing, and the fighting is something unlike any other game I have played.”
    • “The atmosphere is stunning, the combat is simple yet complex, and aside from the usual opening day problems all games encounter like glitches and server crashes, its core features are effective.”
    • “The initial charm wears off quickly, leaving you in a lifeless world with little to no atmosphere.”
    • “It's pretty with a dark-souls-style lonely atmosphere, but the world doesn't appear to be telling a story, so it just gets boring.”
    • “The world is very silent, with only a few bits of dialogue and a quiet atmosphere; it feels very grim and lonely.”
  • optimization
    225 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting smooth performance on decent hardware, while others experience significant frame drops and latency issues, particularly in online play. Many users express a desire for improved optimization, especially for lower-end systems and better network performance, indicating that while the game has potential, it currently suffers from various optimization shortcomings. Overall, the consensus suggests that the game needs further development to enhance its performance and stability.

    • “In terms of how the game looks, the simplistic approach to the models and textures means that the game can probably run smoothly on just about any kind of computer, as long as it's not a toaster - the art team did an amazing job making this game look gorgeous, even in its simplistic style.”
    • “I was surprised about the optimization of the game: runs perfectly on ultra with a 1050ti + i5 4460.”
    • “The art style is fantastic and the game is well optimized.”
    • “The game isn't optimized too great and is a bit of a resource hog, but I am keen to follow the development of this game and see where it goes.”
    • “This game is unoptimized and unless they bring out a fix, my suggestion is to stay away from this broken unoptimized sheet.”
    • “All in all, the game is fantastic but so much of it is gated behind poor performance.”
  • replayability
    170 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Replayability in "Absolver" is a mixed bag, heavily influenced by player engagement with its PvP elements. While some players find endless replay value through mastering combat mechanics and customizing their fighting styles, others criticize the limited PvE content and short campaign, leading to a lack of motivation to replay once the main story is completed. The recent "Downfall" update has introduced new modes and mechanics that enhance replayability, but opinions vary widely on the overall depth and longevity of the game's content.

    • “The variety of fighting styles makes the game replayable as wanted.”
    • “With the option of PvP and a bunch of different armor to collect, there is a good amount of replayability.”
    • “The game can be beaten quite fast, but it's always a pleasure to revisit some previous areas to learn new moves, and the newly added modes greatly increase the game's replayability.”
    • “Unfortunately, this game's been abandoned by its players due to its lack of content from its base game and its very non-replayable DLC dungeon that they introduced about 2 years ago, if my memory serves me right.”
    • “Although the game has absolutely zero replayability for me, once you have beaten the game (about 7 hours if you are progressing naturally and aren't a 100% person), then you are done. You can try and play another class, but you can pretty much just go to all boss areas again and win, again.”
    • “The game is good, too short unfortunately, and practically zero replayability.”
  • humor
    116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, with players enjoying funny moments during combat, amusing emotes, and the quirky interactions within the community. Many reviews mention the blend of competitiveness and humor in PvP matches, where players often find themselves laughing despite the frustrations of gameplay. Overall, the game's comedic elements, from character interactions to unexpected bugs, contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere that enhances the multiplayer experience.

    • “I also have to say the multiplayer aspect is awesome, being able to chill with people and use the funny emotes is great and the community is super helpful and welcoming.”
    • “The fighting is fun and engaging, the deck system for building your style is fantastic and the way you learn moves is both hilarious and gives a sense of progression.”
    • “Hilarious duels, knocking each other in the water.”
    • “Devs, this is not funny, this is really short!”
  • monetization
    58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization model of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players appreciating the absence of pay-to-win mechanics and real-money microtransactions, as all in-game currency is earned through gameplay. While some cosmetic microtransactions exist, they are not seen as intrusive, and the overall sentiment is that the developers prioritized the game's integrity over profit. However, there are concerns about the game's perceived rushed release and lack of additional content, leading some to view it as a potential cash grab.

    • “Devolver Digital could have cheapened this game and added microtransactions for extra cash, but they put the game first. Respect.”
    • “The game has no pay-to-win mechanics, no real money currency or microtransactions, and a plethora of intricate systems to learn and enjoy.”
    • “You level up really quickly, get rewarded after every won duel in PvP, and there are no microtransactions.”
    • “Absolver feels like a cash grab trying to fill in a gap after For Honor.”
    • “I wouldn't recommend this game for its current asking price because it's fairly clear this was rushed out the door as a cash grab and I'm almost certain there aren't any real intentions to add new combat trial modes (even though the padlocks at the top would imply there are at least 3 other modes coming).”
    • “Edit: my refund request got denied for no reason whatsoever so I'm stuck with this worthless cash grab.”
  • emotional
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players experience a significant emotional journey with the game, often feeling a mix of heartbreak and satisfaction, particularly during challenging moments like boss fights. While some criticize the storyline as thin and boring, others find deep emotional connections through gameplay mechanics and community engagement, leading to feelings of accomplishment and nostalgia. Overall, the game elicits a range of emotions, from frustration to heartwarming joy, making it a memorable experience for many.

    • “Had a bit of an emotional rollercoaster with this one.”
    • “For me, it's pretty heartbreaking.”
    • “This game is fair, a little enraging at times, but I cannot remember a time when I loved being so emotional towards a game.”
    • “Boring storyline (if one truly exists)”
    • “So-so, short, and very boring storyline”
    • “Boring story (basically very thin to no story)”
  • character development
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the fluid combat mechanics and the ability to create diverse move sets, while others criticize the lack of depth in character backstories and overall development. The character design is often praised for its visual appeal, though some find it simplistic or unoriginal. Overall, while the game excels in combat and aesthetics, it falls short in delivering a rich narrative and character growth.

    • “Definitely enjoy the character development and combat which is fluid and requires you to develop several different timing systems and then adapt/mix them on the fly (vs button mash while strafing around dodging everything). Fighting multiple foes at once is appropriately lethal.”
    • “The styles and character development are second to none.”
    • “With a simplistic character design which can affect the game massively later on, I would say this game plays simplicity in the most complex and amazing way possible.”
    • “There's very little character development.”
    • “The bosses have no backstory and there's no character development.”
    • “Even though there's not much character development or story, I'm still excited for more and hope that they don't just leave it there.”

Buy Absolver

9h Median play time
47h Average play time
4-30h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 232 analyzed playthroughs

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