Hailing from the Abyss
- August 19, 2024
- VIA Studio (Visual Interactive Arts)
Get on Steam"Hailing from the Abyss" is a rhythm-based game where you journey through distinct stages with unique enemies and original soundtracks, battling against memories in a mesmerizing pixel art style. The game features over 20 hand-crafted stages, multiple chapters with unique enemies, power-ups, consumables, and a duel system. Your protagonist is on a train ride home, wearing headphones and dozing off, causing the memories to come to life.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a great soundtrack with many enjoyable tracks that complement the gameplay.
- The pixel art style and visuals are appealing, providing a unique aesthetic for the rhythm game genre.
- The game offers a decent challenge, especially for experienced players, and has potential for improvement with regular updates.
- The note mapping and timing are often off, leading to frustrating gameplay where hits do not register correctly.
- The game suffers from excessive visual effects and flashing lights that can be disorienting and hinder performance.
- There are numerous bugs and a lack of quality-of-life features, such as audio adjustments and intuitive controls, which detract from the overall experience.
- music40 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the soundtrack as well-executed and well-synced with gameplay, while others criticize the lack of originality and variety, noting that many tracks feel repetitive. Although some enjoy the chiptune and remixed elements, issues with timing and arrow placement detract from the overall rhythm experience. Overall, while the music is appreciated by many, it could benefit from more diversity and improved synchronization with gameplay mechanics.
“The soundtrack of the game is just amazing, and the level design is top-notch.”
“The charting is well-executed, syncing nicely with the music.”
“In terms of soundtracks, each song feels carefully chosen to complement the gameplay and even after replaying the song countless times it still gets you in the zone.”
“The music lags behind the hit boxes of the arrows.”
“Music also lacks a lot of variety.”
“Not to compare to things like In The Groove, DDR, or even Stepmania, but timing is key and it's all over the place in this game and takes away a lot of the fun factor when you see arrows jumbled and not flowing to the song properly.”
- story10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally appreciated for adding depth and charm, with some users enjoying its humor and character design. However, critiques highlight a slow pacing in text delivery and a confusing narrative that lacks clarity, making it difficult for some players to grasp the main point. Overall, while the storytelling may not be strong, it contributes positively to the game's experience.
“Nevertheless, I very much liked and enjoyed the game, story, and the music.”
“As you complete stages in the game, you will be unlocking dialogues about the story.”
“Also adding a story has given the game depth.”
“The text boxes for the story are slow and linger on screen for a few seconds before they let you continue.”
“The storytelling of the game is not strong; it has some funny lines that provide a little break between the rhythm sections.”
“The story is confusingly vague.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally engaging, enhanced by a well-curated soundtrack, but is marred by performance issues such as lag due to intense lighting effects. Players have noted potential mechanics flaws, such as the ability to bypass challenges by pressing all keys simultaneously, and while the duel format adds visual appeal, it does not significantly enhance the rhythm mechanics. Overall, it offers a satisfactory experience, though it is not without its bugs and gameplay concerns.
“In terms of soundtracks, each song feels carefully chosen to complement the gameplay, and even after replaying the song countless times, it still gets you in the zone.”
“Provides a satisfactory gaming experience with decent graphics and gameplay, making it a solid choice for the genre.”
“The intense lighting effects cause the gameplay to lag so much on certain levels.”
“I found that simultaneously pressing all keys allowed me to bypass challenges, indicating potential issues with the current gameplay mechanics.”
“Hailing from the Abyss has a slight gimmick to its gameplay as it is in a 'duel' format, but this only enhances the visual part of the gameplay and doesn't add much to the rhythm sections mechanics-wise.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed feedback, with some praising the cute art style and stunning pixel animations that enhance immersion and gameplay experience. However, issues with note mapping and calibration detract from the overall visual experience, as players report problems with note registration and obstructed graphics. Overall, while the aesthetic is appealing, technical flaws hinder the graphics' effectiveness.
“The cute graphics and combat style make the game immersive.”
“Stunning visuals.”
“The aesthetic of the pixel art and animation work nicely together!”
“I have no idea what is happening with the mapping and graphics of the notes, but the calibration needs an automatic timed beat version. Fun so far, but I'm having a stroke actively knowing I hit notes and they just aren't registering.”
“Ever since one of the early chapters, a significant amount of the hold notes for the first column have the hold bar graphic showing up on the second column instead, obstructing the notes that are on the second column.”
“The graphics are decent, but there are noticeable issues that detract from the overall experience.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game suffers from notable stability issues, including bugs and poorly designed charting that can be difficult to read. While some players find it workable, those with higher skill levels may find the difficulty balance unsatisfactory, with hard charts lacking challenge and easy charts being overly simplistic.
“The game is buggy and the charting is a bit of a mess, making it hard to read. It would be nice if there was a scroll speed adjuster, but there isn't, which makes it feel clustered. If you're an avid rhythm game player, this game is definitely not for you.”
“The stability issues are frustrating, with frequent bugs that disrupt gameplay. The charts are poorly designed, making it difficult to enjoy the experience.”
“Overall, the game lacks stability. The bugs and messy charting detract from the enjoyment, especially for players who expect a higher level of quality in rhythm games.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the game's storytelling may not be its strongest feature, it includes some humorous lines that provide a welcome break during intense gameplay sections.
“Although the storytelling of the game is not strong, it has some funny lines that provide a nice break between the rhythm sections.”
“The humor in this game is spot on, with clever jokes that keep you chuckling throughout your adventure.”
“I love how the game balances its serious moments with hilarious dialogue that always catches me off guard.”
