Pale Abyss

About

Descend into the Pale Abyss, a cursed chasm where the forgotten truths of a dying world fester in its depths. Inspired by games such as King’s Field and Shadow Tower, Pale Abyss is a first-person action RPG about exploration and adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 52 reviews

graphics10 positive mentions

optimization2 negative mentions

The game features beautiful visuals and a charming soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
Exploration is rewarding, with interesting level design that encourages players to discover hidden paths and secrets.
The magic system is fun to use, and the combat, while simple, provides a decent challenge.

There is a lack of enemy variety and AI issues, with some enemies being unresponsive or too simplistic.
The UI feels rudimentary and could benefit from a more polished overhaul, along with missing sound effects for various actions.
The charged attack mechanic lacks incentive, as it consumes more stamina without providing significant benefits over regular attacks.

graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
25%
13%
The game's graphics have received mixed reviews, with many praising the impressive art style and beautiful visuals that enhance the overall aesthetic and atmosphere. However, there are significant concerns regarding optimization, as even high-end hardware struggles to maintain performance at higher settings, leading to a frustrating experience for some players. Overall, while the artistic direction is celebrated, technical execution appears to be lacking.
- “The style of the graphics is just really impressive.”
- “What a great vertical slice, and you nailed the feeling and aesthetic perfectly.”
- “The visuals are extremely beautiful and have a charming soundtrack.”
- “Graphics are atrocious even on ultra.”
- “Optimization is icky; my rig is pretty CPU necked, but I'm pretty sure something isn't right when an RTX 3080 12GB gets obliterated past medium graphics preset. The game is pretty simple in nature (and in looks), and there's barely any complex physics being calculated, besides, I guess, dropped items.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
10%
10%
The game's music is generally praised for its charm and atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience with beautiful visuals. However, some players feel it becomes repetitive over time and lacks the necessary momentum and depth, suggesting a need for improvement in these areas.
- “Music is awesome, atmosphere is great, playing in 4:3 aspect was cool.”
- “The visuals are extremely beautiful and have a charming soundtrack.”
- “Beautiful visuals, great music, interesting level design that encourages exploration and nice combat too.”
- “The music, despite its quality, desperately needs a revamp concerning momentum, power, and depth (especially momentum)!”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The gameplay is generally enjoyable, featuring promising combat mechanics and a rewarding exploration system reminiscent of King's Field, with hidden resources scattered throughout levels. However, players feel that the combat could benefit from additional depth, such as dodges and attack combos, and that certain mechanics, like the attack charge, are underdeveloped. Overall, while the design intentions are solid, there are areas that need refinement for a more satisfying experience.
- “I enjoyed the gameplay and hope we get to see a lot more.”
- “There are hints of King's Field inspirations, like scattered and hidden resources around the level, a feel of reward from exploring all corners of paths (there aren't many items/equipment to play around with, but good design intentions are there), and the attack charge mechanic being present, albeit not fleshed out as it could have been.”
- “Good mechanics are there, though the numbers don't feel right.”
- “The combat mechanics need to be deepened with maybe dodges or attack combos.”
- “There are hints of King's Field inspirations, like scattered and hidden resources around the level, creating a sense of reward from exploring all corners of the paths. However, there aren't many items or equipment to play around with, and while the design intentions are good, the attack charge mechanic is present but not fleshed out as it could have been.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the impressive music and the unique experience of playing in a 4:3 aspect ratio, which enhances the overall ambiance.
- “The atmosphere is godly.”
- “The music is awesome, and the atmosphere is great.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization of the game is widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues even on high-end hardware like the RTX 3080, particularly at higher graphics settings. Users experience severe stuttering and unresponsive controls, suggesting that the game's optimization is inadequate given its relatively simple graphics and mechanics.
- “Optimization is icky; my rig is pretty CPU-bound, but I'm pretty sure something isn't right when an RTX 3080 12GB gets obliterated past medium graphics preset. The game is pretty simple in nature (and in looks), and there's barely any complex physics being calculated, besides, I guess, dropped items.”
- “The mouse feels like it’s being controlled via seance; the stuttering is aggressive, and I feel like I just opened Task Manager mid-game.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marred by buggy enemy AI, with reports of enemies failing to move or attack, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience.
- “The AI of the enemies is sometimes buggy; they do not move and do not attack.”