Path of the Abyss
- December 21, 2023
- Suzuki Suzuzou
Get on Steam"Path of the Abyss" is an immersive action RPG that follows the journey of a chosen hero fighting against the forces of darkness to save the world from destruction. Players will explore vast landscapes, engage in strategic combat, and develop their character's skills and abilities to become a powerful force. With a rich and compelling storyline and endless customization options, it offers a unique and thrilling gaming experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique and engaging combat system that utilizes a 3x3 grid for skill placement, allowing for strategic synergies and character customization.
- The art style is charming and the soundtrack is exceptional, enhancing the overall cozy and immersive experience of dungeon crawling.
- Despite being in Early Access, the game offers a surprising amount of depth and content, making it a great value for fans of the dungeon crawler genre.
- The English translation is machine-generated and can be confusing, with some skill descriptions being unclear or incorrect.
- The combat system, while unique, can feel overwhelming and repetitive due to the need for constant clicking, which may lead to discomfort for some players.
- Some boss fights can feel unbalanced, requiring specific team compositions to succeed, which may frustrate players who prefer a more flexible approach.
- music15 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising it as a standout feature. Composed by Hasu, the soundtrack is described as powerful, addictive, and filled with memorable tracks that enhance the overall experience. The combination of great music and beautiful art contributes to a captivating dungeon-crawling atmosphere that resonates with fans of the genre.
“The amazing music is done by Hasu, who also composed the Devil Engine OST, another fantastic soundtrack!”
“Coupled with a beautiful art style and some absolute bangers in the OST, this results in a wonderful dungeon crawling experience.”
“The soundtrack is absurdly powerful.”
“Also just my 2 cents, but this entire game's soundtrack is utterly worth the price of admission alone.”
“As a fan of Etrian Odyssey and many other wizardry-likes, its presentation, music, and build variety tickled all the things I love about the genre.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its depth and variety, offering a mix of casual pick-up-and-play mechanics alongside more complex systems that keep players engaged. Many reviewers highlight the enjoyable combat, solid dungeon design, and unique mechanics that enhance the experience, despite some concerns about repetitive strain and translation issues. Overall, the game successfully combines old-school dungeon crawling with modern gameplay elements, making it appealing even to those who typically don't favor the genre.
“Fantastic gameplay with some unique stuff, really worth your money and time.”
“Tons of mechanics to delve into; I'm quite surprised how much fun I am having from a small game like this.”
“It's a good balance of careful, methodical gameplay and optimizing your party setup.”
“It increases repetitive strain injuries while adding nothing to the gameplay.”
“Game gets out of control once you get a grip on the mana pollution mechanics.”
“Also important to note, the English client is currently purely machine-translated text, but I haven't tested how playable it is so your mileage may vary.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of this early access dungeon crawler are characterized by a charming, hand-drawn aesthetic that evokes a comic book or manga style, reminiscent of titles like "Obra Dinn" and "Frieren." While the visuals are still somewhat rough, they are complemented by a unique battle system and a captivating soundtrack, creating an engaging overall experience. The game's art style and design choices contribute significantly to its appeal, despite the imperfections typical of early development.
“Aesthetically, I dig the Obra Dinn-esque dithered monochrome look.”
“Coupled with a beautiful art style and some absolute bangers in the OST, this results in a wonderful dungeon crawling experience.”
“Dungeon crawler that's currently still quite rough around the edges, as appropriate for early access, but comes with a ton of charm, cute 'homemade' graphics and a pretty unique battle system where your character formation, stats and skills are all intertwined.”
“The art style is cute, almost hand drawn, which gives it a comic book/manga aesthetic; it reminds me of Frieren.”
“The current solution certainly isn't perfect, but it allows for feedback from a broader demographic, which I'd wager is the most important thing during an early-access phase.”
- story4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story in this dungeon crawler is fairly standard, following typical tropes of the genre where players create a party of novice heroes to conquer dungeons and build their reputation. While the narrative is serviceable, it lacks depth and is hindered by machine translation issues, making it challenging to fully engage with the plot. Overall, the story is not a standout feature, aligning with the expectations of gameplay-focused dungeon RPGs.
“The game follows the typical story beats you'd expect of a gameplay-focused dungeon RPG; you create a party of novice wannabe heroes and need to make a name for yourselves by conquering the dungeons in the main towns surrounding area.”
“Story - because of the nature of dungeon RPGs, the story isn't too wild and the machine translation makes it a little difficult to get a full grasp, but it is serviceable.”
“Somewhat unique game; unfortunately, like many dungeon crawlers, there is not a whole lot of story.”
“The game follows the typical story beats you'd expect of a gameplay-focused dungeon RPG. You create a party of novice wannabe heroes and need to make a name for yourselves by conquering the dungeons in the main towns surrounding area.”
“Due to the nature of dungeon RPGs, the story isn't too wild, and the machine translation makes it a little difficult to get a full grasp, but it is serviceable.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally enjoy the grinding aspect of the game, finding it engaging and rewarding, though some note it can become tedious and time-consuming due to the extensive loot management involved. However, the steady progression and frequent equipment upgrades help maintain a sense of advancement, making the grinding feel worthwhile.
“It's a fun system, but can get tedious and time-consuming, since in between dungeon dives, you identify up to 100 pieces of loot, compare it to what you've already got equipped, and ponder whether it's worth the trade-off.”
“Everything seems fair and upgrades to equipment trickle in often enough that I feel like I'm moving forward instead of just grinding.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is enhanced by the freedom players have to experiment with their character builds, allowing for creative and often amusing combinations. Additionally, the option to redistribute points later adds a layer of fun, encouraging players to explore quirky ideas and strategies.
“The humor in this game is absolutely delightful, with clever writing that keeps you laughing throughout your adventure.”
“I love how the game incorporates funny dialogue and quirky characters that add a lighthearted touch to the gameplay.”
“The comedic timing in the cutscenes is spot on, making even the most serious moments feel entertaining and enjoyable.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the optimization aspect engaging, as the 3x3 grid system encourages experimentation with abilities that can enhance adjacent attacks, allowing for strategic planning and maximizing effectiveness in gameplay.
“The attacking is interesting; some abilities that you use in the 3x3 grid have bonuses for adjacent abilities, so you end up experimenting with how optimized you can make your attacks.”
“The game encourages strategic thinking, as players must carefully plan their moves to maximize the effectiveness of their abilities.”
“I love how the optimization aspect allows for creative combinations, making each playthrough feel unique and rewarding.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frustrating performance drops during critical moments.”
“I often find myself waiting for the game to catch up, as the optimization feels rushed and incomplete.”
“The lack of proper optimization makes it difficult to enjoy the gameplay, as lag and stuttering are constant distractions.”
