I approach every roguelite FPS with the same checklist: responsive guns, meaningful progression, and a loop that rewards skill over luck. Abyssus hits that checklist most of the time. I split my play between testing builds and grinding leaderboards, and DoubleMoose Games’ brinepunk shooter delivers a sharp, focused ride. It rewards precision, pushes co-op coordination, and looks and sounds like the ocean swallowed a factory.
Overall Impressions
Abyssus shines in its pace and the feel of its weapons. Choosing a loadout and diving into the ruins of a sunken civilization never gets old. Guns feel unique. Recoil and fire rate force you to pay attention. The “godly powers” you find mid-run add exciting choices—do you pick crowd control or focus on heavy single-target damage? Those decisions lead to tense, satisfying moments where narrow fights turn into flowing dances of movement, cover, and burst fire.
The campaign and narrative framing work but are not the focus. World-building is intriguing—brinepunk style and a drowned civilization feel rich—but story beats are sparse. At launch, matchmaking and save quirks hurt first impressions. The team moved quickly on fixes, but some early reviews focused on those bugs instead of the core game.
Compared to other Genres
If you’ve played Roboquest or other fast roguelite shooters, Abyssus will feel familiar in pace and loop. Its ocean setting and the way powers mix with weapons set it apart. This is not a narrative-heavy roguelite. It’s built for players who want repeatable, skill-based runs with endless build paths.
Gameplay Mechanics
Abyssus’ mechanics are where it shines. Loadout customization is deep enough to support multiple viable playstyles—shotgun brawling, pinpoint sniper play, and mid-range sustained fire. The god-powers are integrated well: they’re not just flashy bonuses but modifiers that alter encounters. A gravity-warping power can turn an arena fight into a vertical chess match; an area-corruption power forces you to rethink spacing.
Gunplay feels deliberate. Recoil, ammo economy, and alt-fire options make each weapon feel earned. Movement is quick without being slippery; strafing and environmental use are core to survival. Roguelite progression is handled judiciously: you unlock weapons and modifiers that alter future runs while still preserving the run-to-run tension. Permadeath exists, but persistent unlocks ensure each run advances your options rather than wasting time.
What doesn’t work as well: enemy variety could be deeper. The corrupted denizens are visually distinct, but some attack patterns repeat too often, and a handful of bosses lean on spongy tank mechanics rather than inventive phases. The matchmaker bug at launch—players reported trouble joining sessions via the session finder—was a notable practical issue; a simple workaround was to use Steam invites or play solo. The developers responded rapidly with fixes, which is encouraging.
Story and Characters
Abyssus offers a haunting setting: a sunken civilization with brinepunk technology and religious overtones. The writing and environmental storytelling are strongest when they let the world speak through ruins and artifacts rather than through long expository passages. Characters are not the game’s main hook—NPCs and voice snippets exist, but the focus is on emergent stories you create in a run. As a player focused on mechanics, I appreciated that design choice, though players seeking rich character arcs may find the narrative thin.
Visuals and Graphics
The game nails its brinepunk identity. The palette of greens, deep blues, corroded brass, and bioluminescent highlights creates a distinct, atmospheric world that feels both ancient and industrial. Level design often rewards exploration with vertical spaces, submerged caverns, and mechanical monstrosities half-swallowed by coral. Performance has been stable on my rigs, with effects like water particles and dynamic lighting amplifying the claustrophobic, underwater-cavern tone. There are moments—especially in boss arenas—where the visuals combine with design to deliver genuine awe.
Sound and Music
The audio is a quiet triumph. The soundtrack uses industrial percussion woven with creaking shipwood and distant whale-like tones to keep tension high. Sound effects are punchy; weapon hits and enemy deaths feel substantial. Voice work is minimal but effective—line readings are functional and help maintain tone without overwhelming the action. The audio mix supports clarity in hectic engagements, which is vital in fast shooters.
Difficulty and Replayability
Abyssus sits on the harder side of the roguelite curve, especially for players who avoid passive defensive builds. Difficulty is fair: encounters demand learning and discipline rather than blind stat stacking. The random elements keep runs fresh, but the persistent unlocks and wide weapon variety are what drive replayability. I’ve run similar maps dozens of times and still found new viable synergies. Player feedback mirrors my experience: many players praise the core loop and builds, with a minority tripped up by early technical hiccups that, by accounts and patches, were largely resolved.
Developer Responsiveness and Trivia
DoubleMoose Games is a smaller studio with an obvious love for systems design. The Arcade Crew has been their publisher for this project, and the partnership shows—the game feels polished and supported. Post-launch, the team moved quickly to address the session finder and save/achievement issues some players reported. That responsiveness matters for a live-service-ish roguelite where community trust is fragile.
Final Thoughts
Abyssus is a must-play for players who love weapon mastery, build experimentation, and co-op ferocity. It is not the roguelite for those seeking a deep character drama, but its combat and atmosphere make it a standout in the space. There are rough edges—matchmaking and a couple of design nitpicks—but the heart of the game is strong and rewarding.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
If you’re a focused, competitive player like me, Abyssus will keep you tinkering, learning, and coming back. If you jump in at launch and encounter matchmaking problems, try a Steam invite or solo play while the team patches things—this is a game that deserves to be judged on its runs, not on a temporary lobby hiccup.
