Absolum Review - An Absolute Must Play Roguelite Beat 'Em Up?

Absolum

PC/SWITCH/PS

10/9/25

Dotemu/Guard Crush Games/Supamonks

From the creative minds that brought us Streets of Rage 4’s hard-hitting combat and beautiful art style comes Absolum, a new fantasy-themed brawler with Roguelite elements. It’s a unique twist on the familiar arcade beat-'em-up formula, with some light RPG elements and even branching paths adding to replayability. But is Absolum an absolute must-own game? Or does it die by the sword? Let’s find out in our full review!

Absolum is an arcade-style brawler with a twist that allows for up to two players either locally or online. Let’s get the elephant out of the room—I wish this game had allowed for three players at once, as it seems perfectly set up for that to work. But instead, players are able to randomly hire mercenaries for a cost that can temporarily fight alongside them. It’s a strange choice and I would have preferred playing with another human, but thankfully that’s about the biggest flaw you’ll find in this outstanding new release. And who knows, I am sure the developers tested things and maybe the balance wasn’t quite there. 

The story of Absolum is completely drenched in fantasy. The use of magic by wizards is at the center of our tale, which has led to distrust among everyday folks. Amidst the chaos, a sun king takes advantage, enslaving wizards on a quest to overtake various realms. But as more land is swallowed up, warriors rise to the occasion to fight against this evil and save the world from certain doom. While it’s not the most original of storylines, it’s well told in Absolum, further brought to life by the occasional beautifully animated cutscene, such as we see in the game’s intro.

Absolum has a main critical path that can be followed, which can technically be completed around the 8-hour mark. The main story, however, can take around 20 hours or so to get through, and you can tack on an additional 10 hours at least if you want to see everything the game has to offer. While some of its systems may seem a bit daunting at first if you’ve gone into it thinking you’ll be playing just another brawler, the game is quite accessible and easy to pick up and play once you’ve gone through a run or two.

Absolum follows a familiar Roguelite structure that has you brawling through locations, ultimately failing at some point, and using many of the currencies that you’ve gathered to upgrade characters and become stronger for the next run. There’s a hub base of sorts where all your upgrading is done, and during gameplay, you’ll continually grow this area as you stumble across new characters that want to join you—whether it be as a playable character or a villager that will assist you in a variety of ways.

The actual brawling mechanics are quite simple—you have a few standard attacks, a dodge, and magical abilities. You can, of course, run, jump, and really that’s about all you’ll need to start chaining together epic combos and juggles. Combat feels really fluid in Absolum, as my co-op partner and I were haplessly juggling enemies into oblivion in no time. Eventually, you’ll even unlock a screen-filling super attack that can dish out massive amounts of damage. You can also grab and toss enemies, pick up items to use against them, and even ride beasts just like the Golden Axe days!

Players can expect to pick up various items that increase their strength across each run, stumble across camps where they can heal, and, of course, battle epic bosses to the death. But what you might not have been anticipating is the game’s somewhat open nature. The world is quite large, presented on a map that can be accessed at any time, and occasionally you’ll need to choose different paths to take. Quests will update as you progress through the game, meaning that certain paths will be more beneficial than others. This helps the Roguelite loop feel fresher than the norm for this genre, though, of course, some re-treading is to be expected. Just as in any other Roguelite, you’ll see the same enemies, same bosses, same locations multiple times—but it’s a bit more digestible here.       

Each character also plays differently from one another, though they aren’t all accessible from the get-go. Whether you prefer the brute strength of a Dwarf or magic and speed, the roster offers enough variety to keep each run feeling fresh. Every character has their own skill tree to be upgraded, meaning that it’s worth playing as more than one hero the entire time. On top of that, there are other skills to be unlocked that benefit the party as a whole. Like I said, the game has systems and depth—especially when compared to most arcade brawlers—almost reminding me a bit of the excellent classic Dungeons & Dragons games, Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara, with a more modern-day spin.

If things get a bit too grindy for you—or difficult, for that matter—fear not, as accessibility options can tweak how much damage you take and how much you’ll dish out. This means that if you’re frustrated with a specific boss, you can technically cheese the fight so that you can progress forward. Accessibility options are always welcome, as it means more people can enjoy the game how they’d like to. Outside of accessibility, the game ran very well on my PC without any major issues to report, and it is playable on Steam Deck too, where, despite the smaller screen, it looks and runs great at a nice 60fps. Maybe not the ideal way to play for two players, but a good option if you want to go it alone portably.

When it comes to the visuals, Absolum is gorgeous. The hand-drawn art pops off the screen and is brimming with personality. Animations are smooth, character and enemy designs are top-notch, and cinematic touches like cutscenes shine. Menu design is also sleek, easily navigated, and simple to access. It’s a gorgeous game further brought to life by some excellent sound design that features an eclectic mix of orchestral compositions and even the occasional metal track that caught me a bit off guard. Voice performances are also well done, rounding out an outstanding visual and audio package.

Absolum is an outstanding brawler mixed with Roguelite mechanics that stands out as one of 2025’s best releases. Its gameplay elements come together beautifully, creating an addicting experience that is only heightened by its incredible art and sound design. It’s fun, user-friendly, and offers hours of entertainment that fans of arcade brawlers open to some light roguelite and RPG elements won’t want to miss out on. With different characters to master, upgrades to unlock, and lore tucked into each run, Absolum rewards players time and time again. This title will easily make my indie game of the year list in just a few months.

GOLD - ESSENTIAL