When Abyssus first dredged itself up and into view at last year’s PC Gaming Show, I was immediately struck by its glowy firearms, which appeared moddable on the fly and unique in the world of co-op FPS. I love Deep Rock’s flamethrowers and Vermintide’s swords and sorcery just fine, but let me have my cake and eat it too with a gun I can stuff full of magic gubbins and whatnot.
It seems like that’s developer DoubleMoose’s exact intention, as a press release from the game’s publisher today noted Abyssus’ primary inspiration was "frequent sessions of playing Deep Rock Galactic, Warhammer 2: Vermintide and Gunfire Reborn." Being a co-op roguelite FPS, this is no surprise, but what makes this game stand out to me is its deep-sea aesthetic—which we got a closer look at in the game’s newest trailer, which debuted at Future Games Show today.
The trailer focuses on the game’s armory of appropriately crusty-looking firearms, like the shotgun, the engine rifle, and the brinerevolver, a "semi-automatic sidearm designed for reliable critical strikes." There seems to be a fair bit more in the game, though, with a bow, some sort of laser gun, and all sorts of other guns briefly popping up in the preview.
- I felt goodwill and hope for the future seeing Cybrlich and the Death Cult of Labor, an FPS that's 60% HUD and looks like an Adult Swim cartoon where you smoke 'deepweed' to restore your health and blow clouds that spell out 'doink' and 'loud'
- Immersive sci-fi FPS Skin Deep feels like Prey by way of Looney Tunes
Notably, it also shows off our brinehunter swapping out parts to change his weapon’s firing mode. The release gives some examples of what to expect: "Enhance the engine rifle with a concentrated shot mod, delivering a powerful knockback effect to enemies, or modify the brinerevolver with the quick scope mod, offering an increase in damage after aiming through its scope." It’s not much of a roguelike without variance, so it’s good to see Abyssus emphasize its customizable aspects.
If you’re itching to see the full monty, you won’t be waiting long. A demo is on the way, though there isn’t an exact date yet, and the full release is planned for later this year. It’s a pretty righteous time for co-op roguelike shooters, with all the aforementioned gems shiny as ever and big blockbusters like Killing Floor 3 on the way. It’s entering a crowded space for sure, but I can’t say I know of anything in the genre that really looks the way Abyssus does, which seems like a good sign. That said, they can cool it on the whole "brine" thing. We get it, man.
If you want to keep an eye out for that demo or wade into the briny deep on full release, Abyssus is available to wishlist on Steam.
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