It’s a great time to be a roguelike fan. Regardless of the flavor of grind-fest RNG drama, there seems to be plenty to play and have fun with at the moment.
The latest version of the roguelike may be one of my favorites. Absolute is an absolute blast both solo and cooperatively, as it brings the nostalgia of arcade fighting games to the tabletop, creating something completely fresh while still reminiscent of the best days of gaming.
Catch them
Absolute is the brainchild of Supamonks and Guard Crush and is the first original franchise from Dotemu, publisher of fighting games such as Streets of Rage 4, TMNT: Shredder’s Revengeand upcoming Marvel’s space invasion. The action of the novel title takes place in the mystical land of Talamh, and you play one of four magic-using characters who are part of the resistance movement that was subjugated by the threatening Sun King Azra.
Rebels led by the great sorceress Uchawa resist, and the roguelike formula plays out in a classic side-scrolling brawler style that Dotemu calls “rogue ’em up,” creating a satisfying and addictive loop that I keep coming back to.
Fight in Absolute is truly great fun, basic to play, yet deceptively deep and fully playable solo or in two-player co-op. Each character has basic attacks, a secondary attack, an ultimate screen-clearing ability, and multiple Arcana magic spells, which are supplemented by random power-ups you gain after each area.
The four playable characters are Galandra (an elven warrior with a mighty sword), Karl (a fist-throwing dwarf with a pistol), Cider (an agile rogue with a spinning blade on his shoulder), and Brome (a frog-like wizard wielding a magic staff that he can ride like a surfboard). I have a strenuous time choosing who to play with in each match because they are all so comical.
As the difficulty increases at the end of each run, collecting the right Arcana and skills is crucial as spamming the attack button becomes less profitable. The combat mechanics include game-like combat elements, such as bouncing enemies off the ground to sustain powerful combos and juggling them in the air to gain a stagger meter that allows you to deal massive damage to bosses and other high-level enemies. You can even bounce them off the edge of the screen to continue your combo, and punishing Sun King Azra’s various monsters and thugs along the way is incredibly satisfying.
I do wish you could backtrack sometimes though, as it’s effortless to miss items, paths, or throwables on the ground as you fly through the level on another run in a row.
Spice up your life
Absolute offers the greatest variety between individual installments of the roguelike genre. Each of the four characters has their own unique playstyle and skills, and playing each of them is great fun, breaking up the inevitable monotony that can come with the roguelike formula.
With each run towards the tower where Sun King Azra resides, you strengthen and unlock novel abilities, consumables, currency, and quests that will lend a hand you achieve your goals of defeating the tyrant and unleashing the employ of magic throughout Talamh. There are also several branching paths on the map that you can change or focus on different goals during each run.
Although you encounter the same enemies and NPCs repeatedly as in any other roguelike, playing as all four characters is a must, as playing each of the four heroes offers novel secrets and dialogue options with each round, opening up different quest lines and rewards.
As you’d expect, defeating Sun King Azra is just the beginning, and from there there’s a wide range of different rounds. The best part about it, though, is that the beat ’em up style never gets venerable or stale, or at least it didn’t in the dozen or so hours that I still only had a taste of the full package.
Variety is increased by hiring alongside mercenaries, finding different throwables to expand your combos on the fodder you’re fighting on, and picking and choosing which tasks to focus on. For all these reasons, I never got bored of the first few areas of the game, which is a problem for me in this genre.
Undeniably charming
Absolute bursting with charm, boasting a cartoonish style and Saturday morning aesthetic, but also some truly excellent music. And when you see who worked on the OST, it makes sense.
Soundtrack to Absolute is hosted by Gareth Coker (Ori, Halo Infinite, Prince of Persia), but also includes collaboration with Yuka Kitamura (Dark Souls, Elden Ring) and even Mick Gordon (Doom Eternal, Atomic Heart) and it shows. Each level and region has its own distinctive musical tone, and each song is excellent.
The game also manages to maintain a good sense of humor despite the dire circumstances of the plot, and it’s a real joy to walk around and talk to the NPCs around the team’s base of operations or to random characters you meet along your journey. Unfortunately, this means that a lot of the story and world-building can be easily missed.
I’m content to report that thanks to the impeccable performance of Steam Deck, you can also have fun on the go. I spent the immense majority of my hours in bed at a solid 60 FPS and never had an issue with battery life.
