End of Abyss makes you feel like a lost child in a menacing labyrinth. The debut title from Section 9 Entertainment, a studio founded by former Little Nightmares developers, successfully captures the unsettling atmosphere of its inspirations while blending it with a Metroidvania exploration structure. The result is an unnerving descent into a blue-toned hell that occasionally sticks in the gut as a nerve-racking tone piece.
The game stars Cel, a technician on an expedition to an abandoned underground facility. Section 9 Interactive uses perspective shifts to emphasize Cel's smallness. Crewmates appear massive, and the top-down camera often makes Cel seem like a speck in large, metallic rooms that stretch out endlessly. This creates an immediate sense of unease even before any threats appear.
Section 9 deliberately leaves much of the facility's purpose and the nature of its plague shrouded in mystery. Brief dialogue between crew members and scattered text logs offer just enough information to establish the situation without over-explaining, preserving a sense of the unknown.
Darkness is a key element in End of Abyss’ Metroidvania exploration. The facility itself, a metallic tomb bathed in dark blue light, becomes a character. The limited light sources make it difficult to discern direction, and the use of flares, while helpful for navigation, can also draw unwanted attention from unseen entities. This creates a palpable tension, making players feel as though they are actively attracting danger.
The Metroidvania structure, which often involves players exploring an interconnected map and finding new abilities to access previously unreachable areas, is a natural fit for a horror game. End of Abyss uses this to send players into the unknown in search of keycards and upgrades.
However, the game struggles with its Metroidvania design elements. The visual consistency of the environment makes navigation difficult, and the 2D map fails to adequately represent the depth and complexity of the interconnected spaces. This design choice, combined with a notable number of bugs in the reviewed version—including clipping through walls, non-responsive interactable objects, and potential premature access to the final boss—contributes to a feeling of a rushed execution.
Combat in End of Abyss is a twin-stick shooter affair, requiring players to pivot Cel to line up enemies and fire. This mechanic, reminiscent of early Resident Evil titles, encourages players to stand their ground and fire while managing the risk of an approaching monster. While this can create some tense moments early on, the combat lacks depth for the game's full duration. Once a rhythm is established, encounters can feel like a mechanical hurdle to overcome rather than a genuine threat, especially since enemies respawn and encounter areas become predictable. The inclusion of limited-ammo weapons like shotguns and grenades, along with a crafting system, adds some tension, but they rarely felt essential.
Despite its shortcomings, End of Abyss effectively taps into a primal fear through its strong atmosphere. The world design, which is both towering and claustrophobic, creates a disorienting experience that convincingly conveys a lack of escape. The game successfully makes players feel lost, evoking the sensation of being trapped in a vast, inescapable labyrinth. The experience is akin to a child lost in a large store, dwarfed by their surroundings and desperate for rescue.
End of Abyss is set to release on October 1 for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.