End of Abyss attempts a challenging fusion of Metroidvania exploration, survival-horror tension, and Soulslike combat, resulting in a game that is often engaging but ultimately inconsistent. Developed by Section 9 Interactive, a team including former creators of Little Nightmares, the game draws inspiration from classics like Resident Evil with its fixed camera angles and atmospheric dread, while its challenging boss encounters and methodical progression echo the Soulslike genre. The narrative follows Cel, a silent technician investigating a suddenly darkened facility, unraveling its mysteries floor by floor.
The core of End of Abyss lies in its Metroidvania structure. Players are tasked with navigating a sprawling underground facility, utilizing an array of upgrades to unlock new areas, solve environmental puzzles, and discover secrets. These upgrades, such as explosive charges for destroying weak walls or a grappling hook for reaching new platforms, are crucial for progression and often encourage backtracking to previously inaccessible locations. The game consistently provides strong incentives to revisit old routes, making the exploration aspect a highlight for many.
Visually, the game's underground facility is rendered with an impressive atmosphere, defined by a midnight-blue color palette that imbues the environment with an unsettling, eerie quality. Cel's limited field of vision enhances the horror, creating a sense of vulnerability as players navigate the claustrophobic corridors. This, combined with a disconcerting stillness, effectively evokes a haunted house feel despite the presence of mutated, zombie-like enemies.
Combat is a third-person affair utilizing twin-stick shooting mechanics. Cel's shots are generally accurate thanks to a soft auto-lock feature, but maintaining this targeting at longer ranges can be difficult, adding a layer of tension akin to classic survival horror. Enemies often exhibit body horror elements, described as noodly organic masses, and their relentless approach forces players to manage spacing carefully to maintain effective targeting.
Early game encounters can be particularly punishing, with underpowered weapons and aggressive enemies. The Soulslike influence is felt in the difficulty of some boss battles, which can require multiple attempts. However, the game features a satisfying power climb, with new weapons like a shotgun, rifle, and flamethrower becoming available, though a fully upgraded pistol with infinite ammo often remains a preferred choice. As players become more adept at timing dodge-roll invincibility frames, later bosses become more manageable, though many lack distinct challenges and can feel repetitive.
A significant issue that undermines the Metroidvania experience is the unreliability of the in-game map. Visual bugs can cause doors to be marked as locked when they are open, or fail to indicate when a key is available for a specific door. This forces players to maintain two mental maps of the intricate environments: one based on the game's indicators and one based on reality. This lack of trust in the map system makes navigation more stressful than combat and detracts from the immersion crucial to the genre.
While a patch released shortly before the final boss addressed some other technical issues, the map problem persists. The repetition of enemy encounters after resting at save points, known as restoration pods, also diminishes the survival-horror aspects, transforming tense moments into predictable ones. This leads to End of Abyss feeling more like a dark, creepy Metroid than a true survival-horror title.
Despite these flaws, the game's blend of influences can appeal to fans of different genres. The exploration, atmosphere, and challenging combat offer moments of genuine excitement. However, the inconsistent map system, repetitive enemy encounters, and occasional difficulty spikes prevent End of Abyss from reaching its full potential, leaving it as an uneven but occasionally brilliant experience that lasts approximately 13 hours.