My brief time with Absolum back in June left me impressed with what felt like a true mashing of genres. Flash forward to October, and Absolum is finally out, and I can say with confidence that the roguelike beat-em-up has taken the crown for best roguelike of the year.
Absolum features a medieval fantasy setting that Guard Crush and DotEmu have lovingly brought to life, imbuing it with elements and nods from gaming and popular culture, such as Golden Axe, LOTRs and fighting games in general. In terms of narrative, Absolum is set in the world of Talamh, in which the tyrannical Sun King Azra has begun to prosecute anyone who openly uses magic. Banning the arcane art throughout the lands, Azra and his minions have begun to syphon and harness magic in order to fulfil a dark purpose, one which requires two full playthroughs to uncover and thwart.
Absolum features four distinct playable characters, including the Dwarf Karl, a fast and frenetic fighter with ranged attacks, the Elf... Read more