Neon Abyss
by Mikhail
Aug 24, 2022 |
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Genres:
Action , PlatformerGraphics:
2DLabels:
Roguelike/roguelite , PlatformerPlatforms:
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Team 17 Neon Abyss is an action roguelike platformer where you join an organization created by Hades himself. You’ll get to explore and fight in various dungeons against a massive selection of enemies and use a vast roster of weapons like flamethrowers, traditional rifles, and even bone-shooting cats. Play Now Similar Games Played
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Summary
Roguelike/rogue-lite games are among the most enjoyable and highly-entertaining genres in gaming. They’re action-packed, loaded with content, and despite their relatively straightforward gameplay elements, offer enough variety to keep you coming back for more. After all, they have made one of the negative elements of gaming, which is repetitiveness, into a viable gameplay mechanic.
This is the case with Neon Abyss by Team17, an action rogue-lite platformer, now available on the Nintendo Switch. Though it may look like a straightforward pixel art 2D platformer at first, it’s a deep, action-packed roguelike shooter that offers high replayability and diversity in weapons and gameplay elements that every dungeon run will feel different.
With this in mind, will it be something you would want to dive into? Well, let’s check out what it has to offer:
Plotline
Even gods need help sometimes. Such is the case in Neon Abyss: you’ll be part of the Grim Squad, a crack team of professional rogues hired Hades hired himself. Apart from the first character, Wade, you’ll gradually unlock the rest of the cast as you proceed. Each has its backstory and capabilities that differ in character skills, playstyle, and HP count.
The goal of the Grim Squad is to infiltrate the Abyss, an underground organization led by the New Gods that Hades seems to be hostile with. From there, you’ll battle many of their goons and monsters using a variety of weapons in your arsenal.
Gameplay
Due to the sheer amount of roguelike games on the market, it’s easy to compare Neon Abyss with some of its peers. In a way, we can safely say it’s like a merger between Dead Cells, Binding of Isaac, and even Hades. On the surface, it will appear to be a regular action-packed rogue-lite title, but it has some pretty deep mechanics that will inevitably change your overall playstyles.
In a nutshell, Neon Abyss is an action roguelike platformer where you explore ever-changing and evolving dungeons with each run. We’re not sure if it’s randomly or procedurally generated, but thanks to this, every run will be a unique experience. As one of the members of the Grim Squad, you’ll fight off countless bosses and mobs, navigate obstacles, open chests, and deal with traps. Dying is a part of the gameplay; each run may give you specific resources that can upgrade your combat capabilities or purchase new items that can strengthen and give you the edge in your next foray into the Abyss.
Every character in Neon Abyss has their own unique skill and capabilities, enabling you to switch things up or go with a playstyle you’re used to. For example, Lucas can place mines that can explode, while Zack specializes in swordsmanship and is capable of a dash that can deal melee damage. Meanwhile, James, a hitman, can swap between two weapons, while Matt, a stuntman, can roll forward, enabling him to dodge enemies.
Apart from the differences between characters, there is also a massive variety between weapons and upgrades. There are a whopping 60 different in-game weapons; these range from the usual assault rifles to explosive rockets, laser beams, and spiraling laser bullets. Apart from these, you can use them in sync with upgrades that you can access on the bar (which is essentially the character development hub). In addition, there are also eggs you can collect, and over time, these hatch into pets that will aid you in battle.
You can quickly tell Neon Abyss was made and optimized for PCs. However, the Switch port holds up beautifully, and the twin-stick shooting and controls work wonders unless your console suffers from the infamous joycon drift. The controls are also mappable, enabling you to change things up, especially if you’re used to other control schemes.
Apart from the existing base game, there's also the free Cornucopia update which went online last August 15th. It introduced a plethora of new content, ranging from new bosses, over 60 items to collect, and seven new weapons. Plus, there are nine new levels, perfect for old players who took a break.
Community
Neon Abyss is solely a single-player experience with no multiplayer elements whatsoever. Thankfully, the game does have online communities and a dedicated subreddit where you can interact with fellow fans.
Graphics/Sound
In terms of presentation, Neon Abyss excels. It utilizes 2D pixel art visuals with both fantastical and modern themes in its art style. For example, the game’s central hub is a nightclub, but the Abyss and the levels look more like a merger between a bar and an ancient temple. The visuals run smoothly on the Switch with no framerate drops whatsoever, and though the screen looks crowded with all the enemies and projectiles, it doesn’t get too convoluted. The OST is a whole new vibe; Neon Abyss’ music is a combination of the sounds you hear while you’re clubbing and those you usually listen to heighten adrenaline in action games.
Conclusion
Overall, Neon Abyss is a must-play action-roguelike game, delivering an experience equally fun to some of the other names in the genre. It never gets repetitive, thanks to the many weapons you can wield and synergies you can mix up, and every run feels like a new playthrough.
So yes, time to dive into the Abyss in Neon Abyss!
Neon Abyss Blog
New Game Added: Neon Abyss
by Mikhail
Aug 24, 2022
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