Absolum: Dotemu's Genre-Alchemy – Did They Brew a Masterpiece or Just Muddle the Potion?
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Dotemu's *Absolum* attempts to fuse classic beat-'em-up thrills with modern roguelite progression, creating a game that’s brilliant in its core brawling but a bit muddled by its slow-burn unlock system, leaving us wondering if developers trust pure skill anymore.
Right, mate, gather 'round, because Dotemu, those absolute wizards behind some of the best retro revivals like *Streets of Rage 4*, have gone and cooked up something new. And bloody hell, it’s a bit of a curious brew, this one. They’ve called it *Absolum*, and it’s their latest foray into original IP, blending the good old-fashioned beat-'em-up with the ever-popular roguelite. My antennae were twitching the moment I heard about it – a classic brawler with modern replayability? Sounded like a spell that could either blow your mind or just singe your eyebrows.
See, *Absolum*, much like a fledgling wizard trying out a new incantation, is all about experimentation. You've got four heroes, a mad tyrant called the Sun King Azra, and a realm, Talamh, that desperately needs saving. But you're not meant to win on your first go; oh no, that’d be too easy. The idea is to mix and match magic, try new paths, and generally just *tinker* until you hit that sweet spot of synergy. It's the kind of design philosophy that gets my digital gears whirring, always wondering 'what happens if…' and eager to dig deeper.
And honestly? The moment you jump into Talamh – their new fantasy world that looks like a comic book exploded onto your screen – you feel it. It’s got that elegant retro feel, the one where chaining together basic attacks and spell uses feels like poetry in motion. Punish attacks? Aerial manoeuvres? It's like a fighting game masquerading as a brawler when you really get into the rhythm. The visuals, the illustrative biomes ranging from sun-drenched beaches to spooky mines, they truly make *Absolum* feel like a fantastical adventure straight out of a graphic novel. And the characters! Galandra, the blue-skinned elf with a sword that probably weighs more than a small car, is cool, but Brome, the frog wizard who lashes foes with his tongue? Mate, that’s peak character design right there. Absolutely brimming with creative energy, Dotemu and collaborators Guard Crush and Supamonks have nailed the fundamentals of brawling, no surprises there.
Now, here’s where Dotemu started tinkering with the recipe, bless 'em. Instead of just giving us a straight-up arcade gauntlet, they decided to inject a healthy dose of modern roguelite into the mix. On paper, you can see the logic, right? Old-school arcade games were *all about* dying and trying again, learning the patterns, dropping another 'quarter.' So, why not make those inevitable restarts feel a bit more meaningful with some meta-progression rewards and evolving builds? It’s an act of buildcrafting in itself, a blending of old and new, hoping to reinvent the wheel rather than just rolling the same one out again.
But what happens when your gorgeous 2D levels aren't really built for procedural generation, a staple of most roguelikes? Well, *Absolum* tries to solve it with criss-crossing routes and hidden paths within each biome. Which is clever, don't get me wrong, giving you a reason to explore new corners of Talamh. But seeing the same visually stunning screens for the tenth time in a biome can start to feel less like 'experimentation' and more like 'déjà vu' after a while. You get enough reason to hunt down secrets, sure, but the visual inflexibility can wear thin.
Then there’s the buildcrafting, the very heart of many a good roguelite. Early on, it’s… thin, mate. You pick up elemental magic that just makes your hits 'scorching' or 'sparky,' and trinkets that just give you percentage buffs to attack, defence, or health. It doesn't quite change your playstyle, does it? It just augments what you're already doing. Like finding a slightly shinier screwdriver instead of a whole new toolkit when you're trying to build a digital house of cards. The synergies, the exciting combinations that really let you alter your approach, are few and far between for a good stretch of *Absolum*.
This is where *Absolum* starts feeling a bit like it's holding out on you. The real, juicy synergies, the ones where you can 'cheese' a boss by juggling 'em with thorn turrets and mana regen – that stuff only appears hours into the game. It’s like the best version of *Absolum* is locked behind an eight-hour progression paywall, not of actual money, but of grind. You amass several currencies, which gradually unlock more powerful twists to your magic kits and higher chances for rare trinkets. It’s a constant trickle of progression, giving you a reason to keep playing, but it also feels like victory is gated behind a certain number of failures, rather than just raw skill.
And you're sitting there thinking, 'Didn't I used to love arcade games for the sheer joy of mastery, not for chasing a carrot on a stick?' It makes you wonder, doesn't it? Why do developers, even ones as reverent of the past as Dotemu, feel the need to strap these elaborate meta-progression systems onto a classic formula? Is it a fear that modern players won't stick around for the pure challenge? We saw something similar with *Shinobi: Art of Vengeance* trying to shoehorn in Metroidvania elements for artificial replayability. Sometimes, mate, I reckon they're trying to 'fix' things that weren't actually broken. The old arcade challenge, the chase for the high score, the simple satisfaction of getting further each time through sheer skill – wasn't that enough? Mastery used to be reward enough.
Now, don't get me wrong. Despite my grumbles about the roguelite bits feeling a touch over-eager and the progression being a bit of a slog, the core of *Absolum* is still a bloody good time. The brawling, the vibrant comic-book visuals, getting to grips with Brome's tongue lashes and staff hits – that's where the magic truly lives. My proudest moments weren't when I was loaded with epic trinkets, but in those early runs where it was just me, the enemy, and a developing hundred-hit combo. That feeling of pure, unadulterated skill, of learning enemy patterns and confidently pressing the attack. It’s a good reminder that sometimes, the ultimate goal isn't in beating the game or unlocking everything; it's just in the sparring session itself. *Absolum* nails that part beautifully, even if it tries to give you a few too many distractions along the way, like a wizard who casts a dozen minor spells when one perfect one would do. It's out now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC. Go have a squiz, you might just find your own favourite sparring partner.
Tags: Beat-'em-up, Roguelite, Indie Games, Dotemu, Game Review
Original article: Polygon