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Absolum makes a familiar side-scrolling brawler feel more involving by tying its punchy combat to branching routes, run resets and lasting upgrades. The loop has a clear appeal: each attempt gives you another chance to fight through Talamh and return stronger. Its central risk is just as clear—replaying routes only stays exciting if the combat and character choices keep earning another run.
What kind of game is Absolum?
Absolum is a side-scrolling beat ’em up built around roguelite runs. You brawl through branching paths, and when a run ends, persistent progression lets you return with upgrades and try again. It is not simply a succession of arcade-style stages: route choices and the prospect of carrying progress forward give each attempt a longer arc.
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Absolum (PlayStation 5 | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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The adventure takes place in Talamh, where rebels oppose Sun King Azra’s rule and his persecution of magic users. The playable rebels are Galandra, Karl, Cider and Brome, each with a different combat style. That gives the run structure more than one starting point, though the value of replaying as another character depends on how much you enjoy learning a new way to fight.
How the roguelite loop changes the brawling
Nintendo Life’s review of the North American Switch version describes a rhythm of pushing along branching routes, dying, and returning to the hub stronger through upgrades. That structure gives familiar beat-’em-up encounters a reason to recur: a failed attempt is also part of the path toward a better-equipped one. Routes offer choices along the way, while persistent upgrades make progress feel less disposable than a run that resets completely.
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#1 Best Overall
- Includes Digital Soundtrack by composer Gareth Coker.
- Absolum combines Dotemu and Guard Crush’s mastery in beat ‘em up gameplay with Supamonks' best-in-class art and animation.
- Absolum will challenge you with multiple paths to explore and unpredictable encounters for a new experience each time you play.
- Meet the outcast heroes of Talamh, each with their unique fighting style.
- Lead the uprising against Azra's regime as a lone hero, or team up with a friend on your couch or online.
The trade-off is repetition. The same basic appeal that makes the loop readable—fight, choose a route, build up, try again—can make another attempt feel familiar if the combat encounters and decisions do not stay engaging. The available review descriptions establish the repeat-and-upgrade structure, but do not quantify how long it remains fresh; that is the key question for anyone deciding whether they want a game built around revisiting its world.
Combat and presentation
PC Gamer’s PC review praises the tactile rhythm and impact of the fighting, along with the hand-drawn fantasy art. Those are the game’s strongest selling points in the reviewed version: the brawling is meant to feel deliberate and physical, while the art gives its fantasy setting a distinctive identity. PC Gamer also highlights how two-player combinations can extend enemy juggling and combos, making coordination part of the action rather than a separate convenience.
Rank #2
- PS5 Features include raytracing modes and immersive haptic feedback for DualSense
- Use darkness and cover to avoid being overwhelmed by the ship's deadly new inhabitants
- Seek out the weapon fabricators to increase your firepower as you journey deeper, into the dark and terrifying depths, but beware ammo is limited
- Gather materials & schematics for weapon upgrades and suit customizations with buffs
- Harvest DNA material to improve health, toughness and defensive capabilities.Survive an ever changing labyrinth. Each and every expedition into The Persistence will be disorienting and different.Death is just the beginning. Fatal encounters will result in Zimri's consciousness being uploaded into a new cloned body, ready to try again, with any upgraded stats, suits & weapon schematics kept to aid the next attempt to save the ship
Nintendo Life likewise treats combat as the focus in its Switch review. It describes the story as arriving through brief exchanges and points in the environment, rather than taking over the action. If you want a brawler first and a heavily narrated fantasy adventure second, that emphasis fits; players looking for sustained story scenes should set expectations accordingly.
Characters, solo play and co-op
Galandra, Karl, Cider and Brome have different combat styles, offering a reason to try more than one rebel as you learn the game. The sources establish the distinction in styles, but do not provide a detailed move-by-move comparison, so it is better to think of them as different approaches to the fighting than to assume any particular character is best for a specific play style.
Rank #3
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You can play solo or with one friend, either locally or online. PC Gamer’s review sees co-op as a natural fit for the combat, particularly when partners combine attacks to keep enemies in the air and extend combos. On Steam, local multiplayer requires controllers; check your platform’s listing for its own setup details.
Platforms, release timing and practical details
Absolum launched on October 9, 2025, for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, according to Dotemu’s release announcement. Windows Central reported that the Xbox Series X|S version arrived on March 25, 2026, and that the game was available through Xbox Game Pass; subscription availability can change, so check the local Xbox listing. Dotemu’s current game page links to storefronts for Steam, PlayStation, Switch and Xbox.
Rank #4
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- Visual Improvements: Appreciate incredible high fidelity when you play on a PS5 console including updated dirt and grass, combined with real-time physics, making for an advanced level of detail.
The launch announcement listed $24.99, but that was the October 2025 launch price, not a current or universal price. What you pay now depends on your region, storefront and any promotion.
The reviews cover different versions: Nintendo Life reviewed the North American Switch release, while PC Gamer reviewed the PC version. Their observations should not be treated as a direct performance comparison, and neither establishes identical performance across platforms. Steam’s listing provides Windows system requirements, which may be updated. The PlayStation page lists adjustable difficulty and the ability to pause during gameplay or cinematics when playing offline; those features alone are not a complete assessment of accessibility.
Best Value
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- An enhanced version of “30 Sport Games in 1”, with revamped design, new games and more customisation!
Verdict: is Absolum worth playing?
Absolum is most compelling as a brawler that gives its familiar fundamentals a useful second layer: branching routes shape a run, persistent upgrades give failed attempts a purpose, and character variety encourages experimentation. The tactile combat and strong hand-drawn presentation praised in the PC and Switch reviews make that foundation appealing, while co-op has a specific strength in the way partners can build on each other’s attacks.
Whether it is worth your time comes down to your tolerance for repetition. If you like learning a combat loop, revisiting routes and gradually improving a run, its roguelite structure gives the beat-’em-up format a reason to keep going. If you want a steadily unfolding campaign with little repeated play, the same structure may be a harder sell. The reviews make a persuasive case for the fighting and style; the replay loop is the deciding factor.
Quick Recap
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