Absolum Reviews
Absolum is not worth playing overall, due to its many problems that may not be fixed even with serious updates. However, since it can be played as a two-player game, it might be worth looking at as a casual and entertaining game and spending a few hours on it.
Review in Persian | Read full review
An oustanding fantasy-themed roguelite beat 'em up that shines on PS5
Absolum is a fantastic new intellectual property, the result of another successful partnership between DotEmu and Guard Crush. The game innovates by fusing the beat'em-up genre with roguelite, making it unlike anything else on the market. Its solid design and constant surprise factor make this "rogue-em-up" a highly recommended game, even for those who are frustrated by randomness.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Absolum is pretty much everything you could want in a roguelike beat-'em-up. It's engaging, constantly varied, fun to play, gorgeous to look at, and it's pretty much a nonstop good time. The only way I can see a fan of the beat-'em-up genre not liking Absolum is if they don't like roguelikes. Even then, I could see it melting some hearts. It's a delight from start to finish, and the game is nearly impossible to put down.
undefined.There's more to do after rolling credits the first time, but my main take away is just how good the combat feels and how gorgeous everything looks while you're doing it. Absolum is made by a team that understands how to make a great brawler, like Shredder's Revenge and Streets of Rage 4, so you can expect a similar level of polish and chops. I ended up clearing the game with every character because I was having such a good time, and with all the awesome games I still haven't played from September, that's proof positive that any beat-'em-up fan should absolutely be checking out Absolum.
With its stunning visuals, beautiful soundtrack and gratifying gameplay, Absolum will draw you in from the outset. And thanks to its roguelike elements it has plenty of longevity and depth. One of the best games of 2025, this is a must-play whether you're a fan of beat 'em ups or roguelikes.
Absolum combines the immediacy of beat 'em ups with the depth of roguelites, and does it surprisingly well.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Juggling attacks and skills as you gradually make it further through its variety of stunning environments makes Absolum one rewarding brawler.
Absolum fuses the frenetic energy of beat 'em ups with deep roguelite systems to deliver a stylish and addictive experience. While its narrative struggles to match the grandeur of its worldbuilding, the moment-to-moment gameplay and audiovisual design shine. Dotemu’s bold take on the genre blend pays off in gameplay variety and mechanical depth, even if its progression balance and storytelling lack polish.
The more I think about Absolum, the more impressed I am by it. This is the rare game where I really can’t think of anything to criticize. It does a fantastic job of expanding what we would usually expect of a beat ‘em up, keeping it fresh and interesting to play over dozens of runs. It looks, sounds, and runs great, and it plays phenomenally. It may not quite have the kinetic impact of my very favorite brawlers, but this is a game that dares to push beyond what fans expect from its genre and succeeds on all counts.
For fans of old-school beat ’em ups, Absolum is a celebration. For players who grew up with modern roguelikes, it’s a way to get back into a genre that’s older than most of us but still exciting. In any case, it’s one of the best things that happened this year.
Absolum isn’t just a traditional beat ’em up; it’s an action experience that blends the thrill of combat with the charm of steady progression, all within a rich and beautiful world. And although it isn’t without flaws—such as its limited storytelling and a few systems that could use better balancing—it remains exceptionally enjoyable. It’s one of those games that remind you how simplicity can deliver a genuinely satisfying feeling, making it one of the best indie titles of 2025.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Absolum delivers high-octane beat ’em up action wrapped in a roguelite loop that keeps fresh. With richly animated visuals, satisfying build variety, and smooth combat mechanics, it’s a standout in the genre. The story falls a bit short in clarity, but that’s a minor misstep in what is otherwise a polished and thrilling experience.
Review in French | Read full review
Dotemu and Guard Crush once again surprise with Absolum, a spectacular beat’em up that this time embraces the roguelike format, built around a campaign that unfolds into new areas, includes unique narrative moments, and offers a strong sense of progression unusual for the genre.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
If Dead Cells and Streets of Rage 4 had a magical, rebellious child raised on punishment and style, that kid would be Absolum. It’s a game that respects your time but demands your attention. You can’t autopilot here. Every dodge, every swing, every decision matters.
Absolum is an excellent fusion between a side scrolling beat ’em up and a roguelite. The creation is not lazy and indeed, it is full of secrets and side quests. There are even quests that we can only complete with certain characters. This expands the storytelling and lore of the world we are in. The characters have good characterization and have unique dialogues between them. The NPCs we find interact, tell stories and are alive. The audio design conveys the impact of the shots well, thanks also to the carefully crafted animations. In fact, the combat system is a flagship of the title. Despite some filth, hitbox issues and unhelpful Ultras, Absolum gives the player complex and challenging, if sometimes confusing, gameplay. The balance sometimes fails and risks overwhelming the player. Added to this is the roguelite element which seems to be the least successful part. Even if certain builds are really strong. In my opinion the problem lies in a reduced choice of passives which translates into the search for the OP rituals and the right objects themselves. A more branched development, perhaps built on each character, would have given it more body and substance to the gameplay. Absolum is a great title, which every lover of these genres should try.
Absolum is one of the toughest games I’ve ever reviewed. Structurally, it’s a letdown, with disappointing balance choices, unrelenting RNG, and a progression system that feels half-baked in comparison with other contemporary roguelikes. Mechanically, however, it’s probably the strongest beat-em-up I’ve ever played. The sublime combat ultimately wins out. Even when I was struggling to grind through runs, I was having a blast stringing up combos and laying waste to my enemies. If Dotemu ever decides to make a sequel, they could be on to something revolutionary. For now, Absolum will just have to settle as something great.
With so many chefs involved (Supramonks, Dotemu, Guard Crush Games) I am pleasantly surprised by how tight and succinct the gameplay is. You can absolutely get lost in a delight of combos, spellwork, and tossable things, and you get better each and every time. The production is top notch, the characters are unique and the lore – as difficult as it can be to glean – is fascinating. Dotemu has made themselves known for their beat-em-ups, and Absolum takes the formula to a new, fantastic level.
Relatively minuscule nitpicks aside, consider Absolum a must-play for any fan of not only beat ‘em ups but action games in general. Its build system is masterful, offering near infinite replayability, and if 2025 is the year of fantastic parry systems in video games, Absolum stands tall with the best parries of them all. This is the follow-up to Streets of Rage 4 that I’ve been waiting half a decade for, and it just so happens to have arrived in the form of a roguelite; arcade-styled games don’t get much better than this.
Absolum is a pleasant surprise within the modern beat 'em up genre, showing how it's possible to combine intense action, deep combat mechanics, and roguelike elements in a cohesive and intelligent way. Despite some limitations — such as the limited number of blessings and abilities, and a certain imbalance between builds — the game makes up for it with outstanding art direction, a masterful soundtrack, and a combat system that, while easy to learn, demands dedication to truly master.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review