Guard Crush Games, the developer of Streets of Rage 4, has once again joined hands with publisher Dotemu to create a brand - new side - scrolling action game. Notably, this is Dotemu's first original IP. The game features exquisite hand - drawn animations by Supamonks studio and a musical score composed by renowned game composer Gareth Coker. It's quite astonishing that such a strong creative lineup has been assembled for an IP that has yet to be tested in the market. After an hour of hands - on play, the unique charm of Absolum has won me over, and I believe it is sure to make a name for itself in the gaming market.

Absolum is a Roguelite side - scrolling action RPG. According to the developers, the game is designed with the concept of "providing excellent replay value through the setting of branching paths, quests, and highly challenging bosses." In this magnificent fantasy adventure world, players have several classes to choose from. During the trial play, I experienced the burly dwarf "Karl" and the tall, lean, ranger - style swordsman "Galandra." In the game, players need to kill evil creatures, destroy the environment to obtain health - restoring items such as carrots, and occasionally enter buildings to open treasure chests, but they may also be ambushed by goblins. Additionally, battles against bosses with extremely thick health bars are also an important part of the game. If players fail, they need to repeat the entire process. It's worth mentioning that Absolum supports two - player local co - op. Although I didn't have the opportunity to experience this mode this time, I believe it will add more fun to the game. Looking back at the late 1980s to the early 1990s, I spent many happy hours in arcade halls playing two - player side - scrolling action games, such as the Golden Axe series on the Sega Mega Drive. For me, Absolum gives a sense of familiarity and intimacy, which is probably also due to its art design and animation, like a Saturday morning cartoon.

Absolum adopts a relatively simple yet profound two - button combat system. Players can flexibly use different move combinations according to the characteristics of the enemies. The integration of Roguelite elements injects modern vitality into the combat system, not only enriching the gaming experience but also endowing Absolum with extremely high replay value by nature. During the game, players will find some enhancement items, some of which are placed in conspicuous positions, while others are hidden. Among these items, some are active weapons or spells that can be equipped and used by pressing a trigger button and a front - facing button, and the others are passive - effect items that take effect when placed in the inventory. These items are randomly refreshed in each game and may not necessarily meet the players' expectations. It can be said that the game has a risk - and - reward mechanism that has a significant impact on the players' strategies within a single game. For example, in one game, I picked up "two" orbs that increased damage by 20% but reduced health by 20%. This change made my health bar extremely fragile, but it also allowed me to eliminate enemies more quickly. Fortunately, if players really can't tolerate the negative effects of an item, they can discard it at any time.

As mentioned earlier, Absolum is a Roguelite game. This means that after death, players will respawn in an area with a shop, where they can spend in - game currency to buy items or upgrade items for the next game. 

However, in the test version I played, the shop function has not been implemented yet. So in each game, the quality of items and enhancement items depends entirely on luck. One of the bosses I encountered was a huge troll. It held a giant hammer and could summon a group of small goblins. These goblins would jump on the players and attack them like piranhas. At this point, I am really looking forward to experiencing the two - player co - op mode, because not only can it distract the boss's attention, but for fans of old - fashioned side - scrolling games, the fun of playing such games in co - op is unparalleled.

Although I haven't experienced the two - player co - op mode, judging from Absolum's art style, animation quality, old - fashioned side - scrolling action gameplay, Roguelite loop, and the development team's qualifications and achievements in this type of game, Absolum already shows great potential. I can even dare to say that it is likely to become an excellent game. If you feel sorry for the decline in the number of local or split - screen co - op games in recent years, then Absolum may be able to change this situation to some extent and bring a new co - op gaming experience to players.