Abyss Odyssey starts out with players being able to "Enter the Abyss" which is the main adventure or practice attacks of unlocked characters in the "Training" sessions. As you venture through the Abyss, you will collect pages that will be added to "The Warlock's Journey" for reference throughout your quest. Abyss Odyssey is definitely more fun with friends and you can team up for your missions through local or online games or you can just find a partner through quick match.
The game starts out with simple mechanics that will have you venturing across the level in an environment almost like something out of a Final Fantasy game. You start out as the female character Katrien with the chance to unlock other characters as you progress, like the Ghost Monk and Pincoya. One of first NPCs you come across yells "This is no place for a woman" and you can already sense that females are not taken as seriously as their male counterparts in the Abyss.
The player is taught how to use their moves throughout the game as you are asked to use double-jump" and other abilities to progress. Your character will be able to find skill spheres that allow them to unlock special attacks which can be equipped at altars throughout Abyss. Some of the areas that your skill points can be allocated to are damage, mana and defense. As the story progresses, you soon find out that everything and everyone in the adventure is just the conjuring of the twisted warlock's mind that sleeps beneath the Abyss. Now you have learned that it is all just a dream, and a horrifying one at that, with demented-looking bulls and creepy masked villains that would scare the pants off of any badass warrior!
Abyss Odyssey is a haunting adventure that has the visuals of a beautifully-illustrated storybook combined with that of an exquisite soundtrack and animations. As you battle enemies, they will drop scrolls which adds new pages to "The Warlock's Journal" that help the story unfold. The plot of Abyss Odyssey is very clever, because you are in fact just a character in someone else's dreams which adds a lot of mystery and intrigue to the world around you. Does anything you do really even matter? Where will this story take you and is there anyway to change its ending being your just a figment of the Warlock's imagination?
Abyss Odyssey features simple, responsive controls with combat sequences being very rewarding and challenging. As you take down the weird creations of the Abyss, then you will collect items, weapons, XP alongside health and mana refills. If you lose all of your health, then a solider will fill in for you until you reach the next altar to revive yourself. There are several checkpoints throughout the levels but you will need tokens to unlock them. The entire game is just like one long 2D story with the pages of the book unveiling themselves as you gain new pieces to the puzzle. Just like a choose your own adventure storybook, Abyss Odyssey will let you play as you want and the story will unfold accordingly. Everything in Abyss Odyssey is random and unexpected with each time you enter it being something completely different like straight out of a dream which offers a high degree of replayability to the title.
The characters you play in Abyss Odyssey are just memories of the people they once was with the real ones being long dead. The only downfall of Abyss Odyssey is that levels can get more challenging as you progress, and if you don't have the tokens to unlock checkpoints, then you will have to start the level all over again. There are merchants located within the Abyss to buy weapons and items alongside the ability to collect random items from NPCs that you talk to. Since the levels can get more infurating with time then it is smart to upgrade your skills and items accordingly so you have the right abilities to battle the creatures and tough bosses ahead. Since the Abyss is never the same once you die then levels never get repetitive or boring since there is always something different. If it all gets to be too much then have a friend join and everything will be just a little easier with someone by your side to help with the never-ending nightmare that is the Abyss.
In the end, Abyss Odyssey is a magical adventure that offers up fun co-op play combined with beautiful storybook visuals, responsive controls and a eerie mood-setting soundtrack that delivers an overall satisfying experience. If you have been looking for an entertaining side-scroller that will offer up a unique story, intriguing characters and fun gameplay then look no further then Abyss Odyssey.
Abyss Odyssey is now available for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC for $14.99. For more information on the game, check out the official Abyss Odyssey website.
Game Features:
- 1-2 Players
- Deep Combat System
- Unlock Up To Three Characters
- Beautiful Visuals Inspired by Art Nouveau
- Bonus Versus Mode With Up To Four Players
- Trophy/Achievement Support
Game Information:
Developer: ACE Team
Publisher: Atlus
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360 (reviewed) and PC
Release Date: July 15, 2014
