NEON ABYSS
Familiar therapeutic eggy carnage
Endless item synergies, weird bosses, and tons of unlockables are bursting from Neon Abyss. True to its name, this action-platforming roguelike has you descending into the depths of the abyss with the objective of running and gunning through each room and defeating the boss at the end. With each run, and each death, more layers are added to the game.
When you’re playing, it seems the less you can understand what you’re looking at on your screen, the better. The meticulously crafted unloading of power as a result of item synergising and collected weapon upgrades can make it feel like you’re almost breaking the game.
Though there is not a large variety of mid-bosses and the bosses at the end of each stage can feel repetitive, the wide array of guns and items makes up for this. Along with the upgrades at your disposal, 1 eggs and creature companions are a core element. If you can survive long enough, the colourful eggs hatch and your new ‘pets’ serve as passive helpers, trailing behind you in a cutely fatal queue. You can upgrade them in the same manner as your guns. The Wisdom/Violence faith system rewards you depending on the actions you take. Acting in favour of one or the other eventually enables you to unlock secret rooms where you are awarded special upgrades.
Neon Abyss really shines when you you have unlocked enough upgrades to experience the carnage in full. 2 Getting to that point, however, can feel like a long, hard slog. If you’re up for the challenge, persevere and this will offer you a dense, addictive experience that you’ll keep coming back to. Tundun Folami