The sea is already a bad place to get stranded. Add an ancient sunken city, corrupted monsters, a mysterious energy source and weapons powered by something called brine, and the sensible option would probably be to stay on the submarine.
Abyssus has other ideas. The fast-moving co-op FPS from DoubleMoose Games is now available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC, with players able to jump straight in through Game Pass on day one.
That is a sizeable selling point for a game built around repeat runs, changing loadouts and dragging a group of mates into danger. Abyssus is on Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass from launch, so there is no need to pay the £20.99 asking price before finding out whether you have the stomach for the depths.
At A Glance
- Game: Abyssus
- Price: £20.99 – or day one with Game Pass
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC
- Game Pass: Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass
- Publisher: The Arcade Crew
- Developer: DoubleMoose Games
Down Where The Monsters Live
Abyssus sends players beneath the waves as Brinehunters, explorers recruited to investigate a vast deposit of brine beneath the ruins of a lost civilisation.
Brine is the game’s key resource – a powerful substance found only in the deepest parts of the ocean – and it fuels the strange weapons and technology at your disposal. The expedition does not go to plan, naturally. The ancient kingdom is far from empty, and its corrupted inhabitants are waiting below.
From there, the only way out is through a roguelite gauntlet of hand-crafted locations, hostile swarms and increasingly dangerous bosses.
Built For A Full Squad
You can tackle Abyssus alone, but it has clearly been made with co-op in mind. Up to four players can descend together, combining weapons, suits, skills and upgrades in an attempt to create a team that can survive the next run.
Communication and positioning matter as much as raw firepower. The game’s enemies are not there to politely queue up for target practice, and the deeper you go, the more important it becomes to know who is clearing space, who is dealing damage and who has just accidentally walked into a very bad room.
There are eight weapons to use, a large selection of weapon modifications, character upgrades and divine blessings that can add elemental or mystical effects to your arsenal. Runs are procedurally sequenced from 64 hand-crafted levels, so the route changes even if the danger does not.
The 1.3 Update Makes A Big Splash
The console launch lands alongside the free 1.3 update, which brings a new god and additional blessings, a new playable area, fresh enemies and bosses, new room objectives, an expanded skill tree and improved matchmaking options.
Most importantly for anyone planning to form a regular crew, crossplay is now live across PC, PlayStation and Xbox. That means Brinehunters can team up regardless of platform, while new sea shanties have also been added for those who feel a desperate underwater firefight needs a bit more singing.
Abyssus has already built a strong following on Steam, where it has collected thousands of Very Positive reviews. The console release gives that player base somewhere new to grow, particularly with Game Pass putting it in front of a much larger audience from day one.
The Brine Edition Packs In Four Cosmetic Sets
Players who want more than the standard edition can pick up the £29.74 Abyssus – Brine Edition. It includes the base game and four cosmetic packs: Brinehunter, Brineguard, Brinefrost and Brinerot.
Here is everything included:
- Abyssus – Brinehunter Pack
- Helmet: Sea-weathered Birdcage
- Dance: The Brineston
- Frame: Sea-weathered Frame
- Abyssus – Brineguard Pack
- Helmet: Juggernaut
- Suit: Juggernaut
- Emote: Company Loyalty
- Frame: Brineguard
- Abyssus – Brinefrost Pack
- Helmet: Polar
- Suit: Polar
- Emote: Bringer of Gifts
- Frame: Brinefrost
- Abyssus – Brinerot Pack
- Brinerotten Helmet
- Brinerotten Armor
- Pack of Brine Emote
- Brinerot Frame
A Game Pass Dive Worth Taking?
Abyssus arrives at a useful moment for Game Pass players. It is a full co-op shooter built around replayability, quick decision-making and the sort of chaotic runs that are better when somebody in your party is shouting that they have found a new weapon mod.
The £20.99 standard edition is there for those buying on PlayStation 5 or PC, but Game Pass and Xbox members can take the plunge without spending anything extra. Grab a squad, choose your gear and head beneath the surface. Just do not expect the abyss to be welcoming.
