Absolver

 PC
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 101 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 101
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 101
  3. Negative: 31 out of 101

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  1. DustoutGames
    Sep 13, 2017
    8
    Absolver is a great game that is currently suffering from launch hiccups. There are some fairly serious issues with connectivity at this point such as lag in the game world, and the occasional difficulty connecting to PvP matchmaking.

    While serious, those issues have a very low impact on my score because of how supportive and responsive the developers have been. The game is patched    Absolver is a great game that is currently suffering from launch hiccups. There are some fairly serious issues with connectivity at this point such as lag in the game world, and the occasional difficulty connecting to PvP matchmaking.

    While serious, those issues have a very low impact on my score because of how supportive and responsive the developers have been. The game is patched frequently, and every update brings the game close to its full potential.

    Depth of gameplay and world building are where this game really shines. The combat system will feel familiar to players of games like soul calibur, virtua fighter, and dark souls, but ultimately, Absolve really is unlike any combat system I've seen before. The short version is you get to build your own combos from a large pool of available attacks that all have their own levels of speed, power, and timing, and then string them together with your two attack buttons. This means that every player can create their own unique combat style and techniques. This means you can adapt to any challenge the game world throws at you for one, but it also makes the PvP incredibly deep and satisfying.

    The game's story mode is fairly short, but that doesn't really take anything away from what makes Absolver great. The different areas (all linked together into a seamless world) are designed with branching paths and lots of little hidden corners. While Absolver doesn't do as great a job as the Souls games at rewarding exploring, there are still a few good hidden treasures and rewards for poking around and finding all the corners. The lack of a map also gives you a feeling of initially getting lost, but then finding your way again as you become more and more familiar with the world. This obviously won't be appealing to every player, but again, that's a big selling point for the Souls games as well.

    Bottom line: The game has some rough edges now, and if you're primarily interested in PvP, I would wait a couple of weeks for the online stability to even out some more. However, looking at Absolver for what it is even in its current state reveals a great game with a great combat system, and a great community.    … Expand
  2. Absinthesize
    Sep 22, 2017
    9
    So. Lets be up front. Game had kinda bad marketing. Touted a lot of PVE even though the devs mentioned PVE was sparse and the focus was PVP. This is the fault of the publisher not the developers.

    if you are looking for martial arts dark souls, your out of luck, the games story is small and more about world building then an actual fleshed out story. Devs have said they have more PVE    So. Lets be up front. Game had kinda bad marketing. Touted a lot of PVE even though the devs mentioned PVE was sparse and the focus was PVP. This is the fault of the publisher not the developers.

    if you are looking for martial arts dark souls, your out of luck, the games story is small and more about world building then an actual fleshed out story. Devs have said they have more PVE stuff in store, but its still not the main focus.

    More up front, stability issues, its had a fair bit, while I personally experience it seldomly, some players experience it a lot more. The stability is getting a bit better every patch.

    1.06 patch happened, 2 days later they reverted it, and gave the most genuine response a dev company I have seen in recent years. They full admitted to changing too much at once, and said they will use a lighter touch in the future and evaluate more. They didn't revert everything, but they reverted the things that were breaking the game.

    Now lets get to the good stuff.

    The games pvp 1v1 combat is amazing. It is thrilling and fluid and fun to watch as well to play. Make no mistake, this is a fighting game in spirit despite not being a side scroller. It has that same level of barrier to entry that many players are driven away from the fighting community. You will get demolished with pressure if you do not learn to use your specials to get out. If you cannot learn it, you will keep getting destroyed mercilessly.

    However the comeback mechanics and getting out of pressure is still easier then say...Tekken 7 currently is.

    This is also a thinking mans fighting game. You have to build your characters moveset from the ground up. A good deck is half the battle in this game, and some players struggle with learning it (i know i did) but once it clicks, you can make some amazing stuff happen.

    Newest patch is a strong step in the right direciotn and proof that while they listen and take feedbakc to heart, they also have there own minds and are not just simply pandering to whoever cries loudest.

    small team, great devs, great game, population will only grow if they keep to updates like this.

    near future is ways to color your gear, ranked mode, 3v3 mode, and some kind of dungeonesque PVE thing.    … Expand
  3. Tsproggy
    Sep 22, 2017
    8
    Ever try to:
    Figure out your minimum effective deadliness without weapons or armor?
    Dodge or evade attacks using emotes? Perform a tornado kick when nobody was looking? Join us at the shrine. We're waiting for you. This game has it all. Engaging combat, soundtrack, visuals. If you have friends, they'll be amazed by all the ways you can hit them in the face. You can found your own    Ever try to:
    Figure out your minimum effective deadliness without weapons or armor?
    Dodge or evade attacks using emotes?
    Perform a tornado kick when nobody was looking?

    Join us at the shrine. We're waiting for you.

    This game has it all. Engaging combat, soundtrack, visuals. If you have friends, they'll be amazed by all the ways you can hit them in the face. You can found your own school and teach those who lack discipline! Learn from every hit you take (actual game mechanic) and eventually dish out some lessons yourself.

    What you learn is represented by these sick cards that will remind you of old timey instructional scrolls featuring painted stances and forms; Mix and match them to create your own fighting styles including weapon styles. While the game is not entirely focused on weapon combat you could design your character in such a way that you gain access to it faster than most. Weapons in this game can be used until they are sheathed, taken by force or break off on your opponent's face.

    You can toggle between online, invite only and offline mode. Co-op and courtesy in online play is common but be wary of your friend's fists of fury. Luckily these rules apply to everything else in the game which makes for some interesting encounters and strategies.    … Expand
  4. charyou
    Aug 30, 2017
    10
    I'm disappointed to see all the negative press this game is receiving. It seems like people blindly purchased the game without looking into what it aimed to achieve. This is an excellent fighting game. Period. It has a fun over-world that acts as a training ground and lobby. It has a very intricate combat system. It has a beautiful art style. All animations are hand keyed. The price of theI'm disappointed to see all the negative press this game is receiving. It seems like people blindly purchased the game without looking into what it aimed to achieve. This is an excellent fighting game. Period. It has a fun over-world that acts as a training ground and lobby. It has a very intricate combat system. It has a beautiful art style. All animations are hand keyed. The price of the game is only $30. Think of it more as an indie fighting game, not a triple A release trying to clone dark souls as others have claimed.

    One reoccurring complaint I see is the difficulty of fighting multiple enemies. Yes, in the first hour or two it is difficult, but it teaches you positioning and stamina management. Afterwards it is fun to fight two enemies.

    Another complaint is region locking. While I can understand this being frustrating, remember that this is a tiny dev team without the budget to do state of the art matchmaking or pay for dedicated servers across the globe.

    The only complaint I understand is the AI not wanting to leave their designed area. It is annoying when they run back to their spawn area if you pull them too far away. I imagine this was done to prevent frame drops and other QA problems by not allowing NPCS to be pulled too far and have too many on screen. Again, the dev team is tiny. I would hope this and other small nitpicks will be address down the road.

    All in all I would highly recommend this game. Just don't blindly purchase it without looking into what it offers. Why would you do that with any game though?    … Expand
  5. nullward
    Sep 22, 2017
    9
    Absolver is an amazing fighting game, with great potential to grow. The dev team really listens to their played, the combat is tight and beautiful to watch, and the community is great for a game so new. True, the content is limited in terms of game world, but does that really matter in a fighting game? It's the mechanics that count, and they are stellar here.
  6. Damian_roar
    Aug 30, 2017
    10
    Honest review here, from a person who doesn't like to stay in the box.
    Nowadays companies are blinded by reviewing the same type of games year after year, if its not COD or FIFA they give a thumbs down to a game.
    This game is all that For Honor tried to be, and WAY better, the customization of your combos, and a stats system that really works (i hate those games that have stats and    Honest review here, from a person who doesn't like to stay in the box.
    Nowadays companies are blinded by reviewing the same type of games year after year, if its not COD or FIFA they give a thumbs down to a game.

    This game is all that For Honor tried to be, and WAY better, the customization of your combos, and a stats system that really works (i hate those games that have stats and administrate them on their own way on level up, why do you make a stat system if you wont leave their players change it?) its what drew me in.

    It is an original game, flawless, and it gives this great sensation when you engage your combos in a harmonic way, the sound of a well placed kick in the face ending your opponent, and a great connection on the pvps i had, even on the launch day, its something very hard to archieve on a game, and this game did it.

    If you liked dark souls, and enjoyed For honor but wanted it well made, this is your game, you're not going to regret it, plus the complexitity of the fighting system its very solid and will make great for a competitive game.

    Give it a try, and dont let the "money sucker reviewers" confuse you with their mixed reviews, they give low scores to games that are not fifa and cod anyways.    … Expand
  7. Filmatic
    Aug 29, 2017
    8
    Enthralling combat system. Great visuals. Story...... well, unfortunately they sort of skimped on it.... leaving plenty left to be wanted... hopefully they add new content.... *crosses fingers*. For what it is, at its price point and the great fun i just had from day one.... bugs, and day one problems aside... it's hard not to rate this game highly. It's like dark souls light had a babyEnthralling combat system. Great visuals. Story...... well, unfortunately they sort of skimped on it.... leaving plenty left to be wanted... hopefully they add new content.... *crosses fingers*. For what it is, at its price point and the great fun i just had from day one.... bugs, and day one problems aside... it's hard not to rate this game highly. It's like dark souls light had a baby with kung fu, and for honor.
    Visuals: 9/10
    Combat: 9.5/10
    Story/campaign: 7/10 *coughs* hard to really even call it a story or whatever it is. a combat simulator? but whatever it's fresh and dynamic... leaves you to figure stuff out rather than spoon feed it too you like a baby.
    Coop: 7/10 clunky but fun.
    Pricepoint value: 9/10
    overall: fun and worth 30 buckeroos. 8/10    … Expand
  8. SuperkenGaming
    Aug 29, 2017
    7
    Absolver
    For Honor Meets Dark Souls
    Absolver is a martial arts focused combat souls like game where you play as your created character with your own selected fighting style and set out into its world to take down all of the marked ones and open a gate… This game can be played either offline or online where pvp is possible.. But co-op Is also possible... this game is a souls like not    Absolver
    For Honor Meets Dark Souls
    Absolver is a martial arts focused combat souls like game where you play as your created character with your own selected fighting style and set out into its world to take down all of the marked ones and open a gate…
    This game can be played either offline or online where pvp is possible.. But co-op Is also possible...
    this game is a souls like not because of its difficulty, its fairly easy and everything can be seen in under 5 hours, it’s a souls like because how it is delivered…
    this is one open world with enemies around every corner, these enemies will respawn when you leave an area or activate a meditation post which is where you fill up your health…
    there is the little fog you enter to take on the games bosses…
    but this is the only dark souls part about it…
    the combat here is decently fun
    you’re able to do heavy attacks, light attacks, dodge and block, but there are 4 different fighting stances you can take and these stances will determine the moves you can pull off…
    And you learn more moves outside of your selecting fighting style through combat with either other player or enemies within the world…
    moves are leveled up as you use them, but by blocking them your character will start to learn them and eventually you’ll be able to use them yourself…
    though the blocking is probably the most annoying part about this game…
    As enemies are either blockers or they aren’t…
    that’s the only think that makes a boss “challenging”
    is they they spam the block button instead of force you to evade and time your attacks…
    because of this I found the game to just be very button mashy opposed to a game like for honor where you have to read your opponent a bit
    Sure you can wait for them to stop blocking and attack when they do…
    but you can also really just mash buttons and use your special abilities..
    Which are unlocked as you progress the game...
    Depending on the class you pick you can use an ability to gain health by striking until you take damage or the timer runs out, or stunning your enemy for some free shots...
    these abilities need to be filled by taking or dealing damage though, which is a fair bit of balance, running around isn’t going to help you…
    but as you’re running around if the game doesn’t have server issues like it started to on launch..
    You’ll see other players running around or fighting and you can either step in and help, ignore them, or attack them…
    I was attacked a few times, but it was never annoying when it happened... as I came out on top every time..
    it’s sort of satisfying to be attacked by a player, put them in the ground and then revive them after putting them in their place…
    Doing so will make the 2 of you neutral instead of hostile
    but you’re able to offer them your help or request help, offer a truce and play co-op together without battling..
    And there is a loot system here…
    there are weapons you can pick up and equip, though the break... and character can have much stronger gear for protection or lighter gear for speed and strength..
    so you have to be careful who you attack if you do
    But there is definitely some trolling potential on a certain bridge where a player Can use their push back attack on passing players.. So look out for it...
    Technically though the game plays pretty smoothly though I did run into some lagging before the server problems happened and part of the world disappeared once and I got stuck in a hole forcing me to back out into the main menu
    I found absolver to be fun.. though once you see all there is to see, the world loses a bit of its charm
    There is replayability in the form of leveling your character and combat moves through player vs player 1v1 of course, but the combat isn’t deep enough to be fun in its own dedicated competitive mode and there isn’t a deep enough world to make this replaybility anything but artificial outside of it
    This is a beat in a weekend game which isn’t a bad thing…
    I give Absolver
    a 7/10    … Expand
  9. Yahea
    Sep 3, 2017
    9
    I did everything that the game offers and I am now max level and lvl 61 in PvP

    Pros + Unique fight mechanics + You can make your own combo deck + Simple and cool art style + Gameplay feels smooth + Good mash of PvP/PvE + You feel like a real martial arts fighter Cons - Some connection issues when you are not in EU/NA (It will be fixed in an upcoming update) - Region locked    I did everything that the game offers and I am now max level and lvl 61 in PvP

    Pros
    + Unique fight mechanics
    + You can make your own combo deck
    + Simple and cool art style
    + Gameplay feels smooth
    + Good mash of PvP/PvE
    + You feel like a real martial arts fighter

    Cons
    - Some connection issues when you are not in EU/NA (It will be fixed in an upcoming update)
    - Region locked (Didn't try myself)
    - Tutorial is not very clear

    Other
    = The Game is like Darksouls with the exploration aspect A.K.A no real map or sense of direction. Some people will like it and some will not.

    You will either love the game or think it is ok/bad, so go give a try and if you don't like it refund it.    … Expand
  10. jhuang
    Aug 30, 2017
    1
    Let's get one thing straight first, this is a fighting game meant for players online to fight each other; otherwise, a pvp game. For this to be a proper fighting game, netcode issues are a big deal and they miserably failed in this aspect.

    The combat system and combat deck building is good, but what use is all this when playing the game turns into a frustrating experience where rather    Let's get one thing straight first, this is a fighting game meant for players online to fight each other; otherwise, a pvp game. For this to be a proper fighting game, netcode issues are a big deal and they miserably failed in this aspect.

    The combat system and combat deck building is good, but what use is all this when playing the game turns into a frustrating experience where rather than fighting your opponent you're fighting with network issues.

    People outside America have lag issues and teleporting enemies during matches, this should never have been released outside america as a full release game and it is borderline false advertising to do so. It is not ok for devs to use paying customers as test dummies for their servers and netcode especially when they advertise the game as a full release. Did I mention these issues also persist in coop pve? A friend of mine who lives < 3km away from me and we still experience teleporting enemies when the other is the host; yes we tested both ways.

    This aspect makes the game literally, not figuratively, unplayable. Already ordered my refund, I advise everyone getting the same issue to do the same. And if you don't live in America, don't buy this.    … Expand
  11. NEAMf1337
    Sep 3, 2017
    0
    Ей богу, это какой-то треш. :/
    В трейлерах и в видео с чужим геймплеем всё выглядело куда сказочнее, чем есть на самом деле. В итоге мы получили дикие рассинхроны игроков в РФ, ололо-геймплей в стиле "кто заспамит - тот и выиграл", ну и просто скучный и неинтересный кусок кода    Ей богу, это какой-то треш. :/
    В трейлерах и в видео с чужим геймплеем всё выглядело куда сказочнее, чем есть на самом деле. В итоге мы получили дикие рассинхроны игроков в РФ, ололо-геймплей в стиле "кто заспамит - тот и выиграл", ну и просто скучный и неинтересный кусок кода
  12. PokemonStyle
    Nov 14, 2017
    6
    + Deep and complex combat system
    + Beautiful art style
    + You can play in coop

    - A small amount of content
    - A lot of grind
    - Some problems with the game servers on release

    From my point of view there are no reasons to by these game for a full price untill Absolver has a lack of content.
  13. razielofc
    Oct 31, 2017
    3
    i cringe every time i see a comment saying "dark souls meets ...". if you believe that this game comes close to the quality of dark souls or bloodborne in terms of combat, you really are delusional. people criticize ubisoft's "for honor" due to it's combat but give this game a pass, saying it's an indie game. that is not enough of a reason to ignore all of its flaws.

    - even after a    i cringe every time i see a comment saying "dark souls meets ...". if you believe that this game comes close to the quality of dark souls or bloodborne in terms of combat, you really are delusional. people criticize ubisoft's "for honor" due to it's combat but give this game a pass, saying it's an indie game. that is not enough of a reason to ignore all of its flaws.

    - even after a month after the release, still people report single player bugs, game crashes, and losing their saves.
    - game claims to be an online fighting game with the promise of deck and variety, however, all combat boils down to button mashing (with few favorable attack combinations) in the brief moments when you have a stable server connection --and believe me, those are brief.
    - single player campaign lacks any excitement, and background music doesn't help the pain of cheap boss battles. i'm giving a score of 3 just because the game provides a single player campaign of 2-3 hour completion time.    … Expand
  14. Yung_Bean
    Sep 17, 2017
    2
    This game is a cash grab. Do not waste your money on it. 26 people in the dev team and you're telling me not 1 thought, "oh, hey, maybe we should have a decent server for this online fighting game" it was released way to early with a "beta test" that consisted of 60 streamers. if this game had a real beta and wasn't just some small dev team trying to beat the dead horse that is the DarkThis game is a cash grab. Do not waste your money on it. 26 people in the dev team and you're telling me not 1 thought, "oh, hey, maybe we should have a decent server for this online fighting game" it was released way to early with a "beta test" that consisted of 60 streamers. if this game had a real beta and wasn't just some small dev team trying to beat the dead horse that is the Dark Souls community it may have been okay.… Expand
  15. Hoginson
    Sep 4, 2017
    0
    Согласен, это полнейший треш."ну и просто скучный и неинтересный кусок кода"
    Больше нечего добавить
  16. DOOMBOY
    Sep 11, 2017
    0
    Non-working, one-button and retarded mechanics for 2017. Bugs, lags, cheaters, slow attack animation, stupid auto-target, disgusting unreal engine 4. This is absolutely unplayable garbage. This garbage can not be called a game.
  17. BatFat09
    Oct 7, 2017
    7
    The foundations of a great game are here. It has wonderful combat unlike any game I've ever seen and an extremely interesting world. I just wish I could explore more and learn more about it.
  18. arruu
    Sep 6, 2017
    6
    The graphics are artistic but lack detail.
    The sound is atrocious: the music is basically nonexistent and the sound effects feel very weak.
    The control lacks depth. Sure you can customize your fighting deck, but ultimately it can easily become a button masher with a few blocks/evades. Unnecessary complex maps with lots and lots of paths... without real sense of discovery. The game is    The graphics are artistic but lack detail.
    The sound is atrocious: the music is basically nonexistent and the sound effects feel very weak.
    The control lacks depth. Sure you can customize your fighting deck, but ultimately it can easily become a button masher with a few blocks/evades.
    Unnecessary complex maps with lots and lots of paths... without real sense of discovery.
    The game is tiresome. Basically same atmosphere and enemy design all the way.
    Internet connection is bad. Period.
    I could say more, but this is enough for me to never play this game again.    … Expand
  19. Mauron
    Feb 21, 2019
    7
    el juego en si, esta genial tiene unos de los mejores sistemas de pvp que he vusto, es un sistema diferente, y se podria decir que dificil de controlar, bien, ahora hablando del mapa, el mapa es realmente confuso, el juego en si no tiene ninguna señal de voz, el juego tambien esta muy mal optimizado, practicamente tengo que jugarlo en bajos medios para que por lo menos vaya a 60 fps conel juego en si, esta genial tiene unos de los mejores sistemas de pvp que he vusto, es un sistema diferente, y se podria decir que dificil de controlar, bien, ahora hablando del mapa, el mapa es realmente confuso, el juego en si no tiene ninguna señal de voz, el juego tambien esta muy mal optimizado, practicamente tengo que jugarlo en bajos medios para que por lo menos vaya a 60 fps con caidas, le pongo 7 por lo antes mencionado, la mala optimizacion del juego y el mapa confuso… Expand
  20. tobivv
    Nov 26, 2019
    4
    Interesting combat, but not much to do in the game, with big and empty locations. Pleasing low-poly graphics
  21. Dzench
    Jul 11, 2020
    8
    Довольно недооцененная игра, в неё приятно играть, хоть и не долго, ибо она довольно короткая. Своеобразный Dark Souls но в стиле Кунг-Фу и прочих единоборств.
  22. RockerKR
    Apr 23, 2022
    5
    over complicated ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
  23. IDOL8th
    Feb 8, 2022
    10
    Let me sum it up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qUHQZYMxtk hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
  24. Game0fLife
    Aug 4, 2021
    8
    Strangely, I haven't played this game in a while, but I think about this game every day.

    To be honest, this game has the most sophisticated combat system I ever play in any video game, customizing your own fighting style and move sets. (Although hard to control with mouse/keyboard) Also, this has the best fashion in any video game, not just your typical hamlet+top+glove+pant (I am    Strangely, I haven't played this game in a while, but I think about this game every day.

    To be honest, this game has the most sophisticated combat system I ever play in any video game, customizing your own fighting style and move sets. (Although hard to control with mouse/keyboard)
    Also, this has the best fashion in any video game, not just your typical hamlet+top+glove+pant (I am looking at you, dark souls), and the mask feels really fresh, better than me putting countless hours and looking up Youtube videos on character customization.
    Beautiful art, just searching up gameplay on Youtube and see for yourself.

    This game has so much potential. Yet, it has some major downside too.
    The single-player is way too short and the bosses are keeping recycling (3 times each).
    Multiplayer/Online is great but there are way too few players (less than 100 players).
    This game is really difficult to play with the mouse and keyboard, especially the parrying system. (I hope they will allow more optimization, and let me switching lock-on target with mouse movement, like dark souls)

    Final words, please improve better optimization for mouse/keyboard. It's a major turn-off for me, I don't think I will specifically change my playstyle just because I love this one game.
    And just a lazy tip, you could program some NPC to pretend to be real players (kind of like dark souls 2, with personality and emote) when the player count is too low and matchmaking takes too long.    … Expand
  25. F3T1W
    Aug 27, 2021
    7
    3D action fighting game, including a variety of styles, juicy hit animation and pleasant music

Awards & Rankings

92
#92 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017
18
#18 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 41 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 41
  3. Negative: 0 out of 41
  1. CD-Action
    Nov 16, 2017
    70
    By combining a unique method of connecting players, complex character creation and development, and solid combat mechanics, Absolver delivers something that no traditional fighting games can offer. What it lacks is variety. [11/2017, p.45]
  2. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Nov 7, 2017
    63
    If the developers had packed their unusual fighting system in a linear adventure instead of half-baked openworld, it would’ve been a win-win situation for everyone. [Issue#224, p.57]
  3. GamingTrend
    Oct 9, 2017
    85
    Combining gorgeous if deceptively simple graphics with an innovative approach to combat, Absolver is a welcome breath of fresh air to the sometimes predictable fighting game genre.
    Read full review
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