Warriors: Abyss

Warriors: Abyss is an excellent mash-up of a roguelite structure with the core gameplay of the Dynasty Warriors franchise. There is plenty of content to unlock, and the level of variety in creating builds for each run is incredible. Just be ready to skip through a lot of poor dialogue.

Warriors: Abyss is like a tasty fast food game — nothing extraordinary, but satisfying for a quick bite. The visuals are dated, the story is unexciting, and the production clearly sought the most economical path. Still, the game captivates with the pleasure of testing different characters and builds as we progress through the underworld.

Warriors: Abyss at least sets down a solid foundation to work from, should Koei Tecmo have interest in doing so. It could have taken a lot more lessons from the better games in the roguelite space, but it’s an enjoyable enough game by and large. With a better story, sharper writing, and more interesting bosses, I could easily recommend this even to those who aren’t fans of the Warriors franchise. In its current form, Warriors: Abyss is not likely to impress those looking for another Hades-style time sink, but it should at least satisfy those who enjoy a good hack-and-slash.

Warriors: Abyss is far from perfect, but I can't pretend I didn't have a blast unleashing flashy attacks and dodging the enemy onslaught.

Warriors Abyss is a not particularly ambitious roguelite, but still has interesting ideas. The graphics are bad, the story to be ignored and the arenas too banal. At the same time, however, it is always pleasant to wipe out hundreds of enemies and the power-up system is full of possibilities and combinations, really giving us the feeling of having turned our warrior into a hellish god capable of destroying entire armies. If you like musou but especially roguelites, you should give it a serious look while waiting for bigger names.

It feels more aimed at Warriors fans than roguelike enthusiasts, and with so many other options in the roguelike genre, Warriors: Abyss ends up being a fun, but flawed experience—an entertaining twist on Warriors gameplay, but not a standout in the roguelike genre.

Warriors Abyss has its heart in the right place and some interesting ideas, but its particular blend of musou and roguelike doesn’t feel like it’s fully realized. A novel blueprint for something down the line, but as-is, it’s hard to justify for anyone but the biggest fans of the Warriors series.