Absolver

A great mix of styles that almost works. [Issue#192, p.68]

If the network was more stable and the game played more to its strengths around one-on-one combat, this would be a game I’d recommend in a heartbeat. It’s still well worth a look even with those flaws, but I can’t help but imagine what could have been.

Absolver has the potential to develop into something very special. As it stands now, though, the content just isn't entirely there yet. Coupled with a handful of nagging problems, it's hard to recommend the title to anyone but only the most dedicated fighting fans out there.

Absolver is charming beat them all with some good Dark Souls elements, with a big PvE section. Its combat mechanics, where you can customize your own combos sets, is great but the whole system is a little bit rigid, so the multiplayer fights might not feel very pleasant to everyone.

Technical problems aside, Absolver is a great fighting game. If that's enough for you then although the campaign is over relatively quickly the multiplayer and customisation could keep you going for a long time.

Absolver is superb yet flawed. Sloclap have some really fun and innovative ideas though, for some reason, they’ve built a gorge between players and their game. Like digging for gold, if you want to get anything of value from Absolver then you’ll need to work hard and put in the time. Needless to say, those with a casual curiosity will likely find themselves completely turned off.

It often feels unrefined and unbalanced, but the uniquely tactical combat system, and Dark Souls influences, create one of the most enjoyably different fighting games of recent years.

It’s a real shame that it’s currently experiencing these connectivity issues, as Absolver is an otherwise great melee action game. The combat is deep, tactical, and wonderfully customisable, and interacting co-operatively or competitively with other players can be a real joy. Once SloClap can ensure players of a lag-free environment to play in, this will be a knockout multiplayer brawler.

When all the pieces slide perfectly into place, Absolver truly shines as one of the best action experiences I’ve had in some time. But with all the pressure hinged on solely the combat, it takes only one hiccup to throw it all off (and there is definitely more than just one in the game).

Absolver can be rewarding for those that dedicate the appropriate amount of time and attention it requires, but its complexities can be hard to break into. Even when Absolver is mastered, the resulting expertise seems to have little impact on the competitive side of the experience.

While Absolver is up and down in a lot of places, the game just doesn’t come together well. There’s something about the underlying design that makes it feel disjointed. Most of this comes from the quasi-open world aspect, but the ridiculous level of grinding involved and the disconnected PvP mode makes Absolver feel like a game that’s at war with itself.

The mysterious atmosphere as well as the multi-faceted fight system show a lot potential. But Absolver seriously lacks content, while technical flaws and shortcomings definitely need to be addressed soon.

The concept behind Absolver is intriguing, but its execution and lack of staying power make it a very tough recommendation. If you're willing to put up with tedium, maybe joining a guild and learning new moves will be for you. For others, I'd say give this a pass.

Absolver is disappointing because of how big it could have been. As it is right now, is interesting, but mediocre verging on bad. If the devs don't do anything about it, the servers will be closed by Christmas.

Absolver delivers on its promise of a compelling and unique combat system, but falls flat in almost every other way. Some baffling design decisions hold it back, so it’s hard to recommend the game simply based on its combat.