Abyssal Blade

TheAwakening
Jun 30
2 min read

Updated: Jul 14

Overview

Abyssal Blade is a boss rush inspired by MMO raid encounters, with bosses that utilize difficult attack patterns. The only path to victory lies in learning about these encounters and solving their puzzles while dealing enough damage to our enemies. There are no health bars here, nor do we need other roles such as healing or tanking.

Story

Somehow you have encountered the Abyssal Blade. You have been plunged into the five stages of Grief. Despair remembers you. Anger simply wants to burn everything. Bargain is looking to buy the way out. Depression looms in light and dark. And Grief guards the very blade. Succeed, and you shall wield it or destroy it…

Gameplay

Our character has only four tools at our disposal, besides basic movement. Dash allows us to quickly move aside to avoid incoming danger but does not give invulnerability. As for attacks, we got the basic slash, a faster weak attack, and cleave, a slow but powerful attack. When we deal enough damage we charge our ultimate ability, the Surge, a quick and powerful version of slash, and our best damage per second move. We may charge it when not attacking the boss once the encounter has started.

The encounters are unique in that each boss has its own timers and attack patterns. There is no help before the fight, nor hand-holding at all. We must use our wits to learn and follow the rules to avoid a single hit against us. The size of the arena varies per boss, and it's shaped like a familiar form for easier awareness.

In the first fight against Denial, one of the abilities it uses is a projection of a pattern we must follow in the correct order, or else. All of the fights are a puzzle that must be resolved within a short time. Fail to survive an encounter, and we have to start it again from full HP.

Our best time depends on our damage per second upkeep; juggling between dodging and attacking may lower our score. The fights have a time limit. Once the boss is finally defeated, the next stage is unlocked, but that’s it. There is no reward to make things easier; bosses are all different and become more challenging with their own abilities. If you manage to beat the game once, you may try the Abyss mode, an even more unforgiving challenge.

Graphics & Audio

When you start the game, an animated pixelated, epic background welcomes us. The ambience on every stage and its background are very detailed as well. Whenever a boss uses abyssal surge, the background becomes even more intense. Every stage has its own soundtrack attached to it (which you can play again in the lobby), fitting with the boss's own stage of grief. They are synchronized as the encounter progresses further to let the adrenaline pump your reflexes.