Review: Abyss Odyssey: Extended Dream Edition (Playstation 4)

November 6th, 2015 at 12:11 pm -

Abyss Odyssey: Extended Dream Edition by developer Ace Team is a 2D action platformer where the player takes control of Katrien, a free-thinking, imaginary warrior that derives from the twisted mind of an evil warlock.  Destined to battle the evil that conjured her, Katrien must enter the abyss to confront the unthinkable horrors that dwell beneath.

The game starts with a basic tutorial that explains the in-game controls and the nuances of combat. Once the player becomes familiar with the basics, they are immediately sent into the abyss where humanity has taken its last stand against the warlock’s dark creatures .  The abyss is a series of dungeon-like labyrinths that contain a multitude of special weapons, treasures chests and save locations. But most importantly, the dungeons themselves – even though they’re all connected — can range in difficulty (i.e. easy, normal, and hard). Unfortunately, there is no way to change the difficulty of these dungeons.

The gameplay effortlessly combines tried-and-true platforming mechanics with some of the most punishing roguelike elements the genre can muster. For example: while the majority of the game is spent jumping on platforms, exploring dark tunnels, and searching for items, there will be times when the player will have to revive Katrien after she dies. When this happens, the game will provide a segregate character (i.e. a soldier) to bring Katrien’s remains to a resurrection room elsewhere in the dungeon. This isn’t a bad idea considering the game’s punishing nature. However, if the soldier happens to die before reviving the story’s protagonist, the game will delete everything from the player’s inventory (including potions and weapons) and restart the game from a previous checkpoint.

Combat is just as challenging as the platforming mechanics. Enemies appear at random in clouds of inky, black sheets of darkness, filling the screen from both sides. The variety of enemies available is staggering, ranging from winged demons to plague doctors wearing ominous plague disease masks. Using the right Analog Stick, the player can engage the enemy by unleashing a barrage of parries, swipes and jabs. The L1 and R1 buttons are used to dodge back and forth, while L2 and R2 are used to block incoming attacks respectively. It’s worth noting that gamers that don’t want to use the right Analog Stick for combat can use the Dualshock 4’s face buttons instead.

Katrien gains a Skill Point every three levels.  The player can use these Skill points to boost special attacks up to three times. To accomplish this – select a special attack that has already been assigned and press ‘right’ on the directional pad. Then choose the upgrade type: Damage, Mana, or Defense. The same upgrade type can be stacked onto the same skill to boost its effectiveness. Skill Points on a special attack are not permanent and can be reset. The player can also spend Skill Points to permanently upgrade their amount of special cancels. However, the player must find special alters that are scattered throughout the abyss to assign new skills.

While not perfect, Abyss Odyssey Extended Dream for PlayStation 4 is an entertaining game that will test your skills (and patience) as a gamer. The resurrection system can be an exercise in tedium, but the combat and leveling system make up for it.  Just bear in mind that Abyss Odyssey Extended Dream provides a punishing experience that takes time and skill to master.

Mike Pittaro
Platform: PlayStation 4 (Available on PSN)
Developer: ACE Team
Publisher: Atlus
ESRB: T (Teen)
Price: $14.99

Abyss Odyssey Extended Dream Official Website