Following their work together on 2020's beloved modern beat 'em up Streets of Rage 4, Dotemu and Guard Crush Games are teaming up again on the upcoming Absolum. A curious blend of classic side-scrolling beat 'em up, high fantasy RPG, and action roguelike, Absolum is aiming to elevate the beat 'em up formula beyond the titles that players grew up with in arcades and on consoles. And while Absolum draws inspiration from some much-loved classics within the genre, incorporating a roguelike structure into its RPG/beat 'em up hybrid pushes it into uncharted territory.
Following a recent hands-on event and reveal showcase for Absolum hosted by publisher Dotemu, The Best War Games had the chance to pick the brains of Absolum's development team regarding the title's inspirations, its unique blend of genres, and how the title aims to stand out in the increasingly crowded action roguelike genre. Not surprisingly, Absolum pulls disparate elements from a slew of noteworthy titles into its unique mix of genres and mechanics to create something that is at once familiar and unique, moving beyond the more traditional beat 'em up mechanics of Dotemu and Guard Crush Games' work on Streets of Rage 4 in an attempt to advance the genre as a whole.
6 Beat 'Em Up Games With The Best Progression Systems
This list details the best progression systems found in the Beat 'Em Up genre for those who want to grow more powerful in their brawlers.
Absolum's RPG Mechanics and Roguelike Progression Emphasize Replay Value
Given Dotemu's success with both Streets of Rage 4 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, it makes sense for the publisher to tackle the beat 'em up genre once again. According to Dotemu CEO Cyrille Imbert, that doesn't mean they could merely rest on their laurels. Speaking about partnering up again with Guard Crush Games following the duo's success on Streets of Rage 4, Imbert notes, "We both wanted to improve on the beat ’em up formula, but this time set within a fantasy universe." Naturally, this led to the inclusion of RPG aesthetics and mechanics, which had a major impact on how Absolum's gameplay developed.
Absolum's lead designer Jordi Asensio elaborates on how those RPG mechanics transformed the traditional beat 'em up foundation that Absolum started from, noting:
Power upgrades give more chances to the player to beat the game with things such as a resurrection, more gold to buy stuff, dealing more damage, gaining more healing points, etc.
To help balance the inclusion of RPG-style progression mechanics and maintain a level of challenge consistent with the team's work on Streets of Rage 4,adopting a roguelike structure proved to be the solution. According to Asensio, "You cannot prevent players from optimizing," which meant the team had to get creative in delivering a satisfying power curve while maintaining a healthy challenge throughout Absolum's campaign.
Games That Inspired Absolum's Genre Blend
Speaking about how Absolum's curious genre combination came about, Asensio notes, "I’ve always dreamed of creating something...mixing modern game design with arcade gameplay and even tabletop RPG elements." To do so, the team at Guard Crush Games looked to the beat 'em up genre's past and drew from two surprising sources: Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara and Guardian Heroes, both games released for the Sega Saturn in 1996. Again, Asensio wasn't content with simply borrowing elements from the games that inspired him. He notes:
I’m a big fan of Guardian Heroes on the Sega Saturn and Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara from the arcade. These games were ahead of their time—crazy, adventurous experiences with branching paths, character growth, tons of secrets, and unforgettable moments. Yet, I’ve always felt that they never fully reached their potential.
While Absolum shares some unmistakable similarities to two older beat 'em ups that experimented with RPG mechanics and progression, it still attempts to go further than those games could, thanks to the advancements and innovations that have come about in the last 30 years.
Absolum is currently in development and will be released on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.
