The marriage of beat 'em up and roguelite works better than expected, each run rekindling the urge to optimize. Readability sometimes suffers from on-screen clutter, but the joy of hitting things stays intact.
Your verdict
Category
Beat-'Em-Up2 players12+
Co-op
Description
A roguelite beat 'em up from Guard Crush and Dotemu, released in 2025. The studio behind Streets of Rage 4 weds its hand-to-hand combat to a run-based structure with persistent progression and branching stages. Its hand-drawn art direction paints a colorful dark fantasy, playable in co-op.
Absolum review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
The hand-drawn art, inherited from the Streets of Rage 4 studio, sets a colorful dark fantasy of constant visual richness. Expressive characters, detailed backdrops and polished animation compose a strong graphic identity that stands out in the beat 'em up landscape.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
From the very first session, pummeling foes in rhythm through a hand-painted world delivers direct, gluttonous fun. Hits land with weight, enemies fly, and co-op turns every room into a gleeful blowout, no subtlety required to have a blast.
Every run caps off with imposing bosses that test your combo mastery and co-op coordination. Their attacks blanket the screen and force constant repositioning, turning the stage's end into an intensity spike as punishing as it is exhilarating.
An underrated gem
At the crossroads of beat 'em up and roguelite, this Dotemu title dares a risky marriage and pulls it off with flair. Its hand-drawn art direction and co-op joy make it a gem for anyone looking to step off the beaten path.
Better with friends
The beat 'em up transcends itself in co-op: pummeling in unison, coordinating specials and reviving each other turn every room into a joint blowout. Facing bosses as a duo adds a layer of strategy that multiplies the fun.
