If you walked into a kitchen where publishers Koei Tecmo and developers Omega Force were preparing a meal primarily consisting of ‘Dynasty Warriors’ and ‘Samurai Warriors’ as the key ingredients, then sprinkled in some herbs and spices reminiscent of ‘Hades’ and ‘Vampire Survivors’, you would get ‘Warriors Abyss’.

Shadow-dropped last week out of nowhere, and only a month after the well-received ‘Dynasty Warriors: Origins’, Warriors Abyss takes what it has learned from its own legacy and dips its toes into the roguelike, hack-and-slash genre and it lands on most of its ideas (just).

The plot follows the souls of heroes who have been summoned to the underworld by the boy king, Enma. He needs you to fight through four levels of hell, facing formidable bosses along the way and descending deeper until you confront Gouma, who has unleashed his forces to take over the underworld.

Narratively, the story feels quite shallow. You can skip much of the dialogue without missing anything significant. The beginning of the game can feel like a slog, you are met with what feels like endless walls of text and tutorials, but once you push through, the game opens up for you, which is a welcome relief.

Now, where Warriors Abyss may fall short story-wise, its gameplay is where it truly shines. Before you even begin a run, you’re met with one of the largest rosters I’ve ever seen in a video game—featuring over 100 characters from across the Warriors franchise, each with their own movesets. The sheer size of the roster ensures that players are spoiled for choice when selecting a hero.

Another feature before diving into hell is the ‘Hall of Bonded Souls’, here you’ll see a large interconnected web of every hero in the game. Here, you can spend Karma Embers to form bonds between characters, levelling things such as increasing your HP or attack power. Some bonds even unlock formations, adding another layer of strategy.

Once the action begins, you’re tasked with clearing floors of enemies using your chosen hero’s movesets. Most enemies are basic mobs designed for the meat grinder, but as you progress, tougher foes begin to appear. After clearing a floor, you must choose your next step.

Crystal Saplings allow you to form an alliance with another hero, granting special effects and the ability to summon them in battle. War Banners, on the other hand, let you change your formations, either manually or by allowing Enma to auto-select for you, which can provide formation bonuses. The best way to know if you’ve made the right choice is by checking your attack power in the bottom right, higher attack power massively increases your chances of success I found.

Once you’ve selected your hero or formation, three new rooms open up, each displaying its reward. These rewards often include additional Crystal Saplings, Karma Embers for upgrading in the Hall of Bonded Souls, HP recovery, or Tears of Blood, which can be spent at King’s Cauldrons to purchase formations or new heroes.

As you progress, each floor becomes increasingly difficult. While basic mobs remain, they’re soon joined by stronger enemies that will punish careless mistakes. After the seventh floor, you’ll face a boss on the eighth. Defeating it allows you to advance to the next level, where another eight floors await. This structure reminded me heavily of Hades, with its level-clearing progression leading to an ultimate showdown against Gouma.

The combat is responsive, fast-paced, and instantly recognisable to longtime Warriors fans. Hack-and-slash mechanics remain at the core, allowing you to carve through hordes of enemies with weapon combos. Your character’s Musou attack, once charged, delivers a devastating blow, while formation attacks, available once six heroes are assigned, I found are best saved for bosses. While the Musou attack served me better against mobs.

Ultimately, Warriors Abyss has a satisfying gameplay loop that is both rewarding and engaging, I will definitely return to the game when I just want to zone out and enjoy some chaotic fun.

Graphically, the presentation is somewhat bland. Floors often look repetitive, making the environments feel the same after repeated runs. That said, I like the formation attacks for their nice visual flair, the screen shifts to noir, and the contrast of bright, colourful attacks makes for a striking effect. The soundtrack, while not groundbreaking, provides a fitting background as you battle through the underworld.

Overall, Warriors Abyss is a blend of Warriors combat and the roguelike genre, giving you an insane character roster and satisfying hack-and-slash combat. The story may be lacking and the visuals are bland but the challenging gameplay loop will more than make up for it. If you’re a fan of the Warriors franchise or just enjoy roguelikes, this is a game worth checking out.

Written by: Dylan Kocins