Lunar Abyss, a game in development since 2019, was recently released on the 21st of May, developed by Kwalee Labs and published by Kwalee. This single-player FPS story-driven game feels familiar in its nature to a bullet-hell game.

Available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, expect a fast-paced run-and-gun first-person shooter mixed with level traversal that excels in a flow that keeps you in the moment.

You control our main protagonist Fawkes who finds her self waiting up in a dark space prison under the watch eye of Aylin a very large mechanical head that pokes out of the wall near the side of her bed, Aylin informs Fawkes that now being in jail she is to become a scout and explore whats called the Abyss, a structure beyond the jail, and in doing so her sentence in jail will have days removed. Not physically, but you, with Aylin, take control of what’s called a Warden to blast, run, and shoot your way through the mission at hand.

Luna Abyss has a pretty compelling story, an easy-to-move character, and combat that is somewhat addictive. The more I played, the more I came to enjoy the pace and smoothness of the game. Although what seems more open is mostly linear, navigating each trip into the abyss is entertaining and helps gather more gear to fight the upcoming fights.

In your arsenal are 4 guns; while all have your standard use to kill, they are also required for shield breaks. For example, the shotgun is required to break all blue shields, both on doors and on enemies, and unlocking the next gun will break down purple barriers.

During fights, you face many enemies that you will take down at range as you run and gun. Each enemy has a set of attacks that shoot colored orbs at you to deal damage, some fast, some slow, but what’s more concerning is the patterns, spirals, and groups raining down from above. Each enemy has their own pattern, and you have your own to deal with it. Now, in the event of taking damage, there is a mechanic that combines the combat with healing.

You do so by draining the energy from enemies on the brink of death, which in the moment can come in a clutch and keep you on your toes; the flow of battle comes and goes. Seemingly out of nowhere, a batch of both ground and flying enemies pop out to attack you, leaving you wondering if you will be attacked around every corner.

Repetitive enemy patterns throughout the game made combat very predictable, and even on the hardest difficulty, it became easy; I was able to overcome every fight on the 1st or 2nd try.

Luna Abyss, given its budget, did quite well to give us something interesting to look at. A very dark world with soft red or blue lights and walls covered in black gunk, really setting a mood in what looks like an underground, war-torn factory, all in decay, mixed with an enemy design that was both fun to look at and not too hard to kill.

When it comes to sound, I find it can be hit-or-miss, and in this case, it is mostly a hit. Perfectly timed piano overtones really help set the mood, with no overbearing sharpness or static as people talk from a distance. If you want dark and mysterious, then Luna Abyss really did a fantastic job.

I could only find myself recoiling at some of the voice acting by some of the NPCs. I personally believe that a few of the charades were indeed misses and really pulled the mood of the game out of whack.

While short, Luna Abyss did an amazing job crafting a captivating story that had me wondering what would happen next, and with a bigger budget, they have the potential to pump out an even greater game. That said, I enjoyed what was produced and look forward to the next instalment.

Written by: Matiyus