WARRIORS: Abyss Review | TheXboxHub

February 26, 2025

A Hellish Roguelite Adventure or a Descent into Frustration?

Hot on the heels of DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS comes a new entry in the series, but with a bit of a remix thrown into the genre.

Yes, the latest from KOEI TECMO is that of WARRIORS: Abyss, a game that features our well known warriors all going to Hell, almost literally. It also works in a new take on the franchise, as it is now a roguelite experience where we are tasked with roaming through the various levels of Hell in response to a request for help.

Is this a natural evolution of the franchise, or should it have stayed true to its roots? Well, apply your factor 1,000,000 suncream, it’s about to get hot in here!

WARRIORS Abyss Review 1 — The WARRIORS are heading to hell

The story of WARRIORS: Abyss is the usual kind of Japanese weirdness that we have come to expect. We are a spirit version of the hero we choose to be (and with over 100 to choose from, we aren’t exactly starved for choice!), called to the gates of Hell to help a king called Enma, who is apparently the King of the Afterlife, sitting in judgement on the souls that pass through his domain.

However, he has a problem: Gouma, the ruler of Hell, has usurped his position and taken over the realm of Hell. And if you want to kill a demon, which is essentially what Gouma is, what do you do? Well, summon a hero from the Warriors series, and send them off on a journey through the levels of Hell, kicking all kinds of monster ass on the way.

A Descent into the Abyss

Of course there is a bit more to WARRIORS: Abyss than that, and the systems here are a new addition to the Warriors franchise. With every run at Gouma, we start at the beginning of the first level of Hell, the Blazing Wastes, left to move through the various levels before facing off against the boss of the Blazing Wastes, before going to the next level and repeating the process.

The action on offer is pretty much that of staple Warriors fighting, with hordes of enemies appearing on the screen, rushing, while our hero attempts to batter them back. Instead of being cannon fodder soldiers that we are used to seeing though, the enemies here are all spirits of some description, or monsters, from Unrepentant Souls to Sin Spewers. Each stage challenges us to kill a certain number of these enemies in order to progress.

Leveling Up and Forming Alliances in WARRIORS: Abyss

As a roguelite, there is a requirement to make ourselves stronger as each run goes on, and there are a couple of ways to do this.

WARRIORS Abyss Review 3 — The usual madness

The first is in the usual way, defeating foes, gaining EXP points, and levelling up. So far, so normal, right? Well, from there comes the opportunity to choose between three sigils that give bonuses, affecting the damage output. Each sigil relates to a certain aspect of the character, be that strength, charm or vigor or so on. Normally, choosing the one that gives the biggest increase is my tactic! However, in addition to this method, at the end of a stage comes the chance to form an alliance with another hero, and they also come with certain bonuses.

The crystal saplings at the end of each stage offers a choice of three heroes to form an alliance with, and again, they each affect the damage output by a certain amount. However, each also comes with passive bonuses too, such as adding extra hits to our combo chains, causing damage by evading, or even allowing us to interrupt telegraphed attacks with a strong attack, which comes in very handy.

Unlocking Heroes and Exploring Hell

After selecting a new hero alliance, it’s all about heading back in, attempting to forge the strongest team possible, hunting the resources needed to unlock new heroes in the Hall of Heroes. For this, it is Karma Embers, while Tears of Blood can be spent in special areas in the game to get new formations or extra heroes. There are also Danger Zones to face, alongside stages with missions which reward. Finding new weapons for certain heroes is a great reward for these challenges, but it is usually either Embers or Tears that we end up with.

A New Perspective

We need to briefly touch on how WARRIORS: Abyss looks, and here the news is pretty much the same as usual, with a few changes. The standard visuals of the game have changed a little, now viewed from a top-down isometric viewpoint, whilst the sprites are a bit smaller than usual. In fact, the stages are smaller than the sprawling maps we are used to, and this keeps the action focussed.

Of course, the animation of the attacks pulled off are typically over the top, with much spinning and whirling going on, bodies of enemies flying hither and yon. During a Musou attack, they can even hit the camera and leave holes in the glass, which is a nice touch.

The sound is also very good, with some top notch Japanese voice acting going on, from Enma’s whining to the vocalisations spat out as attacks are performed, alongside the crunching impacts of attacks, and the swishes and swipes of ornaments.

WARRIORS Abyss Review 2 — Challenging, but rewarding

A Challenging and Rewarding Roguelite Experience for Warriors Fans

It may be a departure from the usual formula of the Warriors franchise, but it all works very well in WARRIORS: Abyss. The gameplay loop, unlocking of new heroes and weapons, and grind for resources is absorbing, and you will find yourself getting a little further each time.

Let it be known though, WARRIORS: Abyss is hard, there is no two ways about it, but by mixing and matching heroes, and playing to their strengths, there are a whole multitude of combinations to try.

All in all, if you like Warriors, and like a roguelite, WARRIORS: Abyss is the game for you.