Phantom Abyss – Spotlight

Phantom Abyss puts a new twist on speed-running – you’re springing to the end of a treasure and trap filled ruin, while competing against ghostly figures of other players doing the same. It’s fast, it’s frantic, and it’s definitely deadly. Oh, and so much fun!

You’re “serving” and old god, Bodach, who’s been imprisoned, and you need to retrieve relics in order to escape. Every run gives you new upgrades, and death lands you back at the start of a new run. If you even though Indiana Jones would make for a good rouge-lite, then Phantom Abyss is for you.

Pros:
Good level design
Clever puzzles and movement system
Neat art style
Interesting competitive nature

Cons:
Some tough to navigate sections
Not for everyone

Score – 8/10

About:

Phantom Abyss is a massive asynchronous multiplayer game that casts players into procedurally-generated temples and tasks them with retrieving the sacred relics hidden within deadly chambers. Intrepid adventurers will dodge scores of hidden traps, leap treacherous chasms, and flee relentless guardians through branching paths until one of the relics are claimed or the devices of death overwhelm them. Be warned, you only get one attempt at each temple and failure or settling for a lesser relic means you will never see that temple again…

The cleverest players will use the phantom runs of failed attempts from other players to their advantage and avoid the missteps and mistakes that led to their doom. Once the legendary relic at the bottom of each temple is found, the temple goes away forever and becomes the priceless trophy of the skilled adventurer.

Asynchronous Multiplayer

Explore the perilous halls and colossal rooms of each temple alongside the phantoms of fallen players that came before you and use their successes and failures to your advantage to progress deeper than they ever could have hoped. Watch and learn from the mistakes of up to 20 phantoms including your Steam friends that have attempted the same temple and steal their whips as they fall.

Unlock More Treacherous Floors

Recover keys from chests to unlock deeper, deadlier sections of the temple that house more coveted relics. The more difficult a relic is to obtain, the greater the reward – the final Legendary Relic of a temple allows you to claim the whole temple so that it’s gone forever.

Blessings from the Gods

As adventurers venture further into a temple, offerings of collected treasures can be made at altars to gain a new blessing for the rest of the run. Collect as much treasure as you can to please the gods and gain a double jump, glide jump, extended slide, damage protection, and more!

Unlockable Whips

Unlock new whips with success and choose from your collection before venturing into your next run. Each whips carries a minor blessing but also a curse that may complicate your attempt at riches and glory.

Social Connections

Players can share Temple Codes for their failed runs allowing friends to attempt the same temple or share their Adventure Code which yields a playlist of temples that a player has attempted in the past.