TheRetroArcade
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Joined: Feb 2026
Patch 1.2 also adds a new ability and extra boss patterns.
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Roguelike FPS Abyssus was one of the more interesting games to embed itself in my Steam library last year. Generally, I am of the belief that first-person shooting and roguelike randomisation should never meet, as it generally results in mushy combat and poorly paced levels.
But Abyssus beat the odds, successfully infusing the power-curve of a roguelike into blasting goons with a gun. Its clever genre synthesis lets your diving suit-clad Brinehunter enter battle with chain-lightning revolvers and shotguns that pummel opponents with ghosts. But there was one thing missing from DoubleMoose Games' nautically-themed blaster—a harpoon gun.
There's nothing more entertaining in an FPS than a speargun done well, as games like Painkiller and FEAR will attest. In a game set underwater, meanwhile, a speargun is practically mandatory. Remarkably, the original BioShock omitted all harpoon-based action, one of several reasons why BioShock 2 is secretly the superior game.
Abyssus made the same mistake when it launched in August last year. But the recently released 1.2 update fixes this grievous error, folding in a harpoon gun as the primary feature of the patch.
As you might expect, the harpoon gun is a slow-firing, but heavy-hitting weapon designed to be effective at all ranges. Alongside damaging enemies, its primary fire increases your hunter's combo-point gauge, with the secondary fire spending all accrued points for a massively damaging attack.
It doesn't sound like the harpoon gun will impale enemies on surfaces, which seems like a missed opportunity. But Abyssus compensates for this with a newly added ability that accompanies the speargun: Smiting Spear lets you throw a spectral polearm that embeds in whatever it hits, dealing continuous damage in a small area around itself.
DoubleMoose says this can be used for zone denial and disrupting enemy crowds. But I imagine it will be particularly useful for dealing with larger foes, letting you deal passive damage against them while you mop up the smaller adversaries— a balancing act that I always found tricky in Abyssus' later levels.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
The update also adds several new cosmetic items and, intriguingly, new attack patterns for three of its bosses. P...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
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GamesRadar+
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Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
Roguelike FPS Abyssus was one of the more interesting games to embed itself in my Steam library last year. Generally, I am of the belief that first-person shooting and roguelike randomisation should never meet, as it generally results in mushy combat and poorly paced levels.
But Abyssus beat the odds, successfully infusing the power-curve of a roguelike into blasting goons with a gun. Its clever genre synthesis lets your diving suit-clad Brinehunter enter battle with chain-lightning revolvers and shotguns that pummel opponents with ghosts. But there was one thing missing from DoubleMoose Games' nautically-themed blaster—a harpoon gun.
There's nothing more entertaining in an FPS than a speargun done well, as games like Painkiller and FEAR will attest. In a game set underwater, meanwhile, a speargun is practically mandatory. Remarkably, the original BioShock omitted all harpoon-based action, one of several reasons why BioShock 2 is secretly the superior game.
Abyssus made the same mistake when it launched in August last year. But the recently released 1.2 update fixes this grievous error, folding in a harpoon gun as the primary feature of the patch.
As you might expect, the harpoon gun is a slow-firing, but heavy-hitting weapon designed to be effective at all ranges. Alongside damaging enemies, its primary fire increases your hunter's combo-point gauge, with the secondary fire spending all accrued points for a massively damaging attack.
It doesn't sound like the harpoon gun will impale enemies on surfaces, which seems like a missed opportunity. But Abyssus compensates for this with a newly added ability that accompanies the speargun: Smiting Spear lets you throw a spectral polearm that embeds in whatever it hits, dealing continuous damage in a small area around itself.
DoubleMoose says this can be used for zone denial and disrupting enemy crowds. But I imagine it will be particularly useful for dealing with larger foes, letting you deal passive damage against them while you mop up the smaller adversaries— a balancing act that I always found tricky in Abyssus' later levels.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
The update also adds several new cosmetic items and, intriguingly, new attack patterns for three of its bosses. P...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?