Absolver review: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

The derelict world of Adal is bred for the combatively creative. I just wish Absolver had more of a narrative emboldening its journey.

Developer: Sloclap
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platforms: PC (version reviewed), PS4
Release Date: August 29, 2017

Even though it has been a mechanic introduced before its time, ever since Watch Dogs presented seamless online single and multiplayer play within a shared world experience, games released since have been tinkering with its formula. Ironically, Absolver may best present itself as a game doing the opposite, as the foundations of this action adventure title seem better rooted as a multiplayer game rather than a single player campaign.

To be honest, in its current state, I would rather Sloclap pick one or the other.

In the world of Adal, players are chosen by the Guides of the land as Prospects, tasked with a challenge that will test those worthy of absolution. Those who take down the named Marked Ones of the land and conquer the Tower of Adal will become Absolvers, allowing them to mentor others they encounter across the land.

While seemingly looking like a brief elevator pitch, after just over four hours of working my way through Absolver that is about as much I could tell you about the game’s story. The game is decidedly gameplay oriented, focusing mostly on an ever-evolving combat system and interacting with others in a living online basis rather than creating a compelling backstory.

Absolver is one of the most ambitious independent action games in recent memory, regardless of the lack of narrative depth. Players choose one of three starting combat styles (Forsaken = balanced with parry special, Kahlt = strength with absorb special, Windfall = dexterity with dodge special), but beyond basic statistical guidelines, they start with a basic set of combat moves.

More from Reviews

• Sonic Dream Team review: A welcome surprise to Apple Arcade
• Nacon’s Revolution 5 Pro for Playstation: Is it worth it?
• Jusant review: An uplifting tale about lifting yourself up
• WarioWare: Move It review: A waggle in the right direction for the series
• Alan Wake 2 review: Am I high right now?

What makes Absolver different from other combat-oriented games is how the character builds up their avatar. Each fighter approaches combat in one of four directional fighting stances, depending on their position in relation to their target. Most beginner moves are simple but can be quickly expanded by building up your combat deck.

Each enemy you encounter embodies one of the three combat styles, but their moves can be wildly different than anything you see from the beginning. Blocking, dodging, countering and defeating enemies that use these moves will help expand your combat deck, giving you more options to alter your move set in order to throw enemies off with your inputs.

What starts out as a two-button masher quickly evolves into a world of inputs and stringed combos with possibilities in the tens of thousands. You may start out with straight punches and power kicks but slowly evolve into a series of hooks, jabs, roundhouse kicks and elaborate lunges at enemies. Best of all, you can learn moves from both the enemy AI combatants and other players that seamlessly join your online lobby or in 1v1 competitive matches.

Each player also adheres to an experience system tied to five upgradeable attributes; Strength, Dexterity, Vitality, Endurance and Will. While each attribute contributes very little to the progression of your character’s abilities, as you progress the player receives Tension Shards. These magical crystals refill with successful combat skills, giving players the ability to use special powers such as a health regen, the ability to unsheath a magical sword or send a concussive shockwave.

In a game where combat takes precedence, Absolver does a supreme job of building upon its own system.

In a game where combat takes precedence, Absolver does a supreme job of building upon its own system. Nothing feels cheap or unfair, as players need to read input commands as well as they need to prepare feints, blocks, dodges and parries of their own. Most fascinating is that once you get deeper into the game, you can become a mentor or mentee of your own combat school, sharing (or developing) a master combat deck for all followers of that school to grow together.

The social aspects of Absolver are understated but generally understood by all. No matter where you are in the world of Adal, up to three other players can be found in a world location, usually with players working together to take down each location’s Marked Ones necessary for the story’s progression. However, beyond simple emotes such as bowing and thumbs up, players can duel each other, helping to expand each other’s obtainable skills for their combat decks. Even upon death, everyone respects the game’s “all in this together” mentality and will revive each other as a courtesy.

Absolver creates an experience where the players will dictate the feel of the game’s world based on their interactions with each other. There are a few NPCs that hint at a grander story, yet any semblance of a deep narrative serves as window dressing for a set of gameplay mechanics. It feels thrown together in order to check an established set of video game requirement check boxes rather than something worthy of closer inspection.

The world of Adal, while beautiful in its scenery, doesn’t build up its own identity. Every single enemy you encounter, player or not, is an athletic, masked humanoid with different equipment colors and skills. The only thing that truly separates those at the beginning than those near the end is that they ramp up the difficulty level.

Very rarely do you feel tested to go outside your comfort zone by the AI.

There are just three eight mini-bosses (just tougher regular enemies) and three bosses in Absolver, with one of those bosses being a simple adds-inserted tough enemy. Very rarely do you feel tested to go outside your comfort zone by the AI. Spamming punches works for the majority of regular enemies, and bosses require one or two punches, a dodge or two then a responsive duo of punches in order to combo-break their AI.

It should also be stated just how inefficient the engine coding of Absolver is within an online setting. Numerous times enemies pushed off ledges would run infinitely into a wall trying to get back into position, run back to their set encounter position 10 yards or so away from where you fight them (regenerating their health, but not yours) and environments would not load in properly if you move too quickly into a new part of the map (forcing you into a sudden out-of-bounds moment).

Right now, there are competitive 1v1 matches called Combat Trials, where the goal is to kill your opponent three times before they do the same to you. It’s just like stepping into a For Honor match, but as you gain additional Combat Trials levels, (plus build your combat deck), you unlock chances to re-encounter the game’s three main bosses.

Future gameplay modes have been promised post-launch, but at the moment, Absolver‘s dedicated multiplayer modes are disappointingly shallow. Despite this game including a shared world, those who want to engage in dedicated arenas have few options and what exists now is fairly straightforward.

In the end, Absolver is a confluence of captivating fighting game ideas slapped together in a makeshift package with a narrative that doesn’t build towards an interesting conclusion. I imagine running through the path to absolution with a friend could cut the main campaign to three hours, with a promised post-game tail of content and added gameplay features that look to be fleshed out over time. Absolver in a year’s time may look drastically different from the Absolver of today, but that doesn’t help ease the mind of early adaptors.

A copy of this game was provided to App Trigger for the purpose of this review. All scores are ranked out of 10, with .5 increments. Click here to learn more about our Review Policy.