Absolutely, I didn’t know I needed it. It takes the DNA of your favorite fighter, embedded inside Hell-style running-based progression and wraps it all in hand-drawn fantasy art so beautifully it feels like a living storybook. And now it sits inside you Xbox Game Pass the library is ready for anyone who wants to punch fate in the face.
Absolutely
Title: Absolutely
Genres: Roguelite Beat ’em Up, Action-Adventure
Edition: October 9, 2025 (PC, PS5, PS4, Switch) / March 25, 2026 (Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Guard Crush Games, Supamonks
Available: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Xbox software and Steam), PlayStation, Nintendo Switch
Price: $24.99
Xbox Play Anywhere: ❌
Xbox Game Pass: ✔️
Four heroes are at your command: Galandra, Karl, Cider or Brome. Each one will give you a unique skill to fight your way through the hand-drawn stages. Death is only the beginning, as dying means coming back stronger and slowly uncovering the truth behind the Crimson Order and Azra’s allies.
Combat is pure joy. Sneak behind enemies for perfectly timed backstabs, parry lethal blows, or mana strike enemies with standard abilities and ultimates; whatever you do, the violence feels intentional. You won’t cut through unguarded enemies, but the well-timed, methodical rhythm of your blades will serve up death at the same time.
Each character plays differently, though upgrades in your path can lead to similar playstyles between fighters. I quickly fell in love with Galandra, her giant blade tearing groups apart, her cold necromantic powers draining life and cultivating spectral allies. Switch to Karl, and you’re a foul-mouthed dwarf who smashes with a magic weapon that’s somewhere between a hammer and a crude weapon. Cider is my current mainstay, a nimble, high-wave robot-armed destruction surgeon who can fly as easily as run away from combat.
The real hook is the roguelite loop. Each death sends your character back to the rebel camp, where you’ll experience constant level-ups that lead to new abilities. You’ll also be able to spend shiny shards collected on your journey on things like health boosts and higher damage output.
Path selection is just as important as character selection, as each has unique challenges and mini-quest lines that will lead you to terrifyingly powerful bosses and new characters. The path to unlocking Cinder took me through a flurry of enemies that we interrogated that we hadn’t met before. In another organic run where I save him from a group of enemies, before all dying and seeing him again.
After he joined my adventure, I went on other paths, which led to an expansion of what I could do, such as building a bridge for people to pay tribute to the Sun King. All I could do before I started building was to jump into the creek below, fighting for the solution above.
Rituals are random modifiers obtained after challenging encounters that completely change your build. I once had a passive that turned my dashes into screens of hell. Cinder changes my playstyle to a dash and run type, baiting enemies into my flaming built lanes.
Co-op makes it even better. Without any coordination, a dynamic duo can somehow find themselves blasting their way through waves of enemies and bosses, building relationships they never dreamed of before in screen-clearing combos.
In my first co-op run, I almost made it to the end of the game before I unlocked the ability to upgrade my Ritual ability. By chance I unlocked a specialized AoE mage named Brome.
The world of Absolum is as amazing as its gameplay. Supamonk’s hand-drawn art style draws inspiration from decades-old painting styles to evoke a dark Disney-esque fantasy feel.
The character designs have weight, impact and soul in every shot, bringing emotion to the game screen in a way I haven’t felt since I was a kid. Ciders’ imagery follows a brilliant chain link; Galandra lifts the pure darkness from the infused sword magic. The world of Absolum is depicted in a 90s art style that I unknowingly aspired to.
The whole time, my friends kept pestering me to come on another run Kill Spire 2Gray Zone Warfare or some other creation Exploding on Steam or Xbox. My one response was “Sorry, Absolum run away” with anyone who asked. Hours passed and not once did I tear myself away from this chaotic fantasy world.
I’m nowhere near finishing Absolum and I can’t help but be excited to get my wife into this game system so I have a permanent co-op friend to run with in the coming weeks.
Absolum is available now Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Xbox Game PassSwitch and PlayStation 5. Grab a friend and start smashing your way to the Sun King to save the land of Talamh.
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