Warriors: Abyss
A roguelite Warriors spinoff set in Hell.
Warriors: Abyss is a roguelite hack and slash game developed by Omega Force and published by Koei Tecmo, released in 2025 as a spinoff of the Warriors series. The player, summoned by the king of Hell Enma, fights through hordes of enemies to reclaim his throne from an ancient evil. It features over a hundred playable characters and combines the series' signature large-scale combat with roguelite progression mechanics.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Omega Force
- Publisher
- Koei Tecmo
- Series
- Warriors
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
- Windows
- Xbox Series X/S
- Released
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S
- February 12, 2025
- Nintendo Switch
- February 14, 2025
- Genre
- Roguelite, hack and slash
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
In Warriors: Abyss, the player controls a character from a bird's-eye view, battling enemy hordes in Hell after being summoned by King Enma to reclaim his throne from the usurper Gouma. Each wave requires defeating a set number of enemies before advancing to the next arena. Throughout a run, the player selects emblems that grant passive bonuses, with stronger effects as more of the same type are collected. After each wave, upgrades are offered, including items or the recruitment of additional warriors. Up to six heroes can be in the main party and are summoned individually to attack, while reserves provide only passive bonuses. A stage consists of eight tiers with random layouts and objectives in standard roguelite fashion; some tiers may include an extra objective. The eighth tier of each of the four stages is always a boss battle against a strong opponent, whose guard meter must be depleted through attacks before a damage window opens. Over 100 playable characters from Dynasty Warriors, Samurai Warriors, and Warriors Orochi are available, each with a weapon determining attack combinations of light and heavy attacks. The Musou gauge fills through combat and allows a powerful unique attack. Unique Tactics are passive bonuses that activate under certain conditions. An Assemble gauge, fillable once six heroes are recruited, lets the player deploy all main party recruits simultaneously. Characters gain levels permanently boosting attack and defense.
Development
The concept for Warriors: Abyss emerged after work on Omega Force's Wild Hearts concluded. Producer Kotaro Hirata perceived a lack of Japanese roguelite games despite the genre's global popularity and wanted to pitch a roguelite concept, though he initially lacked confidence in its appeal. As the idea was fleshed out and he recognized compatibility between the roguelite genre and Warriors gameplay, it was greenlit. The game was partially designed to introduce players unfamiliar with action roguelite games, incorporating simplistic controls and strategic advice systems. It was announced on February 12, 2025 during Sony's State of Play and released the same day on Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Nintendo Switch version following on February 14, 2025. Free major content updates continued months later, adding characters from Koei Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden and Atelier series.
Reception
Warriors: Abyss received mixed or average reviews on Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S according to Metacritic. Critics commonly praised the combat, roster size, and build variety, but criticized the story, visuals, repetitive progression, and boss fights. Checkpoint Gaming described it as thoroughly enjoyable yet boilerplate, effectively recontextualizing standard Warriors gameplay to a roguelike format. Nintendo Life found some aspects sub-par but enough to maintain interest, while Siliconera agreed the game had a solid foundation despite shortcomings. The Jimquisition found it hard to recommend compared to other series entries or roguelikes. The story was widely criticized as unengaging, with Nintendo Life and Checkpoint Gaming calling it paper-thin, and Siliconera dubbing it dull due to meaningless player dialogue choices. IGN noted no connection to the story, attributing this to similar dialogue across many characters. The character roster was often praised; Shacknews remarked on the impressive number of distinct moves despite minimal controls. Digitally Downloaded enjoyed unlocking and testing new characters. The Jimquisition noted that unlocking characters provided a universal power boost, making unlocks rewarding in both specific and general senses. IGN cited the large roster as the game's strongest aspect despite few perceived differences between characters. Visuals were considered a weak point by GamingBolt and Nintendo Life, though both saw practical benefits in readability and performance compromise, with Nintendo Life disappointed by uncreative level and enemy designs.
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