Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults

Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults is a hack'n'slash set in the world of a tabletop RPG Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, based on the campaign of the same name. It was developed by an indie Canadian team Bkom Studios (known for such games as Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors) and successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter.

Plot

Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults is set in a fantasy world. The story focuses on the Gauntlight Keep, a megadungeon built around a magical lighthouse by evil sorceress Belcorra Haruvex. Though she's been defeated by the Roseguard adventuring party and the building was destroyed, Belcorra gradually recovered her strength in the dungeons, gathering an army of cultists and monsters. After five centuries, the lighthouse started shedding light anew, heralding Belcora's return. A new group of adventurers must delve into the tunnels to defeat the villain for good.

Mechanics

Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults is an isometric game. It features several playable characters, differing in terms of classes, combat style and preferred weaponry. Amiri the Barbarian is a powerful swordfighter, Ezren the Wizard is adept at wielding elemental magic, Kyra the Cleric is a healer, while Harsk the Ranger wields dual axes and a crossbow. After choosing our character, our adventure begins.

Most of our time will be spent in the dungeons under Gauntlight Keep. The dungeon is massive, divided into biomes where subsequent chapters take place. As we traverse it, we complete quests, avoid traps and eliminate hordes of enemies. Combat is fast-paced, requiring constant movement, good use of our characters' abilities, exploiting our enemies' weaknesses and facing off against powerful bosses. Attacks react to each other and can be chained into deadly combos: for example, a spin attack within a wall of fire spreads the flames around.

As we progress through the game, we develop the characters, unlocking new skills, gathering better gear, upgrading our abilities and items. There's lots of freedom as to how to develop our characters; for example, Kyra can be built as a pure support character or as a front-line war cleric. In-between exploring the dungeon, we'll visit the village of Otari where we can rest, sell unneeded items and talk to the villagers, learning about the game's world.

Game modes

Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults supports singleplayer, but only reaches its full potential in co-op for up to four players. After completing the campaign, we can play through the game again in New Game Plus.

Technical aspects

Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults features a dark artstyle drawing heavily from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game books.