Phantom Abyss

Phantom Abyss is an action adventure game with asynchronous multiplayer mode, in which we play as treasure hunters exploring dangerous temples taken straight from the Indiana Jones movies. The game was developed by an independent Australian studio Team WIBY, and it was published by Devolver Digital.

Mechanics

In Phantom Abyss, the action was shown from a first-person perspective (FPP). The gameplay takes place in procedurally generated temples hiding both countless riches and numerous dangers. Moving forward, we avoid the ubiquitous traps (from spikes sticking out of the ground, through sinkholes, to deadly pendulums) and jump over chasms, as well as search for chests with keys that allow us to get into deeper and deeper recesses of the ancient ruins. Our ultimate goal is to reach the very end of a temple, where a legendary relic awaits. After obtaining it, the ruins are sealed and no one has an access to them. In case of failure, however, we cannot return to the already visited temple, and the legendary relic hidden there awaits the next adventurer.

Along the way through the ruins we acquire various minor treasures and relics, which can be exchanged on special altars for divine blessings such as double or extended jump, jump with a slide or protection from damage. In addition, we can use a whip to cross the river, which allows us to overcome terrain obstacles more efficiently, and often also serves as a last resort before death (for example, when we fall into an abyss, we still have a short moment to react and use the whip on an element of the environment). As we progress, we unlock more types of them. Each of them provides us with a small blessing, which facilitates the gameplay to a small extent; apart from that, however, they are encumbered with curses, which, although at first they may seem trivial, in the deeper recesses of the temple can make our lives seriously difficult.

Game modes

Phantom Abyss offers an asynchronous multiplayer mode. Although we play solo, we are accompanied by the "ghosts" of players who previously tried to defeat the temple and died. We can use their presence to learn from their mistakes and find out in advance about the dangers awaiting us.

Technical aspects

The graphic design of Phantom Abyss is kept in a colourful, clear and pleasant to the eye style.