Absolver: Unforgiving By Design
Jun. 18, 2016Absolver: Unforgiving By Design
We diverged from our E3 adventure by stopping by publisher Devolver Digital’s distinct counter-culture installation in a parking lot across the street from the main festivities. Our target among the various Airstream trailers was developer Sloclap and their upcoming combat RPG,Absolver. We stepped into their cozy trailer and got some hands on time with the game while we chatted with the team at Sloclap.
Absolver is an online multiplayer combat RPG where players will square off to prove their fighting worth in joining an elite group of warriors known as Absolvers. The combat isSouls seriesinspired, butfocuses even more on combat styles, customizing and chaining combos, as well as deep parrying, dodging feint and counter mechanics. Players earn new gear, weapons and items as they progress and either team up or challenge other players.
Combat in Absolver is combo focused, and players will have a tremendous amount of freedom when designing a customized fighting style in an interface known as the Combat Deck. The game features a number of combat abilities which can be assigned to specific buttons, and these abilities are then chained together to form combos, but only if the player is reacting appropriately to the game’s visual cues. You can’t just mash a button several times to initiate a combo, you have to nail it’s timing in order to create the chain which leads to more powerful abilities. No two combos are alike as players can assign their abilities to these buttons in the orders they wish. Further augmenting this Combat Deck are the different battle stances which impact the positioning of the player during abilities and combos. If this sounds complex, it is and that’s where the game really begins to claim its own unique identity. No two players will have the same fighting style as the sheer possibilities of combinations in the Combat Deck arelimitless.
You can’t just mash a button several times to initiate a combo, you have to nail it’s timing.
Once mastery of self is complete, mastery of others begins. Feints, cancels, counters and dashes all become the language of interaction when you spar against another player. You put your unique style into action, employing your carefully crafted combos, while reacting and adjusting to your enemy’s style of assault. You show, you conceal, you anticipate and parry, dash and counter. It is simply not enough to focus on what you are doing, you must also carefully study what your enemy is doing. When all of these elements come together, the combat becomes almost transcendent and leaves the Souls series behind in terms of intricacy, becoming an almost digital martial art that is as complicated as the combatants want it to be.
Weapons can be equipped, but they are bonuses andnot defining items. The player’s moveset is determined by their selections in the Combat Deckand notby the weapons they are wielding. There will be a variety of weapons in the game, but over reliance on them will result in being easily disarmed, leaving players open to having these weapons used against them. Skills are also present and add an additional layer of strategy. The skill we were able to use in the demo was a shockwave, which sent out a low damage area of effect concussive wave which pushed enemies back, very similar to Emit Force in the Souls series. Gear in the demo was only cosmetic, however Sloclap plans to integrate an attribute/stat system into gear during future development.
It is simply not enough to focus on what you are doing, you must also carefully study what your enemy is doing
The game world will feature both PvP and PvE experiences via dedicated PvP arenas and cooperative PvE dungeons. A word of warning to those cooperators in the Souls series accustomed to letting their abilities fly without regard for their surroundings:friendly fire is present. So if you think you’re the second coming of Bruce Lee and lose track of your partners in a flair of showboating you’re just as likely to kick their teeth in as an enemy’s. This adds yet another layer of attentiveness that pulls the player deeply into every moment. As the demo was primarily a combat focused experience, we were not able to get a sense of the game’s story or structure and look forward to seeing how the game will set up these experiences in future showings.
Visit theAbsolver Wiki
Emergence
Editor at Fextralife. I look for the substantial in gaming and I try to connect video games to the emotions and stories they elicit. I love all things culture and history and have an odd fondness for the planet Jupiter. I think my dogs are pretty awesome too.
I don’t know why, but while reading the features, and reading “souls-like”, these things came to mind:Combat deck metafriendly fire trollingand a literal ocean’s worth of hatemail.
Seems interesting…..with a unique style…..
Because it’s the exact same perspective and positioning of Souls. You read the opponent, circle with a lock on, and use dodge and parry the same way you do in Souls and Bloodborne. The skills even match up to pvp spells like WoG. There are of course modifications to the formula, but an experienced Souls player is going to pick this game up and have an intuitive edge over someone who has not played Souls.
The combat has a strong God Hand inspiration, I’d say, given the whole “customize your combos” kinda thing.Maybe it’s souls-ish because it’s all about timing and being methodical? I dunno O_O
This game looks amazing and I can’t wait to play it. I’m a little confused at to why the article lists the combat as “souls-series inspired” though. To me, the combat resembles a mashup of fighters like Tekken and Soul Caliber. Maybe it’s just me, but I fail to see the souls inspiration in this game.
Well, when you find the alchemical formula for gold, you don’t just walk away from it.
Loving all these new upcomming games with Souls inspiration, for w/e reason I can’t get enough of this stuff.
