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Bazzite OS: A worthy Windows replacement, or just a passing fad? For all its ubiquity, Windows OS is a less-than-perfect choice if you're a gamer. It's bloated, overly contrived, and has nothing in the way of a gaming-oriented UI for use in a living room setting. Valve showed us a potential alternative with SteamOS, but would it work? SteamOS is not out yet. Further, it looks like Valve isn't interested in pushing it out for this particular use case anytime soon: instead, the focus as of SteamOS 3.7 is to get it to work on non-Deck handhelds specifically , and even that might take a while. As I've been looking for an off-ramp for Windows for some time now, I decided the right time for experimentation was yesterday, and chose Bazzite OS as my primary consideration. Bazzite OS is, more or less, a third-party attempt at emulating SteamOS, built from the ground up to emulate the experience on a wide array of devices. If you can install Linux on it, you can install Bazzite (which is built on Fedora), and the process is surprisingly foolproof. Picture by Destructoid In a general sense, Windows is fine, and it's what the vast majority of us have gotten used to over the years. It is the de facto go-to option for any modern PC builder. It's big, however. Big, bloated, and expensive if you're actually buying first-party licensing. Sure, it supports virtually everything under the sun, but this quickly turns into a detriment for specific use cases. For an office PC and workstation, then, a Windows PC is the obvious option. If you're building a living room PC to use as a console or a media station, though, you will want to drive the thing using a controller or a remote, and that's not good at all on Windows. Enter SteamOS, which has been designed from the ground up as a media-focused OS. Bazzite functions almost exactly the same, being an unofficial take on SteamOS, and it should support virtually every reasonably modern hardware combo under the sun. My goal for experimentation with Bazzite has been to reduce my reliance on Windows as a whole and turn my old gaming laptop into a Linux-based media powerhouse. For the longest time, the problem was that my laptop used an Nvidia GPU, but modern Bazzite also supports Team Green, which is excellent news across the board. I'm testing Bazzite on an old-gen Lenovo Legion machine. Equipped with 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, a reasonably fast i5-9300H CPU, and the RTX 2060, it serves as a solid baseline for virtually all media reproduction and casual gaming. Most things run fine on this machine, even though the tech running it is getting long in the tooth on top of being laptop hardware to begin with. Picture by Destructoid Installing Bazzite OS is quick, easy, and painless I'm happy to report that there's hardly anything to complain about installing Bazzite. All you need is an appropriately tweaked installation file (drivers, etc.), which is available via the official website , and Rufus to prepare bootable media. Using the default settings worked for me, and it took about 20 minutes for Bazzite OS to install on the laptop. I'm writing this out specifically to assuage any concerns you might have about installing a Linux distro: setting up Bazzite was the first time I've ever installed Linux on my own, and if I didn't mess anything up, I reckon you won't either. Post-installation, one issue I encountered was that the Steam Game Mode UI was laggy, but this was resolved simply by allowing the GPU to render Web View interfaces in Desktop Mode. Easy-peasy. The whole thing functions exactly the same as SteamOS does on the Deck if you set it up that way. Bazzite lets you choose whether your PC boots into Game Mode or Desktop Mode during the installation process, and I've set up my laptop to emulate the Deck in this sense. Crucially, SteamOS's Quick Settings menu also works, allowing you to quickly tune your upscaling options, refresh rate, and a bevy of other things while playing. In my testing (playing Witchfire, 2K Drive, and Sulfur for the most part), there have been no problems, and the performance seems about on-par with what I saw on Windows. I've not conducted truly hardcore benchmarking on this system, however. For that information, I'd recommend checking out Larkin Cunningham's testing from early March 2025, which suggests Nvidia systems may lose some performance on Linux versus Windows 11. In my case, any potential performance dips I might've experienced have been minuscule enough not to notice them, and I do usually notice these things . The one thing that is missing is the TDP limiter, which could be an issue depending on what you want to do with your device. In my case, the laptop's battery is particularly crummy to begin with, and though Bazzite did help me eke out 20-odd minutes of extra battery life (3:10 at full charge versus 2:50ish on Windows 11 at full charge), it's plugged in when in use, anyway. Picture by Destructoid What do I get for my troubles, then? A capable semi-mobile media driver with reasonable workstation capabilities. Since Bazzite OS has a full-fledged Desktop Mode, I can do some light work on it. Everything web-based works by default, and for everything else, there's OpenOffice. A particularly handy app I've grown to love on Linux is CoolerControl , which allows me to control all attached LEDs and fans in a single interface. It, too, worked flawlessly out of the box, and I'm frankly astonished with how easy setting it all up has been. This applies to Bazzite OS in general. I've yet to find something that's outright broken on the OS or doesn't work. Sure, all the usual caveats of SteamOS apply here as well: if a game doesn't support Linux, you won't be able to play it natively on the device you've got Bazzite on. To be perfectly fair, you could get Bazzite OS's biggest boon by simply setting up your PC to boot directly into Steam Game Mode UI on Windows. That is an option, and it will be the preferred way of doing things for those who wish to stick with Windows no matter what. If you're like me, though, and wish to see if things could be done outside of Microsoft's purview, I can happily recommend Bazzite OS. I've had Bazzite installed on my laptop, using it as a media PC hooked up to a TV, for about two weeks now. One bug I've had a few times is that the leftmost Game Mode feature menu will glitch out. Thankfully, it's rare enough that I don't feel too pressed about it. Everything else has been trucking along just fine to the point that I have to go out of my way to look for reasons to use Desktop Mode. In summary, Bazzite OS is, in my experience, good enough for most casual users and those interested in building media PCs. If you'd like to avoid the usual Windows bloat, insistence on constant updates, and the god-awful new AI Copilot feature, this may well be the ticket. You could also dual-boot if you're into that sort of thing! The post Bazzite OS: A worthy Windows replacement, or just a passing fad? appeared first on Destructoid .

Steam Archives – DestructoidApr 2

Is Schedule 1 Steam Deck compatible? No doubt by now you'll at least have heard of Schedule 1 , the indie crime simulator that has you building a drug empire. Well, it seems to be doing well for itself, evidence of how the indie scene can still make a splash in the cut-throat world of modern gaming. In fact, despite it coming almost out of nowhere, it's been making headlines, with it sitting on the number one spot on Steam's Top Sellers list at the time of writing. It keeps smashing its concurrent player count, according to the latest figures from SteamDB , so it's clearly doing alright, despite it only releasing recently (hype is a powerful thing, it seems). https://twitter.com/ScheduleOneGame/status/1904292142035743200 Currently, the game is exclusive to PC, but for those who like their gaming on the go, you may be wondering whether you can run it on your Steam Deck. Well, there may be some good news ahead. Can you play Schedule 1 on Steam Deck? Yes, Schedule 1 is playable on Steam Deck . Schedule 1 is not a demanding PC game by any means, so it runs completely fine on Steam Deck and other PC handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally. Because of this, you can get the game to run on Steam Deck, although it does not have official controller support just yet, and there are some issues with on-screen text, which is a common error with games that are Deck playable. Schedule 1 is definitely not the most optimized Steam Deck experience, to say the least, but you should at least be able to get around 30 FPS if you lock the frame rate to this number. Beyond that, it will take further optimization to make the game run better. Is Schedule 1 Steam Deck verified? Image via Steam Schedule 1's Steam Deck compatibility is still officially listed as "Unknown." This basically means that Valve, as the developer of the device, is "still learning" about the game, so no official information can be said about its compatibility. But just because its status is not known doesn't mean it won't work. According to recent posts on the community forums , Schedule 1 is still playable on the Steam Deck, and I've had a similar experience. The game can be played, but since it does not have official controller support yet, it's not recommended. Because of this, it's better to use a keyboard and mouse while the game's developer works on further support for both controllers and the Steam Deck. For now, yes, Schedule 1 is technically playable on Steam Deck, but it has not yet been verified by Valve, and it's a much better experience on PC or with a mouse and keyboard attached to the Steam Deck handheld. At the time being, it's suggested to either wait for the game to become verified or at least considered "Deck Playable" by Valve's standards, or hook the handheld up to mouse and keyboard peripherals, otherwise you may be in for a bad time trying to enjoy yourself and play the game the way it's meant to be played. Keep an eye out for updates on this game's Steam Deck playability in the future, especially if it continues to be a popular game in the early months of 2025, as players learn how to make and sell drugs in the cartoonish open-world title. The post Is Schedule 1 Steam Deck compatible? appeared first on Destructoid .

Steam Archives – DestructoidApr 1

Persona 5: The Phantom X to Appear on SteamPersona 5: The Phantom X will come out on Steam in China. It's unknown whether it iwll be compatible with the Steam Deck.

SiliconeraMar 31

One Of The Year's Biggest Games Is An Indie Drug-Dealing Sim Made By A Solo DevIf you look at the the top played games on Steam , you might notice something new right at the top. Above the usual heavy hitters and longtime classics you’ll spot Schedule I, an open-world, first-person drug-dealing sim developed by one guy that, as I write this, has over 340,000 concurrent players on Steam. Read more...

KotakuMar 31

Palworld Devs Re-Reveal Degenerate High School Dating Sim That Might Actually Be Real This TimeThe developers behind Palworld have re-revealed their furry high school dating sim (almost) nobody asked for. It’s called Pal♡world! ~More Than Just Pals~ and was almost certainly an April Fools’ joke the first time it was teased in 2024 , but might actually be a real thing now? Read more...

KotakuMar 31

The apocalypse comes to virtual reality this May, with Zombie Army VRRebellion’s undead series is back on the march, and heading to virtual reality headsets this May, with Zombie Army VR. Up close and personal Kind of a sleeper series, developer Rebellion’s WWII-flavored Zombie Army games have been around for a good while. But while fans have seen the undead-slaying, first-person action cover World War II’s … The post The apocalypse comes to virtual reality this May, with Zombie Army VR appeared first on BrutalGamer .

BrutalGamerMar 28

Open-world RPG Game of Thrones: Kingsroad launches into Steam Early Access todayGame of Thrones fans can return to Westeros today, as Netmarble’s open-world role-playing title has arrived for Early Access. All the way to King’s Landing For a property that was as red hot as it was during the TV show’s run, Game of Thrones has been oddly quiet since. True, the prequel show is fairly … The post Open-world RPG Game of Thrones: Kingsroad launches into Steam Early Access today appeared first on BrutalGamer .

BrutalGamerMar 26

Review: The First Berserker: Khazan Offers a Soulslike Challenge Given the smashing success of Neople's Dungeon Fighter Online since it first launched almost 20 years ago, it's remarkable that it has only seen a handful of spin-offs released. With how appealing the characters and world are, the brand feels ripe for exploration. A few years ago, DNF Duel showed that the setting worked like a charm in a fighting game. Now The First Berserker: Khazan aims to replicate those results in the Soulslike action-RPG genre. It's a big swing for Neople , and if the quality of this game is any indicator, I think it's going to pay off handsomely. The First Berserker: Khazan explores the dark origins of its titular character, who is a major antagonist in Dungeon Fighter Online . Set 800 years before the events of the original game, the story chronicles the adventures of Khazan after being betrayed by the Pelos Emperor. Imprisoned, tortured, and enroute to his ultimate place of exile, Khazan's fate takes yet another turn when an avalanche wipes out the caravan transporting him. He should be dead, but he wakes up with both his body and strength restored. The catch? There's a little extra voice in his head, and it's somewhat eager for blood. Screenshot by Siliconera Khazan tries to fight this influence at first, but ultimately he and the Blade Phantom that has possessed him forge an uneasy alliance. Mutual goals, and all that. Those who have played Dungeon Fighter Online will more or less know how this is all going to end. If you're new to the series, prepare for a relatively standard tale of blood-soaked revenge. The plot is just engaging enough to keep you moving forward, but not much more than that. Khazan's not exactly rolling with the most complex of motivations, and the writing doesn't do much to elevate this basic plot. It feels like a missed opportunity, but Dungeon Fighter Online fans at the very least should find enough narrative meat here to chew on. The First Berserker is, as mentioned before, a Soulslike action-RPG. It takes a lot of its cues from games like Sekiro and Nioh in particular. The game is broken up into discrete stages, each one fairly large in size and generally quite linear. There are a few side paths here and there that you can and should investigate for additional rewards, but you'll rarely struggle to figure out where you should go next. Compared to many other games in the genre, the level designs aren't terribly inspired. There are a couple of levels that try to do something interesting, but the whole enterprise is hobbled to an extent by Khazan's inability to jump. He's more the type to fall with style. Screenshot by Siliconera Visually and thematically, the stages run the gamut. The First Berserker is aiming for a darker mood and that certainly shows in the environments. It gets more eye-catching as it goes, but considering how much the source material pops with color it's a little disappointing how bland so many of this game's locations are. It's a curious choice when lined up with the cel-shaded art style the game is using. By contrast, the characters and monsters look really good. Granted, it has the advantage of being able to lean a little on 20 years of built-up lore, but the transition to this new style has been handled well. The bosses in particular have a ton of personality in their animation routines and behaviors. While the story is a little undercooked and the level designs fail to stand out, The First Berserker gets high marks in most other categories. Khazan will ultimately have access to three different weapon types. He starts with a dual-wielded sword and axe set that serves as a nicely balanced choice. With decent speed and good damage, it's easy to see why the game leads with this option. Before long, you'll also have access to a massive two-handed sword and a spear. Each weapon type results in a very different gameplay feel from the next, so you'll want to experiment and see which is best for you. Screenshot by Siliconera You can customize these weapon styles further, with each of them having their own rather extensive skill tree to unlock as you please. Happily, The First Berserker allows you to respec at your leisure. Throw your points around and really see what the game has to offer. It's probably best to settle on a weapon early on, though. Removing and reallocating all of those points only gets to be more of a pain as you pile them up. Beyond each of the individual weapon skill trees, there's also a shared one to spend points on. The game gets the most out of those three weapon types, to be sure. There is also have armor to consider. You'll find various pieces scattered about, and enemies will sometimes drop them too. Eventually you'll stumble across recipes and a means of crafting, expanding your options even more. These crafting recipes are one of the main reasons to embark on the game's side missions, which send you back to previous stages to battle new enemy arrangements and have a rematch with upgraded versions of the bosses. If there's anywhere in this relatively lengthy game where I started to feel the fatigue set in, it was in these side missions. Still, you'll want to keep your gear as spiffy as possible. The First Berserker can be pretty tough, like most games of this sort. Screenshot by Siliconera The meat of the game is the combat, and The First Berserker has some seriously satisfying action. Stamina is perhaps the most important aspect here. Compared to many of its peers, this game forces you to ration your stamina much more carefully. No matter how you level up or upgrade your equipment, you're going to find yourself brushing up against the limits of Khazan's stamina until you get the hang of things. Attacking, dodging, and blocking will all use up a good chunk of your meter. Carefully-timed blocks result in a Brink Guard, which uses up a lot less stamina. This is a very important aspect to master. You can also Brink Dodge, which temporarily improves your dodge attacks. Some enemy attacks can't be safely guarded, so it's vital to know when to dodge. Somewhat ironically given the title of the game, The First Berserker is more of a defensive game when it comes to battles. The best way to deal damage to enemies is via Brutal Attacks, which are special moves you can pull off when the enemy's stamina or fortitude is exhausted. Not only does this hurt the enemy, it also restores Khazan's stamina. Brink Guards are one of the more reliable means of reducing enemy stamina, but you have a number of other ways to get those meters down. You can also use well-timed counterattacks to refill Khazan's stamina gauge and deal serious damage. You can probably figure out the dance card from here. If your stamina runs out before your foe's stamina, you're going to be in trouble. Screenshot by Siliconera This lends a serious weight to the combat, since any waste of stamina can spell your doom if you're up against any real threat. Less critical but also of concern is your spirit, which fuels your coolest moves. You can replenish it by attacking, which means you can't play completely defensively. It's important to get licks in wherever possible to keep your spirit up and deal bits of damage. You've got a lot of things pulling on your stamina, and it's up to you to balance it all. The boss battles are a tough test and until you learn to match The First Berserker 's pace you are going to have a rough time. Once you figure out how it all works, this isn't too difficult by the admittedly high standards of the genre. The bosses are naturally the most challenging parts of the game, with plenty of attacks and phases to deal with. Since Brink Guards are so essential, you have to spend some time to get to know all of the different attack patterns for each of them. If you learn when to guard, dodge, and counter, that's most of the war won. Simple enough, right? You have a lot of options at any given point based on how you've built your character, but the heart of it comes down to those principles. Screenshot by Siliconera Some builds for Khazan are admittedly smoother to work with than others, and there are definitely some that can effectively cheese the game. I think there's a lot of variety to play around with in this game, and plenty of solid ways to develop your character. The different types of enemies and big boss battles give you lots of opportunities to test those set-ups, so there's that box checked. I had a lot of fun trying out different sets of skills with each weapon type, especially in those boss rematches. I eventually settled into a spear build that served me well through the rest of the game, but it wasn't an easy choice. The First Berserker: Khazan doesn't get it all right, but the core combat and character building are a blast. For a first effort in a very competitive genre, Neople has done a fantastic job with this game. It pulls elements from the best of the Soulslike genre while mixing in just enough of its own spices to stand out. There are clear areas to improve on if the publisher chooses to follow this up, as a better story and more engaging level designs would help round things out. A true berserker only cares about the fight though, and that's one place where Khazan cleans up. The First Berserker: Khazan will be available on the PlayStation 5 , Xbox Series X , and PC via Steam on March 27, 2025. The post Review: The First Berserker: Khazan Offers a Soulslike Challenge appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraMar 26

Atomfall: the difference between the Standard and Deluxe Edition The last few months have seen some pretty great releases. Along with last year's Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and the recent Avowed , Rebellion's new survival first-person shooter, Atomfall , also looks like one to watch. Taking place in 1957 in an alternative timeline, you'll get to explore, fight, craft, and scavenge your way through the British countryside. With the game officially coming out on March 27, we're just a couple of days away from setting our sights on the Sniper Elite studio's take on Northern England. https://twitter.com/AtomfallGame/status/1904495499320950828 Of course, it is possible to play it early if you don't mind forking over a bit more cash. For you see, Atomfall comes in two flavors: Standard Edition and Deluxe Edition. Can you guess which one affords you the privilege of early access? What's in the Deluxe Edition of Atomfall ? Of course, two days to wait is nothing, but if you simply can't wait to jump into things, you can opt for the more expensive version of the game. According to the Atomfall website , the Deluxe Edition will get you the following: The game itself (natch). A basic supply bundle, which comes with an exclusive melee weapon and a loot cache. An enhanced bundle supply, which nets you a pistol variant, a skill manual, and a new skin for your metal detector. The option to play the game three days early (so, now, basically). Access to the story expansion Wicked Isle , though that's not yet available. Obviously, this will set you back a bit more than the vanilla version. On my end (being from the UK and everything), I see the Deluxe Edition is currently going for £64.99 (about $84). You can still get the basic supply bundle with the Standard Edition, but that’s only if you pre-order it. Those who have paid the extra to play the game a couple of days early seem to be having a good time so far. The Steam page is currently showing a review score of "Very Positive." Of course, we can't make hasty judgments just yet. The game's not properly out yet. Oh, and if you have an Xbox, Atomfall is coming to Game Pass on day one . Only the Standard Edition, though. The post Atomfall: the difference between the Standard and Deluxe Edition appeared first on Destructoid .

Steam Archives – DestructoidMar 25

Review: Warriors: Abyss Offers Simple Thrills, but Little More It's not difficult to see the thought process behind Warriors: Abyss . It feels like there's never been a better time for a game about a solo character taking on mobs of hundreds of enemies thanks to the smash success of Vampire Survivors . Take the classic Warriors brand of action, remove the strategic aspects, add some roguelite elements, crank up the spectacle, skew the camera just so, and you end up with Warriors: Abyss . It's a solid concept for a spin-off. Sure, it's pretty plainly biting off of Hades , but there are worse sources of inspiration. Unfortunately, one area where it could have taken more notes from Hades was in its story and writing. The ruler of the underworld, Enma, has been stripped of most of his powers and monsters are running rampant. He summons some great heroes from the world of the living to help him out, and that's about the size of it. You'll get some short, vapid conversations here and there to progress the story, usually after defeating a boss for the first time. Sometimes you'll be prompted to respond by making a choice, but it doesn't really matter. But it's a dull story, and the writing is perfunctory at best. The rest of Warriors: Abyss fares better. The ultimate roster of playable characters is massive, with a whopping 100 characters drawn from Dynasty Warriors , Samurai Warriors , and Warriors Orochi available. Only a small handful are initially available, with the rest unlockable as you play. Generally speaking, they play similarly to their counterparts from the mainline games. There are familiar combos and Musou moves to use, and each has their own attributes and stats to consider. You'll want to be cautious about picking anyone too slow or flashy, as you're going to have to be on the move constantly. Truthfully, there is considerable overlap in how some of the characters play. Sometimes it feels like the only thing separating certain characters is in what kind of fireworks their attacks give off. It's good in the sense that if you have a favorite you can stick with them and not worry too much that you're missing out. There are enough archetypes to deliver the needed variety, but don't expect 100 fully distinct mechanical builds. Still, unless you have an affection for particular names and faces, you might find the characters you're unlocking bleeding together more than would be ideal. Naturally, that also applies to the narrative. No one really has any personality to speak of here, so hopefully you've brought some head-canon in with you. Anyway, after you pick your character it's time to get to business. You've got four levels of the underworld to deal with, each of which is made up of eight rooms. The last room will always be the boss battle, but otherwise you've got the usual roguelite choice of randomly-rolled situations. Sometimes you'll be given an extra mission on top of surviving the encounter. You might also have to face a particularly dangerous wave. There are also the usual breather rooms to partake of should you need it. Once in a while, as a treat, a little narrative situation will appear. You can make a choice that will give you some kind of upgrade or bonus, albeit sometimes at a cost. When you're engaged in the regular battles, Warriors: Abyss is a lot of fun. The gameplay flows nicely, if more than a little chaotically. You've got the usual two Warriors attack buttons, an evasive dash with a cooldown, and a button you can use to trigger your Musou move when you've got a charge. Using this simple set of moves, you can activate a satisfying number of combos and devastating attacks. It feels good! I think that's the saving grace of Warriors: Abyss . The moment-to-moment gameplay evokes the joy of the mainline Warriors games, making you feel like a superhero as you thwack dozens of foes with each swipe. Beyond that, you have a couple of other moves at your disposal. All those other characters you didn't choose are available as helpers that you can summon once you've formed a bond with them. Each room can potentially offer up another summoned character to join your team, and you can have six on the squad at once. These characters can synergize in different ways, and taking advantage of those synergies and bonds is the key to maximizing your survival. These characters manifest during battles in two ways. First, you can summon one on a cooldown at the end of a combo chain. Second, once you've filled up a special gauge you can pull the proverbial trigger and bring out everyone for a short-lived mass assault. If you use a Musou move during these team-up attacks, things really get wild. Sure, avoiding all of the AoE spam can be obnoxious at times, but the hacking and the slashing is definitely on point here. In that sense, Warriors: Abyss is a good gateway into the roguelite genre for Warriors fans. It's not all good, sadly. The boss battles are often the highlights of games like these, really showing off the nuances of a well-thought out combat system. It's the opposite case here. Despite taking on very different forms, all of the bosses here play out in a very similar fashion. The bosses have guard meters that you'll have to wear down and break before you can deal any real damage. Your window for whittling down their life bars is annoyingly short, and as soon as it closes you're back to dealing with the guard meter. The bosses also love to spam AoE attacks, and the cooldown on your evasive action works against you badly here. It's not so much challenging as it is exhausting. Even players who can't get into the basic tactics required to beat the bosses will eventually overcome them. Like many other roguelites, you'll make some permanent progress with each run. You'll unlock new characters, gain permanent upgrades on existing ones, and sooner or later you'll hit the usual tipping point that is part of every game like this. When you hit it in Warriors: Abyss , the game practically melts in front of you. Sure, the bosses are still a slog, but you'll be whipping through the game without too much trouble. And don't worry. There are more difficult challenges to tackle beyond that. One thing that very much belongs to Warriors: Abyss is in how it presents its many systems to the player. The bond system has a lot of complex aspects to it, with various formations and interactions. Your level-ups will give you the usual choice between a few different things to upgrade. You can learn how all of that works if you want, and it might even benefit you to do so. But as King Enma makes clear in the tutorial, you really don't have to. You'll see your power number whenever you have a choice to make, and will make clear which option makes that number bigger. Making that number bigger is almost always the best option. On top of that, you can even get Enma to recommend a load-out between each room. Again, you probably should. I'm mixed on this. It certainly makes the game easier to just jump into and play, but it almost makes it feel too streamlined. Like all of this apparent complexity is sheer illusion, and perhaps it is. You at least have the choice to go against the grain and ignore Enma's help, but you're only making things harder on yourself if you do. I suppose it's all in service of getting to the action quicker. That's the game's strongest aspect, so I can understand leaning on it. For me, it came off a bit hollow, but I could easily see someone liking that the game offers options to cut through all of that. In terms of presentation, Warriors: Abyss isn't exactly dressed to impress. The character models aren't especially impressive, and the enemies lack any real personality. The backdrops the battles take place in are repetitive and don't do what they could to evoke what could have been a very promising setting. Depending on the platform you're playing on you might also see some performance issues. Our review is based on the PC version running on a Steam Deck, and the experience wasn't too bad there for the most part. Switch owners in particular might want to do some extra research as the game is surprisingly demanding for what it's showing on the screen. Warriors: Abyss at least sets down a solid foundation to work from, should Koei Tecmo have interest in doing so. It could have taken a lot more lessons from the better games in the roguelite space, but it's an enjoyable enough game by and large. With a better story, sharper writing, and more interesting bosses, I could easily recommend this even to those who aren't fans of the Warriors franchise. In its current form, Warriors: Abyss is not likely to impress those looking for another Hades -style time sink, but it should at least satisfy those who enjoy a good hack-and-slash. Warriors: Abyss is currently available on Nintendo Switch , Sony PlayStation 4/5 , Xbox Series S/X , and PC via Steam . The post Review: Warriors: Abyss Offers Simple Thrills, but Little More appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraMar 25