Luna Abyss Reviews

Here's an excellent first-person shooter set in a dark sci-fi world containing intense platforming and bullet hells. Luna Abyss feels like a hidden gem waiting to be unearthed, and I had fun digging right down to its core.

Despite some ropey platforming and some uneven pacing, Luna Abyss is a compelling debut from a new indie studio.

When I first started playing Luna Abyss, I really wasn’t sure about it. Admittedly, I can be a bit of a snob when it comes to shiny graphics and gameplay feel, and from my first moment with the game, I could tell that Luna Abyss was firmly AA.

Far from offering the best bullet hell or first-person shooter experience, Luna Abyss instead sticks to its own quirky formula, stubbornly so at times, and mostly succeeds.

When I first checked out Luna Abyss earlier this year with its Steam Next Fest demo, I called it a clash between DOOM and Returnal because it was a fast-paced first-person shooter when you didn't have to worry about reloading your weapons, and you're constantly dodging slow to fast-moving orbs being hurled at you by enemies.

Luna Abyss immediately declares what kind of game it’s going to be through the opening scene. Haunting music gets louder and louder while a camera pans slowly to show the curvature of the Earth. And then, in an instant, it’s not just the Earth. A blood-red moon appears above it, corrupted static-filled messages flood the screen. The appearance of that red orb triggered some massive, undisclosed change in the world, but you’re thrown right into a grey and dreary civilisation that has already lived through whatever that change was.

Luna Abyss introduces you to a dark and intriguing world where you complete tasks for someone called the All-Father to reduce your prison sentence. What follows is an adventure that combines first-person platforming and bullet-hell combat, and it holds your attention throughout – despite some minor issues along the way.

First-person bullet hell shooters aren’t all that common, so Luna Abyss immediately stands out as something fresh. It’s a polished and confident game overall, and it doesn’t try to layer on too many systems or mechanics. It’s pretty linear and although the environments are atmospheric, they’re also static, darkly creepy but clinical, and somewhat repetitive. Fluid action and platforming that’s both forgiving and respectful of players’ time make the experience a lot of fun. Strong mechanics and engaging combat make Luna Abyss worth playing.

Inside Luna Abyss, where movement is survival, memories are fragmented, and every mission literally costs you years of your life.

As a bullet hell first-person shooter, Luna Abyss might not achieve its full potential, but it accomplishes everything it sets out to do well enough. A haunting world and an evasive combat dance results in one of the most creatively bold shooters in recent years.

Luna Abyss is an atmospheric and challenging FPS steeped in style and substance in equal measure.

A stylish, systems-driven sci-fi action game that blends intense combat, strong traversal mechanics and atmospheric world design into a cohesive whole. Held back slightly by combat readability issues and occasional visual softness, but Luna Abyss still delivers a highly engaging experience overall.

Luna Abyss is a great first-person shooter that shines in its Bullet Hell aspects. While it never reaches the heights of the best of the genre, the combat feels fluid, and the need to switch between weapons to defeat certain enemies adds a layer of strategy that prevents gameplay from going stale. Each boss feels different, all filling the screen with a beautiful array of bullets, making Luna Abyss feel sometimes like a spectacle, especially by indie standards. Platforming is done very well, and while it rarely ever poses a challenge, I found myself having a great time jumping, grappling, and dashing across large gaps to progress further into the Abyss. The dark story is a standout that features unsettling twists, surprisingly great voice acting, and plenty of secrets for lore enthusiasts. Overall, Luna Abyss is perfect for those looking for a short, but focused, first-person shooter experience.

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