The end of the abyss is when Metroidvania meets the spatial horror

You would assume that the last game of the studio that made Small nightmares 2 will be a little frightening and dark, and the sections 9 End of the abyss Is it. However, it is also a little easier to describe and explain: an atmospheric science fiction shooter with a metroidvania style exploration.

Although there is no shortage of metroidvanias to inspire me, when I played a demo to SGF 2025, all I could think was Stranger. It could be the scanner, that the protagonist can use to glean information, locate hidden items and tag’s details for further exploration once you have new skills or weapons. Mattias Ottvall, co-creator of the game, praised my tendency to scan AllWhich brought me several secret caches during my demonstration game.

You will also have to tag between the scanner and your weapon quite often, because the beetle monsters, the small spider parasites and the stronger enemies throw their literal heads. Fortunately, End of the abyss“The isometric arrangement is associated with the ability to move and shoot with each analog stick. If things become a little too risky, your character also has a very forgiving diving roll.

After some problems of early dentition (scan an extraterrestrial zombie instead of shooting it down), the control configuration has finally become a second nature, and I relaxed out of the path of an extraterrestrial golem boss, pulling a hunting rifle in its side. The shotgun, unfortunately, has finished ammunition (which you can both make and find in the world), so I used the crushing of my pistol at a distance.

The brief demo (and the trailer) suggest a dark and shaded atmosphere similar to the previous games of the studio. Naturally, there is an occasional fear when you explore this dilapidated installation.

If you are overwhelmed, the character is reappeared in the world – just like the monsters – but all the unlocked doors and the skills acquired are saved. Even better, with a game that focuses on exploration, when you encounter something with which you cannot interact (for example, a weakened wall that could be demolished or a safety door that requires a key), scanning it in the game “ tague ” the functionality on the menu card, which facilitates the circle once you need to progress. During the demo, I unlocked the explosives to tackle the weakened walls that were marked, but I also spotted the Grapple lights, probably for a later point of the game.

The marking is a nice touch for anyone who is struggling to follow its way in the sprawling metroidvania games, although it depends in the way End of the abyss turns out to be. The original Nightmares He turned out to be a short but sweet escape – what is the depth of the abyss?

End of the abyss Arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X | S and pc.