Luna Abyss review – A bullet-hell first-person platformer

I’m not quite sure what you’ve been imprisoned for in Luna Abyss, but with your sentence being over 10,000 days, it’s not something minor. But whatever you’ve done, it probably doesn’t excuse your current predicament. You see, while in incarceration, you’re expected to fulfil tasks for someone called the All-Father, frequently putting you in extreme danger. The upshot is that completing these tasks also reduces your sentence. There’s a silver lining to your dirty work, then.

It doesn’t take long for you to realise that there’s more to this All-Father business than meets the eye, and that’s when Luna Abyss really gets going. Soon you’re caught at the centre of a story that involves jealousy, betrayal and gods, all set within a fallen city that’s as intriguing as it is dark. And the world of Luna Abyss is very dark indeed, and strange and mysterious.

It’s not only the story and characters of Luna Abyss that are a bit unusual – its gameplay is quite a strange mix, too. I suppose you could say this is a first-person shooter with a large emphasis on platforming, but there are also puzzle, bullet hell and even metroidvania elements. It all comes together to make something that feels genuinely unique.

Things start out rather simply in Luna Abyss. Heading into the titular Abyss for your first mission, you’ll get used to your first weapon, essentially an assault rifle, and learn the basics of movement. But then you start acquiring new skills faster than new ways to obliterate your enemies, indicating that this isn’t a game that places a major emphasis on combat. Some of these skills are combat-focused though; known as Drift skills, they allow you to either consume staggered enemies to refill your health, or explode them, turning them into weapons.

Other abilities you learn mainly expand your movement, allowing the platforming elements of Luna Abyss to be elevated. There’s the usual, such as a double jump and an air dash, the latter of which can also be used to safely pass through pink forcefields. You eventually gain what’s essentially a grappling hook, too. Others typically allow you to possess certain bodies found throughout the Abyss, allowing you to pass through metal grates and then eject yourself into the air, ride rails, become giant equipped with heavy firepower, and more.

Even when you do find yourself in combat here you need to approach things while using your thinking cap. While your arsenal is only small, most weapons have some kind of secondary use that makes them essential in your survival efforts. You’ll want to switch to your shotgun when facing off against enemies with blue shields, for example, as it can easily break them. There are also some enemies that put up pink shields, which you’ll need to use you sniper-rifle to overcome. Some of these unique features are helpful outside of combat, too, such as your rocket launcher’s ability to lock onto numerous targets – how else can you hit multiple switches at once?

Throw in the fact that most of your enemies spew out bullets like those found in Returnal or Saros, and you have a game where you need to keep on the move, think fast, and make measured use of the weapons and abilities available to you. Fail, and you’ll quickly find yourself overcome. It has to be noted that Luna Abyss isn’t a particularly fast-paced game, though; you’ll not be running around at speed like the Doomslayer in DOOM Eternal. With that in mind, you’ll sometimes need to put up a shield to protect yourself from attack, or perform a carefully-timed dash.

Eventually things do perhaps feel a little formulaic here, with you constantly switching between certain weapons to remove enemy shields and suchlike. Some sections which combine platforming and combat can be a little overwhelming, too. But on the whole, Luna Abyss proves to be a very engaging and enjoyable experience that’s quite unlike any other when you also factor in its unusual story and setting. If you fancy lots of first-person platforming with some bouts of tactical bullet-hell combat, it’s definitely worth checking out.