"I’ve died more times than I can count": This side-scrolling roguelike is an ID@Xbox triumph. Say hi to 'Absolum,' your new addiction.

Absolum is the roguelite beat ’em up I didn’t know I needed. It takes the arcade brawler DNA of your favorite beat 'em up, pours in Hades-style run-based progression, and wraps it all in hand-drawn fantasy art so gorgeous it feels like a living storybook. And right now it’s sitting in your Xbox Game Pass library, ready for anyone who wants to punch fate in the face.

The setup is pure Saturday-morning-cartoon rebellion with an early 90’s flash. In the world of Talamh, the Sun King Azra used the mistrust of magic by commoners to outlaw magic and brandish Wizards as heretics. These Wizards find themselves to be enemies of the state as you work your way through burning villages of goblins and men, both fighting amongst themselves, and equally looking to kill you.

Four heroes are yours to command: Galandra, Karl, Cider, or Brome. Each will grant you a unique ability to fight your way through hand-drawn stages. Death is only the beginning, as dying means coming back stronger, and slowly investigating the truth behind the Crimson Order and Azra’s allies.

Combat is pure joy. Dashing behind enemies for perfectly timed back-stabs, parrying deathly blows, or placing a barrage of mana onto enemies with standard abilities and ultimates; whatever you're doing, the violence feels intentional. You won’t be blistering through foes unguarded, but the well-timed, methodical rhythm of your blades will serve up death all the same.

While upgrades along your path can lead to similar play-styles across combatants, every character plays differently. I quickly fell in love with Galandra, her colossal blade cleaves groups while her chilling necromantic powers drain life and raise spectral allies. Switch to Karl, and you’re a non-foul-mouthed dwarf, smashing with an enchanted weapon that dashes between a hammer and a blunderbuss. Cider’s my current main, an agile, high-flailing robotic-armed surgeon of destruction that can fly above combat as easily as running.

Why 'Absolum' might be the best ID@Xbox title you can play this year - YouTube

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The real hook is the roguelite loop. Every death sends your character back to the rebel camp, where you’ll be met with permanent level increases that lead to new abilities. You’ll also be able to spend radiant shards collected on your journey on items such as health increases and higher damage output.

Path choice is as important as character choice, as each has its own unique challenges and mini-questlines that will lead you to terrifyingly strong bosses and new characters. The path for unlocking Cinder led me through a fickle stack of enemies, where we questioned one another as to whether we had met before. All before dying and seeing her again, on another organic run, where I saved her from a group of foes.

Once she joined my adventure, I took other paths that led to the expansion of ways I could take, such as building a bridge for folks to give tribute to the Sun King. Before being built, all I could do was jump into the ravine below, fighting my way to a solution for the above.

Rituals are random modifiers earned after tough encounters that completely change your build. I once had a passive that turned my dashes into entire screens of inferno. Changing my Cinder playstyle into a dash and run type, baiting enemies into my fiery constructed paths.

Co-op makes it even better. A dynamic duo without any coordination can somehow find themselves blasting their way through waves of enemies and bosses, building rapport they never before dreamed of in screen-clearing combos.

In my first coop run, I nearly made it to the end of the game before I ever even unlocked the ability to upgrade my Ritual ability. Which happened to be the same run I unlocked Brome, a specialized AoE wizard.

The world of Absolum is as stunning as its gameplay loop. Supamonk’s hand-drawn art style weaves inspirations of long-gone drawing styles from decades past that invoke feelings of dark Disney-esque fantasy.

Character depictions have weight, impact, and spirit in every drawn frame, bringing emotion to the game screen in ways I haven’t felt since my early childhood. Depictions of Ciders' hookshot follows a glowing chainlink; Galandra raises pure darkness from imbued sword magic. The world of Absolum is depicted in a 90’s art style I’ve been craving without knowing it.

Absolum: $24.99 at xbox.com

Crafted with passion by the dream team that redefined side-scrolling beat 'em ups, Absolum mixes top-of-the-class combat action with modern roguelite elements, bringing all the vibes of the fantasy arcade hits of the past into an immersive adventure set in the original world of Talamh.

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Throughout my time, my friends were constantly pestering me to come take another run at Slay the Spire 2, Gray Zone Warfare, or some other creation bursting on Steam or Xbox. My one answer came to be, “Sorry, Absolum run,” with each and every person who asked. Hours have gone by, and not once have I felt repelled from this chaotic fantasy world.

I’m nowhere near finishing Absolum, and I can’t help but get excited to sucker my wife into this gameplay system, so I have a constant coop buddy to make runs with in the upcoming weeks.

Absolum is available right now on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Xbox Game Pass, Switch, and PlayStation 5. Grab a friend and start smashing your way to the Sun King to save the land of Talamh.

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