Absolum

A beat ’em up built for replays

Absolum is the first original IP from French publisher Dotemu, designed with Guard Crush Games (Streets of Rage 4) on gameplay and Paris studio Supamonks on hand-drawn animation. In the world of Talamh, a band of rebels rises against Sun King Azra, who has enslaved the wizards. You pick one of four heroes, Galandra, Karl, Brome or Cider, each with their own fighting style, and head out on runs along branching paths with random encounters, unlockable upgrades and bosses. It can be played solo or with a second player, locally or online. The soundtrack is by Gareth Coker, with contributors including Yuka Kitamura and Mick Gordon.

Platforms

According to Dotemu and the official stores, Absolum launched on 9 October 2025 on PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. It arrived on 25 March 2026 on Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Microsoft Store, with Xbox Play Anywhere and announced Game Pass availability, then on 17 September 2026 as a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.

What critics say

The three reviews used were played on PS5. PlayStation Universe (9.5/10) calls it a treat that keeps you coming back, with incredible combat, stunning visuals and a varied soundtrack, and Dotemu’s best outing yet. Game Informer (9/10) praises simple, approachable brawling, high production values in art and music, a richly imagined world and progression that rewards replays, while regretting co-op limited to two players and an assist mode disabled online; it also notes the game will not change anyone’s opinion of the genre. TheGamer (4.5/5) sees it as the biggest thing for beat ’em ups since Streets of Rage 4, but warns that full runs take nearly an hour and that the final stretch is very hard without the accessibility options.

Editions and prices

Checked on 12 November 2026: the game is discounted to €14.99 instead of €24.99 on the PlayStation Store (PS4 and PS5, no subscription required, until 20 November 2026 at 23:59 UTC), on Steam (until 18 November according to Steam) and on the Microsoft Store (no end date shown). The Nintendo eShop lists €24.99 on Switch and for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Boxed, E.Leclerc sells the PS5 version at €28 and the Switch version at €32.27, available in store with free Click&Collect and no home delivery shown, and the Switch 2 version at €49.26, in stock, with free pickup, parcel points from €4.90 and home delivery from €5.90. The Epic Games Store, Fnac and key resellers were not checked; the soundtrack and related packs are not included.

Who is it for?

Beat ’em up and roguelite fans who enjoy replaying to progress, alone or with a friend. Players who prefer short sessions should know that a full run takes close to an hour according to TheGamer, and that the default difficulty is high, although it can be adjusted offline.

Press average

The score block above shows the press average calculated from original reviews played on PS5, checked on 12 November 2026: PlayStation Universe 9.5/10, Game Informer 9/10 and TheGamer 4.5/5. Each score is converted to a 20-point scale and averaged with equal weight. This summary is not a hands-on review.