Luna Abyss Hands On with the Gothic Bullet Hell FPS
The first person action adventure game Luna Abyss developed by Bonsai Collective and published by Kwalee uses high speed traversal to create 3D bullet hell combat experiences. The game takes place within a gigantic lunar megastructure called the Abyss which players control the character Fawkes who needs to find lost technology while an AI system named Aylin oversees his progress. The story progresses through a special mechanic which lets players complete objectives to shorten Fawkes multi thousand year prison sentence.
Luna Abyss combat systems haveshown to offer different gameplay experiences which demonstrate movement as the main focus instead of requiring players to aim weapons with precise accuracy. Players use the dedicated lock on system to maintain enemy focus while they perform complex projectile pattern dodging. The game requires players to focus on this element because the shooting game uses "shmup" design which fills the screen with glowing energy orbs that players must dodge with exact timing.
The weapon system uses energy based weapons which eliminate the requirement for players to handle traditional ammunition supplies. The game requires players to switch between weapons because each weapon has particular strengths against different enemy defense systems:
- Shieldbreaker Shotgun: The weapon shatters blue energy barriers which protect high threat targets.
- High Power Rifle: The weapon functions as a sniper for long range shooting but has an overheat system which restricts extended firing.
- Dumb Fire Projectiles: Standard enemies fire in predictable patterns which let players navigate through "safe zones" scattered throughout the arena.
The level design process uses platforming navigation as its first stage which leads into arena style combat encounters. Players can choose from multiple movement abilities which include double jumping, distance oriented dashing, and grappling. The "transference" ability enables players to take control of floating nodes for gap navigation while they use giant biomechanical mechs to battle enemies.
The game presents its visual experience through a gothic sci fi aesthetic which combines high contrast elements. The design of dark industrial corridors uses reflective surfaces to create visual contrast with bright red on black UI elements. The relationship between the protagonist and Aylin the AI assistant conveys a cynical dark humor tone which clashes with the prison colony's serious atmosphere.
Players encounter boss battles which create a major difficulty increase despite the auto aim system making standard exploration and mob encounters easier to handle. Players must coordinate their weapon cooling process and shield breaking sequence while dodging powerful projectiles to defeat the Beholder style "Seven Judgements" and spherical techno boss encounters. The fights function as the final test which demonstrates whether players have mastered the game's dash and jump systems.
Luna Abyss will become available on PC and PlayStation 5 toward the end of the current year.
