End of Abyss

About End of Abyss

End of Abyss is the first game from Section 9 Interactive, a small studio in Malmö, Sweden, founded by developers who worked on Little Nightmares, Little Nightmares 2 and LittleBigPlanet on the PS Vita. Epic Games published it on 1 October 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, where it's sold only on the Epic Games Store. It costs $29.99, and there's a free demo on Epic.

You play Cel, a young combat technician sent down with a group of soldiers and their captain to look into disturbances deep in a mysterious underground compound. The mission spirals into a descent through a broken, abandoned world where machines whisper from the depths and the creatures you meet are not fully human. The store's own words are that you are outmatched by the horrors you face and must upgrade your gear and adapt just to stay alive.

It plays as a twin-stick shooter seen from above, built like a Metroid game. Branching paths and hidden areas open as you gain tools, and the map keeps folding back on itself into shortcuts. A scanner, much like Metroid Prime's, lets you study enemies and search the rooms for a way on. Your pistol never runs dry, but the bullets for every other gun have to be crafted, so each fight costs you something. Saving also heals you.

What frightens is the sound as much as the creatures. SmashPad singled out the horrible noises they make and the stretches of silence that come before them. Game Informer gave it 8/10 and called every fight tense. Critics also hit bugs at launch: getting stuck in walls, doors that wouldn't open and trophies that didn't unlock, with patches arriving since. Boss fights can drain your stock of ammo and grenades.

It suits players who like survival horror with exploration and upgrades, and the cold, dark look of Little Nightmares turned into science fiction. SmashPad's run to the first ending took nearly 13 hours.

How to play End of Abyss

1. Explore the underground facility as Cel, seen from above.
2. Shoot the creatures with twin-stick controls. Your pistol has unlimited ammo, while the other weapons need bullets you craft.
3. Use your Scanner to study enemies and search rooms for hidden paths and secrets.
4. Collect gear and upgrades to grow stronger and open new routes.
5. Save often: saving also restores your health.
6. Return to sealed corridors once you have the tools to get through.

Tips

• Scan new enemies before you fight them, so you know how they behave before spending health and ammunition.
• Stock up on crafted bullets and grenades before a boss. Repeated attempts eat through them, and the pistol alone takes a long time against big health bars.
• Backtrack when you get a new tool. The map loops back on itself, and many sealed doors lead to shortcuts and rare resources.
• If a door won't show its open prompt, quit and reload. Frequent saves mean you lose little.

Questions