Abyssus: Brinepunk Co-op FPS Poised to Make Waves

For players weary of cookie-cutter cooperative shooters, Abyssus arrives as a brinepunk breath of fresh air. Developed by DoubleMoose—a studio whose alumni include key contributors to Goat Simulator and Coffee Stain titles—this FPS roguelite promises a mix of deep weapon customisation, underwater civilization lore and social features like sea shanty celebrations. We put the Next Fest demo through its paces to see if Abyssus can truly stand apart from its heavyweights like Deep Rock Galactic, Vermintide and Gunfire Reborn, or if it risks drowning in the genre’s familiar pitfalls.

Gameplay: Core Mechanics and Combat Flow

Abyssus positions itself as a fast-paced shooter with roguelite progression. In the demo, weapons handled with surprising weight—shots felt impactful, and even basic pistol play rewarded headshots with satisfying feedback. DoubleMoose’s lead designer, Sofia Petrov, told us, “We wanted each encounter to feel like a remix: fluid, tense and uniquely brinepunk.” That ambition shows in arenas littered with rusted pipes and bioluminescent growths, where squads of up to four players must coordinate to avoid being overrun.

Alongside standard loadouts, the highlight is the “Tesla Gun,” which demo players unlocked mid-run. The primary fire lobs electricity arcs, while the secondary mod leaps between up to five enemies—great for crowd control. Our playtests averaged two minutes of downtime between waves, though some testers reported occasional enemy pathfinding issues at high difficulty, hinting at polish needed before launch.

Weapon Customisation and Builds

• Modular Weapon Components: Each gun can be fitted with barrels, stocks and power cells affecting recoil, range and elemental damage. We experimented with builds centred on poison clouds versus sheer firepower.
• Skill Synergy: Abilities—like sonar pings or underwater jet dashes—interact with weapon mods. For example, one electric build stunned enemies in a chain reaction that felt like a mini boss fight.
• Progression Loop: Between runs, salvage and blueprint fragments let you unlock new parts. In our six demo runs, we unlocked 12 parts, hinting at a mid-game power curve but raising questions about late-game grind.

While the depth rivals that of Gunfire Reborn, some testers warned that without diverse enemy types or level modifiers, builds may feel repetitive after dozens of hours—something we’ll monitor in the full release.

Biomes: From Ruined Gardens to Abyssal Depths

The Next Fest demo showcased two distinct environments:

• The Ruined Gardens: Sunlit glass domes overgrown by kelp and coral. Expect tight corridors with verticality as you rappel down broken elevators.
• Sunken Labyrinth: Dark caverns lit by bioluminescent creatures, complete with hazardous currents that can sweep unprepared squads into traps.

Developer stats reveal the full game will include five unique zones at launch. Community feedback on the Steam forum praised atmosphere but noted that map layouts felt “a bit linear” in the demo—DoubleMoose says this is deliberate for pacing, but players are eager for more sandbox-style exploration.

Community Features and Social Hooks

More than mere cosmetics, Abyssus injects lighthearted social moments into the firefight. Unlockable “sea shanties” let your squad belt out tunes upon extraction. Early demo stats show that 78% of players triggered at least one group song during their runs—a sign that these small features can drive camaraderie and meme-worthy clips on Discord.

Leaderboards and post-run score screens emphasise both individual flair and team efficiency. A veteran tester noted, “It’s not about who gets the most kills, but who triggers the most combo mods with the team.” This approach could foster community-driven challenges, but it remains to be seen if endgame incentives—seasonal events, challenge modes—will keep squads logging back in.

Potential Pitfalls: Repetition, Balance and Endgame

No amount of brinepunk flair can mask a lack of content. Our concerns include:

• Repetitive Enemy Encounters: Demo foes included three core archetypes. Though boss encounters spice things up, the risk of stale combat loops looms if additional enemy variants aren’t introduced.
• Balance of Solo vs. Coop: While solo players can tackle every mission, some builds feel underpowered without dedicated support—DoubleMoose claims post-demo patches will address this, but specifics are pending.
• Endgame Drive: With familiar roguelite progression, Abyssus needs meaningful late-game objectives: mythic weapons, mutator challenges or leaderboard seasons. Without these, squads may drift away once the core loop feels mastered.

Performance and Technical Considerations

We tested the demo on a mid-range PC (Ryzen 5 5600X, RTX 3060) and observed stable 60–75 FPS at 1080p with high settings. However, on some community machines below a GTX 1050 level, frame dips into the high-40s occurred in heavy particle scenarios—DoubleMoose’s technical director, Marcus Lee, assures us an optimization patch is in the works to support lower-end rigs. VRAM spikes were also reported when multiple players deployed flame or electric effects simultaneously.

Early Community Feedback

Steam forum threads and social channels have trended positively, with players praising the aesthetic and build depth. Criticisms focus on UI clarity—inventory screens felt cluttered—and the lack of a traditional minimap. DoubleMoose has opened a public Trello board for suggestions and plans biweekly developer updates leading up to the August 12, 2025 launch.

Conclusion: A Demo Worth Diving Into

Abyssus shows strong potential to carve out its own niche in a crowded co-op shooter market. Its brinepunk setting, comprehensive weapon modding and social touches like sea shanties bring originality. Yet the long-term success depends on adding variety to biomes, expanding the enemy roster, and delivering robust endgame content. If DoubleMoose follows through with optimization and community-driven balances, Abyssus could become the next go-to title for late-night sessions with friends—and maybe even inspire a few choruses of bone-shaking sea shanties along the way.