From the Abyss (2008). Play online

Summary

From the Abyss, crafted by Sonic Powered, feels like a love letter to classic dungeon crawlers while flaunting a bespoke world‑creation engine you won’t see elsewhere on the DS. The interface is surprisingly intuitive, letting me move an adventurer across a crisp grid without fumbling the buttons, and the art bursts with rich, hand‑drawn detail that makes each floor feel alive.

Dungeons generate randomly, shifting themes between roaring fire caverns and slippery ice chambers, and an automatic map sketches the layout as you explore, so I never have to draw my own. The game balances solo raids with a two‑player co‑op battle mode that pits friends against hordes in real‑time, though the multiplayer doesn’t push the main story forward.

I’m especially taken by the sleek cooperative combat; teaming up feels fresh, and the clean visuals keep the chaos readable. For anyone craving a bite‑size roguelike adventure with polished graphics and solid multiplayer, From the Abyss delivers a tightly packaged, replayable experience.

Storyline

From the Abyss takes place in Rubenhaut, a tranquil realm once ruled by a line of queens. Those queens sealed away a great evil through a dimensional gate, but the seal shattered and demons poured out. The kingdom’s armies are no match for the unleashed hordes, leaving the land in chaos. The player assumes the role of an adventurer tasked with re‑closing the broken gate and banishing the demons once more. As the journey unfolds, each sealed fragment must be recovered, forcing the hero to confront the darkness that threatens Rubenhaut’s peace.