

Watching the Summer Game Fest presentation at the YouTube Theatre, I was utterly captivated by the footage of *End of Abyss*. While this year’s showcase featured numerous high-profile horror titles, this smaller, disturbingly atmospheric game gripped me from the moment I first viewed the trailer.
Section 9, composed of industry veterans behind the celebrated *Little Nightmares*, is venturing into a fresh realm: a chilling, immersive combination of Metroidvania exploration and survival horror, all taking place in a forsaken space station. After experiencing a hands-on demo, it’s evident that *End of Abyss* is developing into one of the most unique and unsettling games on the horizon, and I am eagerly anticipating more.
From the outset of the demo, *End of Abyss* establishes its menacing atmosphere—and reveals itself as a twin-stick shooter. Players take on the role of a solitary survivor, awakening on the deserted station armed only with a flashlight and a growing sense of dread. The world is depicted from a stark, top-down viewpoint, offering a comprehensive view of the environment. With each new area, the sense of dread amplifies, and every section reveals a chapter of environmental storytelling, highlighted by flickering lights, shifting shadows, and the remnants of a lost crew, illustrating a tale of disaster and loneliness.
As I settled in to control the game, I was taken aback by the number of genres *End of Abyss* successfully weaves together and how effectively they align with the game’s vision. It merges the interconnected level layout of traditional Metroidvanias with the tension and resource management typical of survival horror. The outcome is a game that requires both careful exploration and fast reflexes—and trust me, it’s not a walk in the park.
While maneuvering through the maze-like station, you’ll find locked doors, concealed passages, and environmental threats that demand both new skills and a watchful eye to navigate. Despite these challenges, the game feels exceedingly fair, providing all the necessary tools to tackle each obstacle. You simply need to take your time, slow down, and investigate everything the station has in store.
Though exploration is deliberate and thoughtful, combat is anything but. You’ll find yourself engaged in intense, formidable battles once you immerse yourself in *End of Abyss*. In contrast to the frantic chaos found in many action games and Metroidvania experiences, the encounters here are calculated and fraught with peril.
Drawing heavily from survival horror principles, ammo is limited, and every bullet counts against the grotesque, body horror-inspired abominations that wander the station’s murky corridors. The game’s twin-stick shooting mechanics permit precise aim, but enemies are unyielding, compelling players to consider every choice: confront, escape, sneak in the shadows, or perish and start anew. The game integrates experimentation into the experience, which is a core element of its design.
Section 9 Interactive aims for players to feel the gravity of each confrontation—to perceive the lurking danger at every turn. This is also what makes the game so captivating. With every new room discovered, you learn more about the space station, gradually piecing together the events that transpired and your purpose there. This history is intricately interwoven into every aspect of the setting. Audio logs, environmental hints, and enigmatic messages allude to the disaster that overwhelmed the crew, inviting players to decipher the narrative at their own leisure. This methodology rewards curiosity and encourages thorough exploration, reflecting the storytelling ethos that made *Little Nightmares* a standout title.
Despite its overhead perspective, *End of Abyss* is a visual treat for aficionados of sci-fi horror. The art style is genuinely sinister—and I’m entirely captivated by it—with warped creatures hiding just beyond view as you navigate sleek, industrial passageways. The creators clearly excel at inducing discomfort—many of them contributed to *Little Nightmares*, after all—and based on what I’ve experienced, it’s incredibly well executed. The lighting design deserves special mention, utilizing darkness not merely as a backdrop but as a gameplay element, compelling players to weigh the necessity of visibility against the risk of attracting unwanted attention. It’s a masterclass of horror tropes—and it truly works.
Though the demo provided only a brief insight into the universe of *End of Abyss*, it managed to leave a significant mark. The game’s dedication to making players feel small, exposed, and one misstep away from calamity contributes to its eerie atmosphere in a brilliantly unsettling manner. Each triumph feels merited, every discovery hard-fought, and every encounter with the station’s horrors serves as a stark reminder that survival is never assured.
I spent approximately 30 minutes with *End of Abyss*, but my desire to see more is already insatiable. The game is scheduled for
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