Path of the Abyss, a dungeon crawler being made by a Japanese solo dev, will have its Steam demo available in late 2021

Publication date of the original Japanese article: 2021-09-28 17:04 (JST)
Translated by. Ryuki Ishii

Japanese solo developer Suzuki Suzuzou has opened the Steam store page for their new game Path of the Abyss. According to the store page, the game will be available in both English and Japanese. You can check out the new trailer below. The video description mentions that the demo version is scheduled to come out in late 2021.

Path of the Abyss is a dungeon crawler with a real-time combat system. The game takes place in a small ruin located in a region called East Weltorden. The ruin was pillaged by many, and eventually decayed with no one left to take notice.

Some time later, multiple sightings of terrifying monsters roaming near the ruin have started a new rumor, attracting adventurers and expedition teams sent by the local lord. But their endeavor all ended in vain, never to be seen again.

Now, the rumor has spread throughout the land, and skilled adventurers from other regions have started to visit East Weltorden. You, the player is one of them, and will lead a party into the dungeon. The ruin consists of “one vast dungeon and several sub-dungeons that branch off from it” and you must venture into the abyss to solve the mystery hidden within the ruin.

There are four classes to choose from: warrior, thief, cleric, and mage. Warrior is the damage dealer; thief is good for applying status effects; cleric uses the power of faith and healing skills; mage performs powerful magic spells. There are no restrictions on the types of weapons that can be equipped for each class. Numerous class skills and passive skills are available as well.

The character build will also change depending on the allocation of points for basic stat parameters, skills, and perks gained upon leveling up. Some equipments have special abilities attached to them, which can also affect the build. You can customize and create diverse builds to fit your play style, such as “a warrior who specializes in long-distance attacks” and “a mange who uses self-enhancing magic to wield a sword on the front lines.”

When encountering an enemy, the battle unfolds using a “formation panel” which consists of nine panels. You can set one skill per panel. The formation panel is the party’s formation itself, representing the frontline, midline, and backline in order from the top. Some skills have synergies that affect neighboring skills, so mastering this formation system will likely be the key to beating this game.

The battles proceed in real-time, and there’s a preparation time for each action. Monsters’ next action can be checked in advance. Therefore, you can choose your next move tactically to prevent enemy attacks or to counter them. The game also features auto-mapping and auto-skill functions.

You can check out more gameplay footage from the developer’s tweets below:

The game is being developed by a solo developer named Suzuki Suzuzou. According to the description listed on Shueisha Game Creators CAMP, the project started about a year ago and is expected to take another year or so to complete. A Steam demo is scheduled to come out by the end of this year. You can check out the Steam store page from here.