Abathor from JanduSoft and Pow Pixel Games is an old-school-inspired arcade-style 2D action game on PS5. Learn more in our Abathor review!

 

Abathor from JanduSoft and Pow Pixel Games is an old-school-inspired arcade-style 2D action game on PlayStation 5. For this 16-bit adventure, you’ll be taking on more than 50 levels either on your own or in up to four-player local co-op. This journey will have you exploring Atlantis as one of the mighty heroes, ready to save the day. It seems the Atlanteans have angered the goods, and they’ve sent a horde of monsters to destroy everything on their path. Their goal is to eventually sink all of Atlantis!

The game can be played in one of three different difficulties: Easy Mode, Normal Mode, and Bravery Mode. Easy Mode will provide you with 99 credits as well as some extra assistance to finish the game. Normal Mode offers the standard experience, balanced to challenge you every step of the way as you make the most of the provided 5 credits. Beat the game in Normal Mode to unlock Bravery Mode. This one will also give you 5 credits and will feature an extra stage that can allow you to reach the true ending.

 

As mentioned before, there are four different heroes you can play as during your time with Abathor: Crantor, the human Barbarian; Sais, the Valkyrie Fighter; Kritias, the soulless Shade Warrior; and Azaes, the Warlock. Each one will have different values for three specific stats: power, agility, and defense. Crantor will favor power and defense while being a bit slower. Sais has the highest defense of the bunch, with balanced power and agility. Kritias is a swift warrior with high agility, average power, and low defense. Azaes is a massive warrior with the highest power, which means he sacrifices defense and has the lowest agility of all heroes.

The controls for this arcade-style experience will have you moving through each area with the left analog stick or the D-Pad, jumping with the X button, and attacking with the Square button. Use the Circle button for a dash dodge. This one is a very important skill that can save you from death. The Triangle button will unleash a power attack. Items can be picked up by pressing up on the left analog stick or the D-Pad. You can then use the item by pressing up on the left analog stick or the D-Pad and the Square button.

The loot that you collect as you open up treasure chests and destroy secret walls can be used to negotiate with the Wandering Demon. There are many useful relics and items for you to purchase from the Wandering Demon. You could get the Might of Atlas, which will increase sword damage by 10%. Another option is the Aegis Armor, which grants you an extra max health point. Or maybe you should start with the Discount since, as its name suggests, you will get a 15% discount on shop prices. Oh, and you can also buy extra credits so that you can continue when you get a game over.

And now let’s talk about the trophies! Abathor features a full trophy list with a Platinum trophy for you to aim for. And since it’s a Cross-Buy release, if you own a PlayStation 5 console, you’ll be able to download both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of the game at no extra cost, and each one will have its own separate trophy list for you to work on. Each list will be split into 12 Bronze trophies, 11 Silver trophies, and 6 Gold trophies. There are several trophies that will pop as you defeat the many bosses in the game. The rest ask that you complete miscellaneous objectives such as finishing stage 9.3 with Sais, beating Xythul playing with Crantor, complete a stage with full health, finish a stage with a single health point, and reveal the true ending.

Abathor is an old-school-inspired arcade-style 2D action game where you’ll take on an adventure to save Atlantis from the wrath of the angry gods. Do you have what it takes to defeat the gods’ horde and destroy the gods themselves? Abathor is available as a Cross-Buy title, so your $14.99 purchase will allow you to download the game’s PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions at no extra cost.

Disclaimer
This Abathor review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by JanduSoft.