Warriors: Abyss Review — A Familiar Formula With Fresh Roguelite Twists

If you’ve been around the gaming scene for a while you’ve probably heard this kind of story before: a brave warrior is pulled into another world to battle endless enemies in the name of a once-powerful deity, now dethroned by an evil force. Sounds familiar, right? Warriors: Abyss doesn’t try to hide its use of this classic setup. In fact, its story and boss fights often feel like they’re going through the motions. But surprisingly, Abyss still manages to stand out, thanks to its clever blend of the beloved “1 vs. 1000” formula from the Dynasty Warriors series and the addictive roguelite structure seen in games like Hades.

This combination gives Warriors: Abyss a fresh spin, even if the narrative falls flat. With one of the largest character rosters in the genre, a satisfying upgrade system, and exciting screen-shaking special moves, the game still finds ways to keep players coming back for “just one more run.” Let’s break it down.

A Massive Roster That Keeps Combat Fresh

Warriors: Abyss’s huge use of more than 100 characters is its best feature. This large lineup provides a great deal of variation to the game and isn’t just for show. You’ll see famous characters from Samurai Warriors, Warriors Orochi, and Dynasty Warriors, including well-known names like Nobunaga Oda, Goemon Ishikawa, Zhao Yun, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian.

What makes this roster fun is that these characters are not just your heroes — you can also summon them to fight alongside you. As you play, you get the chance to recruit them to your team, which makes your group stronger and more exciting. After trying out more than a third of the characters, I noticed I kept going back to my old favorites, the ones I already liked from past games. Guan Yu and Liu Bei felt great to play, but Lu Bu quickly became my top pick. His ability to make defeated enemies explode, damaging nearby foes, adds a fun and chaotic layer to battles.

While the structure of each run doesn’t change much — and many of them start to feel familiar — the excitement comes from experimenting with different character abilities and strategies. Even when stepping outside my usual picks, I found joy in building powerful combos and stacking status effects to overwhelm enemies. It’s that classic roguelite charm: experimenting, failing, learning, and then pulling off a spectacular run.

Screens Full of Action, But a Story That Fades

Sadly, the story of Warriors: Abyss never reaches the same highs as its combat. After defeating bosses, you’re treated to short monologues from the ousted ruler of the underworld. Unfortunately, these one-sided conversations feel flat and repetitive, failing to add depth to the game’s world.

Given the size of the cast, you might expect more engaging interactions or character development, but the game misses this opportunity. Dialogue choices, when offered, tend to lead to the same outcomes. Shops and random events during runs also lack character interaction, which leaves the world feeling a bit hollow.

It’s a shame because with a roster this large, there was great potential for personality and memorable moments. Instead, characters feel interchangeable, and the story becomes little more than a backdrop for the action.

Boss Battles: Big But Basic

Boss fights in Warriors: Abyss offer some variety in design, featuring creatures like ogres and skeletal griffins. These supernatural foes are more creative than what we typically see in Warriors games, but they still fall short of feeling truly memorable.

The main issue is that every boss fight follows the same predictable pattern. Bosses telegraph their attacks clearly, forcing you to break down rechargeable barriers before you can damage their health. While this creates a certain rhythm to the fights, it also makes them feel repetitive over time.

After defeating a boss, you usually get a brief lore drop — but don’t expect any deep revelations. Even the final battle ends rather abruptly, giving you a simple “You won!” screen reminiscent of old arcade games. It’s serviceable, but it leaves you wishing for a bit more drama or payoff after hours of fighting.

A Roguelite Loop That Hooks You In

What truly keeps Warriors: Abyss engaging is its roguelite structure. Each stage consists of eight rooms, ending in a boss fight. After each battle, you have the chance to recruit a new character to your squad of six, similar to collecting boons in Hades. This system keeps you constantly evolving your team and strategy, which is a big part of the game’s appeal.

Even after more than 40 hours of play and over 30 completed runs, the game’s loop still felt satisfying. I experimented with around 20 different characters, and even though progress toward a final resolution remained unclear, I didn’t mind too much. That’s the beauty of a well-designed roguelite: it makes you enjoy the journey, even if the destination feels a bit hazy.

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Pros and Cons of Warriors: Abyss

✅ Pros	⚠️ Cons
🎮 Lots of characters to play (over 100).	💤 Story is not exciting.
🤝 You can build your team with heroes and allies.	🔁 Boss fights feel the same after a while.
💥 Fun, action-packed battles.	🧩 Characters don’t have much story.
🔄 Addictive, keeps you playing.	🛒 Shops and events feel a bit boring.
👹 Cool enemy designs.	🏁 Ending feels too simple.
🚀 Good upgrade system.	♻️ Runs can feel a bit repetitive.

Conclusion: A Familiar Yet Fun Adventure

Warriors: Abyss is far from perfect, but it knows exactly what kind of game it wants to be. While the story feels like an afterthought and the boss battles could use more creativity, the game’s massive roster and fast-paced combat are enough to keep action fans hooked.

If you’re a fan of Dynasty Warriors or enjoy roguelites like Hades, there’s a good chance you’ll find Warriors: Abyss worth your time. It scratches that itch for chaotic, over-the-top battles and offers plenty of opportunities to experiment with different characters and builds.

However, if you’re looking for a deep, story-driven experience or groundbreaking boss fights, you might be left wanting more. Warriors: Abyss excels at what it does best: delivering nonstop action with a side of strategy, all wrapped up in a roguelite package.

In the end, it’s a game that doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it spins it fast enough to keep you coming back for another run.