Koei Tecmo's latest (and effective) business model has been to stealth drop video games, and this trend started in May of 2024 with Samurai Warriors 4 DX which received phenomenal reviews, NINJA Gaiden II Black in January, and now Warriors: Abyss (Koei Tecmo's first roguelike title) that released in February after a PlayStation State of Play.
Before I talk too much about Abyss, this stealth drop mechanic could be another great marketing tactic to usher Dead or Alive back into the market. Especially if Team NINJA decides to give the Unreal Engine 5 wrap to Dead or Alive 5 or Dead or Alive 6, maybe even Dead or Alive: Dimensions or a past legacy title. There are THREE other methods worth looking into that could bring Dead or Alive back in a big way, but most of these possibilities are indeed through Microsoft, who has made sure that Team NINJA stays relevant these past several years.
We will have big front-page stories on these possibilities soon so please stay tuned at FSD as we continue to fight for legacy Team NINJA franchises.
I've reviewed Samurai Warriors 4, NINJA Gaiden II Black and Dynasty Warriors: Origins this year, and as I've mentioned we've seen a change in the way Koei Tecmo practices business, and looking past any negative stigmas, I think most soul Team NINJA fans can admit that Koei Tecmo has stepped their game up tremendously and has addressed almost all problems North American fans have had since 2019.
Warriors Abyss is Koei Tecmo's take on a new budget roguelike title that brings Omega Force's historical Warriors characters to this survival type of gaming experience. Just like you would see from a classic Dynasty Warriors game there are over 80 officers to choose from making this one of the most versatile roguelike games ever conceived offering more possibilities than Vampire Survivors the most famous roguelike that exists.
As a side note, I think it would be really cool if Koei Tecmo brought in Ryu Hayabusa and or Ayane, Kasumi in celebration of year of the NINJA. The team does plan to update Abyss by adding more characters, so it could be a great way to market the game and sell this idea to more people.
The gameplay is exactly what you'd expect from a roguelike; you wonder a map that changes each round after eliminating the required number of enemies with your selected officer. All of the officers have different perks, and abilities that should be the catalyst of what you choose to build your team around. So, if you start off with Lu Bu, you might want to build a team that revolves around: strength, fire and brutal Musou attacks.
You have an opportunity to add an officer to your team after each round is complete. These characters you choose add to your overall stats and have assist attacks that complement your battles and can help control waves of enemies. You can select a formation for your squad that gives you additional gameplay benefits and also allows you to summon your entire team for a huge Musou attack in that said formation.
While Abyss doesn't have the graphics of NINJA Gaiden II Black, it certainly does look nice for a Smash TV (birds eye arcade camera), and it completely trumps the look of Vampire Survivors and most other competitors. When you are slashing away at enemies with your ultimate attack in late game levels, or with your entire team of officers, you get a satisfying spread of elements and attacks with enemies exploding off the screen.
It's hard to not be impressed with all of the available officers and the amount of moves and animations the team was able to squeeze into the game. Every character feels and looks different, and while there is certainly a plethora of styles, each character still manages to feel unique.
The replay value needs some work: there are four maps with 8 phases each and each map has at least one boss with the exception of the final map that pits you against three bosses in a row at the end of the game. So even if you do have plenty of characters to choose from, there aren't as many locations as Vampire Survivors, and it doesn't feel as explorative.
There is a lot to unlock including: characters that raise your overall stats that are purchasable with in game currency, a second weapon for each character that can be unlocked by opening chests while going through phases and finally a huge list of unlockable lore and music.
While storylines aren't exactly important to these types of games there is one present here and it adds to the replay value in a sense because each stage opens up more of the storyline as Warriors characters fight through hell and a deity named Enma explains more of what's really going on, but in no way is this an expansive storyline that players will invest in. After you beat the game once, the storyline is pretty much complete and the only character you ever associate with or talk to is Enma.
Concluding this review with a positive note: Warriors Abyss is a solid game that puts action-packed gameplay at the forefront of its overall value and blends the idea of a rogue-like with the Warriors franchise perfectly. This title is very new to a market that has been around for a while now, so WB is definitely not as expansive as some of the older variations available, but if players are willing to give this game a chance, I'm willing to bet there will be a lot of new content to keep players active in the future.
This is a game that players can pick up and play whenever they like. They aren't strapped for a lengthy attraction if they decide to play and striking that balance for Koei Tecmo has been an issue over the years as their modern take on games has been for players to make long term investments. What they are doing successfully right now is offering a stronger variety of different profit marginalized games while rebooting famous titles with new systems and bigger budgets.
Before I talk too much about Abyss, this stealth drop mechanic could be another great marketing tactic to usher Dead or Alive back into the market. Especially if Team NINJA decides to give the Unreal Engine 5 wrap to Dead or Alive 5 or Dead or Alive 6, maybe even Dead or Alive: Dimensions or a past legacy title. There are THREE other methods worth looking into that could bring Dead or Alive back in a big way, but most of these possibilities are indeed through Microsoft, who has made sure that Team NINJA stays relevant these past several years.
We will have big front-page stories on these possibilities soon so please stay tuned at FSD as we continue to fight for legacy Team NINJA franchises.
I've reviewed Samurai Warriors 4, NINJA Gaiden II Black and Dynasty Warriors: Origins this year, and as I've mentioned we've seen a change in the way Koei Tecmo practices business, and looking past any negative stigmas, I think most soul Team NINJA fans can admit that Koei Tecmo has stepped their game up tremendously and has addressed almost all problems North American fans have had since 2019.
Warriors Abyss Review
Warriors Abyss is Koei Tecmo's take on a new budget roguelike title that brings Omega Force's historical Warriors characters to this survival type of gaming experience. Just like you would see from a classic Dynasty Warriors game there are over 80 officers to choose from making this one of the most versatile roguelike games ever conceived offering more possibilities than Vampire Survivors the most famous roguelike that exists.
As a side note, I think it would be really cool if Koei Tecmo brought in Ryu Hayabusa and or Ayane, Kasumi in celebration of year of the NINJA. The team does plan to update Abyss by adding more characters, so it could be a great way to market the game and sell this idea to more people.
The gameplay is exactly what you'd expect from a roguelike; you wonder a map that changes each round after eliminating the required number of enemies with your selected officer. All of the officers have different perks, and abilities that should be the catalyst of what you choose to build your team around. So, if you start off with Lu Bu, you might want to build a team that revolves around: strength, fire and brutal Musou attacks.
You have an opportunity to add an officer to your team after each round is complete. These characters you choose add to your overall stats and have assist attacks that complement your battles and can help control waves of enemies. You can select a formation for your squad that gives you additional gameplay benefits and also allows you to summon your entire team for a huge Musou attack in that said formation.
While Abyss doesn't have the graphics of NINJA Gaiden II Black, it certainly does look nice for a Smash TV (birds eye arcade camera), and it completely trumps the look of Vampire Survivors and most other competitors. When you are slashing away at enemies with your ultimate attack in late game levels, or with your entire team of officers, you get a satisfying spread of elements and attacks with enemies exploding off the screen.
It's hard to not be impressed with all of the available officers and the amount of moves and animations the team was able to squeeze into the game. Every character feels and looks different, and while there is certainly a plethora of styles, each character still manages to feel unique.
The replay value needs some work: there are four maps with 8 phases each and each map has at least one boss with the exception of the final map that pits you against three bosses in a row at the end of the game. So even if you do have plenty of characters to choose from, there aren't as many locations as Vampire Survivors, and it doesn't feel as explorative.
There is a lot to unlock including: characters that raise your overall stats that are purchasable with in game currency, a second weapon for each character that can be unlocked by opening chests while going through phases and finally a huge list of unlockable lore and music.
While storylines aren't exactly important to these types of games there is one present here and it adds to the replay value in a sense because each stage opens up more of the storyline as Warriors characters fight through hell and a deity named Enma explains more of what's really going on, but in no way is this an expansive storyline that players will invest in. After you beat the game once, the storyline is pretty much complete and the only character you ever associate with or talk to is Enma.
Concluding this review with a positive note: Warriors Abyss is a solid game that puts action-packed gameplay at the forefront of its overall value and blends the idea of a rogue-like with the Warriors franchise perfectly. This title is very new to a market that has been around for a while now, so WB is definitely not as expansive as some of the older variations available, but if players are willing to give this game a chance, I'm willing to bet there will be a lot of new content to keep players active in the future.
This is a game that players can pick up and play whenever they like. They aren't strapped for a lengthy attraction if they decide to play and striking that balance for Koei Tecmo has been an issue over the years as their modern take on games has been for players to make long term investments. What they are doing successfully right now is offering a stronger variety of different profit marginalized games while rebooting famous titles with new systems and bigger budgets.
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