Streets of Rage 4 devs channel Golden Axe, D&D in new beat-’em-up Absolum

After their success delivering one of the best beat-’em-ups of the past decade with Streets of Rage 4, developer Guard Crush Games is working on something original. The studio announced its new game Absolum, which Guard Crush and co-developer Supamonks describe as an “action-RPG ‘rogue-’em-up’” that channels classic fantasy brawlers like Sega’s Golden Axe and Capcom’s Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara.

Absolum will be published by Dotemu in 2025 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC. It’s the first original IP from Dotemu, which is best known for revivals like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and the upcoming Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound.

Dotemu, Guard Crush, and Supamonks say Absolum will feature “intricate, refined combat” and maximum replayability, thanks to unlockable items, quests, branching pathways, and permanent character upgrades. The entirety of Absolum will be playable solo or in two-player local and online co-op. 

“Our ultimate goal is to fundamentally evolve the genre’s potential in a way that’s unique from the traditional brawlers we’ve all come to love,” said Dotemu CEO Cyrille Imbert in a statement.

The story of Absolum involves a quartet of rebels who seek to depose the dictatorial Sun King Azra, who has either enslaved or slaughtered all of the wizards of Talamh in the wake of a magical cataclysmic event. On Tuesday, in Absolum’s reveal trailer, the game’s developers revealed two of the playable rebels who seek to destroy Azra: Galandra, an “agile, sword-clad fighter suited for close-quarters combat”; and Karl, a “tanklike dwarf commanding devastating punches as well as a rifle to foil foes from a distance.” The trailer offers a brief glimpse of two more heroes, one of which appears to be a floating, staff-wielding wizard and another that has the proportions of a classic thief archetype. The developers said in a press briefing that each playable character will have their own unique skill set, personality, and motivations.

Absolum’s first trailer offers a long look at animation and production studio Supamonks’ hand-drawn visuals, which are quite distinct from the look of past Dotemu-made belt-scroller brawlers. The developers and publisher said to expect a longer look at gameplay sometime this spring — another look that will no doubt reveal more of its playable cast.