- End of Abyss PS5 review verdict: a moody sci-fi horror Metroidvania scoring a strong 8/10.
- Runs at a locked 60 FPS on both PS5 and PS5 Pro with no performance mode needed.
- Roughly 13 hours to reach the credits across more than half a dozen interlocking zones.
- Twin-stick combat stays tactical thanks to slow-firing guns, dodges, and gadgets.
- Watch for bugs at launch: audio glitches, invisible barriers, and one reported soft-lock.
End of Abyss PS5 Review Overview
End of Abyss is a sci-fi horror Metroidvania from Section 9 Interactive, a Swedish studio formed by former Tarsier Studios developers, so fans of Little Nightmares will recognize the oppressive atmosphere even though the genres differ. You play as Cell, a young technician descending into a rusted underground base alongside a squad of soldiers, piecing together why you are there as you unfurl its corroded maze. This End of Abyss PS5 review breaks down exactly what works, what frustrates, and whether it belongs in your library.
Video Highlights:
- Push Square's full PS5 review awarded the game an 8/10
- Locked 60 FPS on PS5 and PS5 Pro, no performance options required
- Upgrade grind is deliberate; mods only drop from hard-to-find vaults
- Late-game enemy variety drops off, but exploration stays rewarding
If you enjoy hands-off exploration in the vein of classic Metroidvanias, and don't mind backtracking through complex maps, End of Abyss delivers one of the more atmospheric loops in the genre. Players who prefer waypoint-driven games may find it frustrating.
Performance and Presentation on PS5
| Aspect | PS5 / PS5 Pro Result | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Frame rate | Locked 60 FPS on both consoles, no performance options | ★★★★★ |
| Visuals | Gorgeously dark, blue-hued fog, excellent on OLED | ★★★★★ |
| Haptics | Decent, tactile controller feedback | ★★★★ |
| Stability | Audio issues, invisible barriers, one soft-lock reported | ★★★ |
| Perspective | Mix of top-down, sidescroller, and in-between angles | ★★★★★ |
The game constantly plays with perspective and light. Some rooms are strictly top-down, others feel like a sidescroller, and many sit somewhere in between, giving each area a distinct visual identity. Cinematic torch-lit moments are a genuine highlight.
Visual Design
- Blue-tinted darkness
- Foggy, oppressive mood
- Cinematic lighting
Audio and Haptics
- Footsteps fill the silence
- Decent haptic feedback
- Some audio bugs at launch
Technical Health
- 60 FPS with no options menu
- Invisible barrier glitches
- Patch expected post-launch
Reported issues include audio problems, pathways blocked by invisible barriers, and getting stuck in the environment after a boss fight, forcing a restart and boss rematch. Check for a day-one patch before starting your run.
Combat and Enemy Design
End of Abyss uses twin-stick shooter combat that stays intense throughout. Guns fire slowly, shots are easy to miss, and enemies swarm quickly, so every encounter becomes a tactical puzzle of dodging, spacing, and gadget usage.
| Tool | Function | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Primary weapons | Slow-firing guns, easy to miss | Mid-range pressure |
| Dodge | Repositioning and escapes | Against swarming foes |
| Grenades | Burst damage | Grouped enemies |
| Flares | Draw enemy attention | Re positioning swarms |
Enemy variety is a strength for most of the campaign: giant wasp-like creatures, spiders that burrow into corpses and reanimate them, and scuttling hand-like spiders each demand their own approach. The final enemy type is a letdown, mostly just bullet sponges with more health.
Resist the urge to spam shots. Slow-firing weapons punish inaccuracy, so prioritize dodging, use flares to split enemy groups, and let grenades do the heavy lifting when swarms close in.
Exploration, Progression, and Upgrades
The exploration loop is classic Metroidvania: locked doors, unreachable platforms, and shortcuts that steadily unfurl the map. What sets End of Abyss apart is how hands-off it is. One reviewer spent hours in the radiated Containment zone before finding the radiation-protection mod, which turned out to be hidden in an easily missable room in a completely different zone.
Scan Everything
Manually scan doorways and interactables to mark them on your map. Locked doors and gadget-gated objects stay flagged until you return with the right tools.
Hunt Down Schematic Stations
Waypoints can appear on floors with no downloaded map. Find schematic stations first so objectives aren't icons floating in an endless sea of blue.
Farm Bosses for Vault Keys
Mods only appear inside vaults, and vault keys come from bosses, some of which are optional. Seek them out early.
Collect Rare Materials
Materials upgrade weapons, add health packs, and boost suit power so you can equip more mods. Comb every hallway.
| Upgrade Source | How to Obtain | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Weapons | Found while exploring, at least one is well hidden | Moderate |
| Mods | Vault rooms only, keys from bosses | Hard |
| Rare materials | Scattered in hidden rooms across all zones | Varies |
| Suit power / health packs | Crafted with rare materials | Moderate |
Marked locked doors stay flagged on the map even after you open them. Expect a few wasted trips to doors you unlocked hours earlier, and note that scanned markers don't auto-update.
Before You Commit to a Zone:
- Download the floor schematic at its map station
- Scan every locked door and gadget-gated object
- Beat optional bosses for vault keys
- Sweep hidden rooms for rare materials
- Double-check flagged doors before backtracking
Verdict: Should You Buy End of Abyss on PS5?
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Atmosphere and world | ★★★★★ | Moody, cinematic, distinctly Little Nightmares-adjacent |
| Combat | ★★★★ | Tactical twin-stick, weak final enemy type |
| Exploration | ★★★★★ | Expanding maps, Elden Ring-style discovery highs |
| Hand-holding | ★★ | Brutally hands-off, confusing map markers |
| Technical stability | ★★★ | Bugs stack up, patch hopeful |
| Overall | 8/10 | Gorgeous horror-tinged must for Metroidvania fans |
The core tension of End of Abyss is friction versus reward. For every moment you want to pack it in for the night, two more moments make everything slot into place. Opening a single door can double a zone's size, and finding a key after hours of searching delivers the same jolt as uncovering a new area in Elden Ring. You will likely never feel overpowered, and that's the point: every upgrade you grind for genuinely matters.
End of Abyss earns its 8/10 as a gorgeous, horror-tinged Metroidvania with a tantalizingly dark sci-fi world, tactile twin-stick combat, and a brain-teasing map. Buy it if you love the genre; wait for a patch if bugs annoy you.
FAQ
Q: How long is End of Abyss on PS5?
Expect roughly 13 hours to reach the credits, spread across more than half a dozen interlocking areas. Completionists hunting every vault, mod, and hidden weapon will spend considerably longer combing each zone.
Q: Does End of Abyss have performance modes on PS5?
No. There are no performance options, but both the PS5 and PS5 Pro run the game flawlessly at 60 frames per second to the naked eye, and the dark visuals look especially striking on an OLED screen.
Q: Is End of Abyss related to Little Nightmares?
Not directly. It is developed by Section 9 Interactive, a Swedish team of former Tarsier Studios developers who worked on Little Nightmares. The games play differently, but the ominous, atmospheric vibes feel familiar.
Q: Is End of Abyss too difficult for newcomers?
The combat is manageable, but the exploration is brutally hands-off. No map markers update automatically, waypoints can appear on unmapped floors, and key mods hide in missable rooms. Genre veterans will thrive; casual players should expect friction.