$20 Game of the Week: Abyss Odyssey (PS3, Xbox Live Arcade, PC)

Created by Chilean developer ACE team (Zeno Clash) Abyss Odyssey is a mix of Metroidvania, Roguelike, and 2D-brawler gameplay. While the game is a bit light on content, the art style and concepts will keep players hooked for the game’s short length.

In Abyss Odyssey, you dive into an abyss created from the dreams of a sleeping warlock. The surface above is being menaced by the dreams of the warlock, and bizarre monsters formed from the dreams are pouring out. Stepping in the shoes of Katrien, another fragment of the warlock’s imagination, you step into the abyss hoping to stop the monster. Each time you dive into the abyss, the layout is randomly generated, guaranteeing a new experience each time. When you die, and you will die a lot, you will be sent back to the beginning (unless you activated a checkpoint token) while retaining your experience points and gold. The combat system is surprisingly deep for a 2D side scroller, ad players can dodge, block, and use several unlockable and upgradable special moves. Players can also capture any of the monsters they encounter (including bosses) and transform into them, and there are two unlockable characters players can choose to play as. While the game is fairly short (players can reach the bottom in a short time with if they’re strong enough), the atmosphere will keep players engaged in the journey, and the random layout will guarantee a different experience each playthrough. In addition, the developers are constantly updating this game adding new features.