Absolver Reviews

Absolver is ranked in the 56th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
PC Gamer
Top Critic
78 / 100
Aug 29, 2017

A great customizable fighting system and a cooperative spirit fill the empty spaces in a bleak open world.

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Recommended
Aug 30, 2017

A one-of-a-kind blend of blood-thumping martial arts, combo curation and grindy multiplayer set in a ravishing wasteland.

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Leif Johnson
Top Critic
7.6 / 10.0
Aug 29, 2017

Absolver is a beautiful martial-arts fighting game that allows for an impressive degree of personalized play with its innovative combat deck system, which lets you learn skills from combat with other players and NPCs. Unfortunately, it only comes with a single PvP arena mode at launch, and its fascinatingly nebulous campaign breaks off early and abruptly. It feels like an early access game with a ton of potential, but it's not quite there yet.

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Metro GameCentral
GameCentral
Top Critic
7 / 10
Sep 4, 2017

It often feels unrefined and unbalanced, but the uniquely tactical combat system, and Dark Souls influences, create one of the most enjoyably different fighting games of recent years.

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Aug 29, 2017

Absolver feels like a (difficult, sometimes frustrating) step into a larger world, and if you can hang with it, it'll leave you hungry for more.

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6.8 / 10.0
Aug 29, 2017

A short and barren single-player adventure that's really only for players who want to dig into the multiplayer components

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8.5 / 10.0
Aug 29, 2017

Absolver recognizes its singular goal of building a robust, satisfying martial arts combat system. It leans into those strengths, and it's a better game for it.

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8 / 10
Aug 29, 2017

Absolver's methodical combat would be superlative on its own, but the unique customisation of its Combat Deck takes this melee brawler to thrilling new heights.

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Unscored
Sep 12, 2017

Whether you spend a handful of hours seeing the sights or days delving into meta-discussions on the best builds, Absolver's fresh approach to hand-to-hand combat is a welcome addition to the pantheon of one-on-one fighters.

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Sep 2, 2017

Absolver comes extremely close to being an amazing game with its deep 1v1 melee combat and unpredictable player encounters, but where it falters is in, well, nearly everything else. The world feels lifeless. When more than one fighter joins a battle, battling becomes frustrating and clunky. There's a lot of potential with Absolver. But unfortunately, it's not 100 percent of the way there yet.

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7.5 / 10.0
Aug 29, 2017

Absolver's sure to be divisive. There's a clear vision that shines throughout the game. Its combat system encourages a granular knowledge of the different moves and potential combos that stem from each directional stance. But while the appeal will be apparent to the competitive-minded player, Absolver's pointed focus is complex enough to turn others away. The journey from lowly Prospect to Absolver is arduous and challenging, but it's hardly inviting.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 1, 2017

Sloclap has delivered one of the best indie games of this 2017. Although it lacks a deep and more interesnting story, it has unique combat and gameplay mechanics that are rewarded with a great progression. An amazing journey and a stunning game.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7 / 10
Sep 4, 2017

Absolver is superb yet flawed. Sloclap have some really fun and innovative ideas though, for some reason, they've built a gorge between players and their game. Like digging for gold, if you want to get anything of value from Absolver then you'll need to work hard and put in the time. Needless to say, those with a casual curiosity will likely find themselves completely turned off.

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8 / 10
Sep 22, 2017

At its center, it is a hardcore RPG that will reward players that invest in it heavily and it has more than enough value at its lower price. The game's most significant issues have been addressed with a patch, thankfully, and any that step into the world of Andal is in for a treat.

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7.9 / 10.0
Sep 11, 2017

Absolver presents itself as a very interesting hybrid: a fighting game inserted in an online context and a decadent, fascinating open world. Unfortunately, several lag problems undermine overall quality: patches are coming out to solve the problem, but the feeling of being in front of a still "rough" code is always very strong.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Unscored
Aug 29, 2017

Absolver trades in tutorials for mystique, but if you think you can climb the learning curve, you should try it.

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9 / 10.0
Aug 29, 2017

Combining unique and rewarding combat with the freedom to explore its beautiful areas in any order you see fit, Absolver is one of the best adventures of the year.

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Unscored
Sep 5, 2017

Thanks to the myriad possible move and combo loadouts, along with the various weapons and classes, PvP is both challenging and full of unexpected comebacks and knife-edge duels, but it just doesn't feel like a complete experience. Bugs, server issues, a small, dull open-world and the lack of modes is definitely holding it back.

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85 / 100
Oct 7, 2017

Combining gorgeous if deceptively simple graphics with an innovative approach to combat, Absolver is a welcome breath of fresh air to the sometimes predictable fighting game genre.

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Jan 16, 2019

While the singleplayer experience is forgettable and the open world is small, the meat of Absolver lies within its deep gameplay and engaging combat.

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