Neon Abyss 2 lands on PS5 with neon-soaked roguelike runs

No. Developer Veewo Games and publisher Kepler Ghost released the full game on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC on the same day. PC players had a head start, because the game had been on Steam in Early Access (a paid, unfinished version that players test while it is still being built) for more than a year.

When it opened in Early Access, it cost $19.99 in the US and £16.75 in the UK. The studio has not given a separate figure for the finished console versions in the material we have seen, so check your console’s store before you buy.

PlayStation marked the launch with a trailer on its official YouTube channel, which you can watch above.

Neon Abyss 2 is a side-scrolling shooter with pixel art and bright neon colors, set in a mythical underworld the developers call the Abyss. You run through rooms, blast enemies, fight bosses and collect items that change how your character plays. Die, and you start again with a new layout.

The big change from the first game is the weapon system. Instead of mostly shooting, you can now pick a fighting style. You might swing a saber or a bat up close, send plant-based attacks at enemies, or command dragon-like creatures to fight for you.

Item synergies (items that combine into stronger effects) are back as well. There is no cap on how many you can carry, so a lucky run can snowball into something absurd. Veewo says the sequel adds more than 600 new items, which is why no two runs are likely to look the same.

Items are only part of it. The sequel also throws new enemies, bosses and gods at you, along with hidden secrets and reworked loot, and levels are still put together at random. Even the unfinished test version beat the first game for sheer size, with more stages, foes, bosses and playable characters, and it brought back every enemy and boss from the original as well.

The first Neon Abyss was a solo affair. The sequel lets you team up with up to three friends online, and each player’s item combos stack with everyone else’s, so a full squad can build some very silly firepower together.

Back when the game entered Early Access, the studio warned that the multiplayer could still use some polish and said it had been working on the sequel for more than three years. It promised the full release would be bigger, more refined and more stable online than the test version, with content updates arriving every few months along the way.

The other big addition is the Faith system. Think of Faith as a resource you can spend in a few ways when a run is going badly. You can buy strong items from a shop, recruit extra Hatchmon helpers, or gamble it in a game of chance.

Hatchmon are the series’ pet companions. You hatch and collect them, and in the sequel they can evolve into stronger allies with their own effects. You can also unlock new playable characters, called Agents, each with its own abilities.

Creative director Lans Wang has said the first game leaned heavily on random drops and achievements, while the sequel adds meta progression, the term for upgrades that carry over between attempts. The goal, he said, was to make every run feel like progress whether you win or not. Fans of Hades will know the idea.

If you liked the first Neon Abyss, the sequel is a straightforward step up: more items, more weapons, more ways to play and, for the first time, online co-op with friends.

If you have never played a roguelike, expect to die a lot early on. That is the point. Each attempt is short, which makes it a good fit for quick sessions, and the Faith and Agent unlocks mean even bad runs push you forward.

Which version to buy depends mostly on where your friends play. Co-op is the feature that sets this game apart, so pick the platform your group already uses. The PC version has had the most testing, given its long time in Early Access.