If you have been searching for a horror game that combines the unsettling creature design of Little Nightmares with the exploration and combat traditions of Resident Evil, End of Abyss is one of the more unusual releases to watch in 2026.
Developed by Malmö-based Section 9 Interactive and published by Epic Games Publishing, the game puts players in control of Cel, a young combat technician investigating a mysterious underground facility. What begins as an investigation gradually turns into a descent through a sprawling, abandoned complex filled with infected humans, grotesque creatures, dangerous machinery and unexplained phenomena.
Unlike a traditional side-scrolling Metroidvania, End of Abyss uses a top-down/isometric 3D perspective and twin-stick shooting. Its interconnected facility encourages players to explore previously inaccessible areas after obtaining new tools, while its horror design creates constant tension around every corridor and locked door. end of abyss game
As of October 2026, the game is available on PC through the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Its worldwide release date was October 1, 2026.
What Is End of Abyss?
End of Abyss is a sci-fi survival-horror action adventure built around exploration, ranged combat and interconnected environments.
You play as Cel, a combat technician sent into an enormous underground compound after disturbances of unknown origin are detected. The deeper she travels, the more evidence she discovers that something has gone seriously wrong inside the facility.
The game’s official description emphasizes three central activities:
- Exploring a large underground complex
- Fighting increasingly dangerous creatures
- Unlocking new routes with tools and upgrades
The scanner is particularly important because it helps Cel investigate objects, enemies and environmental clues. New tools also open previously inaccessible paths, creating the backtracking and environmental progression associated with Metroidvania games.
That combination gives End of Abyss its identity. It is not simply a horror shooter and it is not a conventional Metroidvania. Instead, Section 9 Interactive has attempted to combine atmospheric horror with top-down action and exploration.
Why Does End of Abyss Feel Like Little Nightmares and Resident Evil?
The comparison makes sense, but the game is not simply a copy of either series.
Section 9 Interactive was founded by three former Tarsier Studios developers who previously worked together on games including Little Nightmares. The developers have described End of Abyss as a project that evolved from an earlier action-oriented top-down shooter into a slower and more atmospheric experience focused on exploration and tension.
The Little Nightmares connection is most obvious in the visual language. Cel moves through environments that make her appear small compared with the surrounding architecture and creatures. The brutalist facility, narrow passages and strange biological enemies create an oppressive atmosphere.
The Resident Evil comparison comes more from gameplay. Players investigate an isolated location, manage weapons and resources, uncover environmental clues and repeatedly return to areas as new equipment changes what is accessible.
The result is a sci-fi horror game with its own mechanical identity, rather than a direct imitation of either franchise.
End of Abyss Gameplay: How Does It Play?
The core gameplay revolves around exploration, shooting, dodging, scanning and upgrading.
End of Abyss uses a twin-stick control scheme. Movement is separated from aiming, allowing Cel to move around an enemy while directing her weapon toward a different position. A dodge maneuver gives her another important defensive option when creatures close the distance.
Cel initially has a pistol with unlimited ammunition, while additional weapons introduce more conventional resource management. Reviews have reported weapons including a shotgun and longer-range firearms, with ammunition that can be crafted or managed through the game’s upgrade system.
That creates an interesting distinction from classic survival horror.
You are not necessarily terrified because every pistol bullet is precious. Instead, tension often comes from positioning, enemy numbers, limited space and the need to aim accurately while avoiding attacks.
Key gameplay systems include:
- Twin-stick aiming and movement
- Dodge-based defensive movement
- Multiple weapons and equipment upgrades
- Crafting and ammunition management
- Environmental scanning
- Unlockable traversal tools
- Backtracking through interconnected areas
- Hidden rooms and optional discoveries
- Boss encounters
The scanner is particularly useful because it functions as both a gameplay tool and a worldbuilding device. It can identify objects and creatures and provide information about environmental obstacles and locked routes.
End of Abyss Metroidvania Exploration
Exploration is arguably the game’s most distinctive feature.
Rather than moving through a simple sequence of disconnected horror levels, Cel explores a large facility with branching paths and areas that become accessible as she obtains additional tools. The official description specifically highlights returning to previously inaccessible corridors and discovering secrets that were initially blocked.
This structure gives the underground facility the feeling of a giant puzzle.
A locked door may not simply represent a dead end. It can become a reminder to return later after obtaining the necessary equipment. That approach makes the End of Abyss map important because players have to remember how different sectors connect.
The downside is that backtracking can become demanding. Some reviews have criticized the game’s signposting and lack of conveniences such as fast travel, meaning players can spend considerable time retracing their route.
For players who enjoy mapping interconnected environments, that may be part of the appeal. For anyone expecting a straightforward horror campaign, it can feel slower and more confusing.
End of Abyss Combat and Monsters
Combat is built around the idea that Cel is capable of fighting back but is never completely comfortable doing so.
The facility contains infected humans and increasingly grotesque creatures. Reviews have described enemies ranging from humanoid husks to unusual parasitic and mutated organisms, with some encounters requiring careful positioning because enemies can rapidly close the distance.
Some creatures are especially effective because of how they interact with the environment. The cramped corridors and rooms can make it difficult to maintain a safe distance, turning even relatively ordinary encounters into tense fights.
Bosses follow the same philosophy, although reviews are more divided about them. Some encounters require learning attack patterns and exploiting openings, while other reviewers have found certain boss battles repetitive or overly dependent on dodging and ammunition.
That distinction is important for anyone searching for an End of Abyss boss guide: learning enemy behavior is often more valuable than simply trying to overwhelm everything with firepower.
End of Abyss Story and Setting
The story begins with Cel investigating disturbances inside a mysterious underground compound.
The facility itself is one of the game’s major storytelling tools. Instead of explaining everything through lengthy exposition, End of Abyss uses environmental details, scanner information, documents and the condition of the facility to gradually establish what happened.
The deeper Cel travels, the more the game’s science-fiction horror elements come into focus.
The atmosphere revolves around a mixture of:
- Abandoned industrial architecture
- Broken machinery
- Dark corridors and tunnels
- Infected human bodies
- Biological mutations
- Mysterious technological systems
- Sparse environmental storytelling
This makes the setting feel less like a conventional haunted location and more like a failed underground scientific or industrial environment where something biological and unnatural has taken control.
End of Abyss Graphics and Atmosphere
The visual direction is one of the game’s strongest elements.
The camera perspective allows Section 9 to make the facility feel enormous while still keeping Cel vulnerable. Open rooms provide a broader view, while narrow passages restrict visibility and create claustrophobic encounters. Epic’s hands-on coverage describes the game’s brutalist architecture, shadow-heavy lighting and labyrinthine spaces as major parts of its horror presentation.
Sound design also contributes significantly.
Reviews have highlighted distant echoes, dripping water, environmental noises and the sounds made by creatures as important parts of the atmosphere.
This matters because End of Abyss does not depend exclusively on jump scares. Much of its horror comes from uncertainty: hearing something nearby, entering a room with limited visibility or discovering evidence that something terrible happened there.
What Does the End of Abyss Review Consensus Say?
The early critical response is mixed but consistently recognizes the game’s atmosphere and exploration as major strengths.
Positive reviews have praised the creepy setting, environmental design, exploration systems, creature designs and sound. Shacknews, for example, highlighted the atmosphere, exploration and subtle worldbuilding, while Push Square praised the sense of discovery created by the interconnected areas.
The main criticisms concern combat repetition, navigation, backtracking, boss design and some technical or usability issues. GamesRadar specifically pointed to problems with signposting, progression and bugs, while other reviews have described some combat encounters as repetitive.
So the most useful way to understand the End of Abyss game review landscape is this:
| Area | What stands out |
|---|---|
| Atmosphere | Dark, oppressive and highly detailed |
| Exploration | Interconnected areas with meaningful backtracking |
| Combat | Tense twin-stick shooting, but sometimes repetitive |
| Monsters | Strong variety and disturbing body-horror designs |
| Story | Mysterious and largely environmental |
| Progression | Tools and upgrades open new routes |
| Bosses | Memorable creature designs but uneven encounters |
| Difficulty | Can become demanding, particularly in cramped spaces |
| Presentation | Strong sound design and atmospheric environments |
End of Abyss Release Date and Platforms
The End of Abyss release date was October 1, 2026.
It launched on:
- PC via the Epic Games Store
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X|S
The official Section 9 Interactive website confirms the three platforms, while the Epic Games Store lists the Windows PC version.
The Epic Games Store lists the standard PC edition at $29.99 in the United States.
Is End of Abyss on Steam?
The official PC release is through the Epic Games Store. Section 9 Interactive and Epic’s official listings identify Epic Games Store as the PC platform; they do not list Steam as a launch platform.
That also explains why searches for “End of Abyss Steam” may produce community discussions rather than an official Steam store page.
End of Abyss Trailer and Gameplay Footage
The first major End of Abyss trailer introduced the game’s dark science-fiction setting, exploration and combat. Epic Games published the reveal trailer in June 2025, initially announcing a PC release through the Epic Games Store for 2026.
The game’s marketing subsequently expanded to show more of Cel’s combat, the underground facility and the creatures waiting inside.
The trailers are useful for understanding the game’s visual identity, but they do not fully communicate how much of the experience revolves around navigating the facility and returning to earlier areas.
Is End of Abyss Difficult?
Yes, End of Abyss can be challenging, particularly when several enemies attack in confined spaces.
Difficulty comes from more than enemy health. Players need to manage positioning, aiming, dodging, ammunition and the layout of the room simultaneously.
Limited-ammo weapons can provide a major advantage, but using them carelessly can reduce the resources available for later encounters. At the same time, the unlimited-ammo pistol is weaker and can make certain fights longer.
For new players, a useful approach is to:
- Learn enemy attack patterns before spending valuable ammunition.
- Keep enough space around Cel to dodge.
- Scan unfamiliar objects and creatures.
- Remember locked doors and blocked routes.
- Upgrade weapons instead of relying entirely on the starting pistol.
- Explore optional rooms when resources are available.
- Treat boss fights as pattern-learning encounters rather than damage races.
End of Abyss Game Ending and Walkthrough
If you are searching for the End of Abyss game ending, be aware that detailed walkthroughs can reveal major story information.
A published critical-path walkthrough covers the game’s normal ending route while deliberately excluding collectibles and optional content. That distinction is useful for players who want to finish the story without completing the entire facility.
For a first playthrough, exploring naturally is arguably the better way to experience the mystery. A walkthrough becomes more useful when you are stuck on a locked route, looking for a required item or returning for optional content.
Is End of Abyss Worth Playing?
End of Abyss is most appealing to players who enjoy atmospheric horror, exploration-heavy games and combat that sits between survival horror and twin-stick action.
Its biggest strength is the way the underground facility works as both a setting and a gameplay system. The environment encourages curiosity, while new equipment changes how players navigate familiar locations.
Its biggest weakness is that the same backtracking and combat systems that create tension can also become repetitive. Reviews have particularly disagreed about the consistency of combat and boss encounters.
The result is an unusual horror game rather than a conventional blockbuster survival-horror experience. If the combination of Little Nightmares-style atmosphere, Resident Evil-inspired survival elements and Metroidvania exploration sounds appealing, End of Abyss offers a distinctive take on that formula.
source: playstation.com
Final Verdict on the End of Abyss Game
End of Abyss stands out because of its unusual combination of genres.
It has the unsettling atmosphere associated with the former Little Nightmares developers, the resource and exploration ideas familiar to survival horror, and the interconnected progression of a Metroidvania. Its twin-stick shooting adds another layer, making combat more active than in many exploration-focused horror games.
The experience is not without rough edges. Backtracking, inconsistent combat encounters and navigation issues can undermine the tension, and some reviews have found the boss design less successful than the game’s creature and environment design.
But its underground facility, grotesque monsters, mysterious story and oppressive atmosphere give it a recognizable identity.
For horror fans searching for something that sits somewhere between Resident Evil, Little Nightmares and a top-down Metroidvania, End of Abyss is a game worth putting on the radar.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the End of Abyss game?
End of Abyss is a sci-fi action-adventure and survival-horror game developed by Section 9 Interactive and published by Epic Games Publishing. Players control Cel, a combat technician exploring a mysterious underground facility filled with hostile creatures and environmental mysteries.
What is the End of Abyss game ending?
The game has a critical story path leading to its normal ending, while optional exploration and collectibles provide additional content. A spoiler-free first playthrough is recommended before using a detailed ending walkthrough.
Is there an End of Abyss game walkthrough?
Yes. Walkthroughs are available for the critical story route as well as individual areas and optional content. A critical-path guide can help players progress through required objectives without focusing on every collectible.
What is the End of Abyss game release date?
End of Abyss released worldwide on October 1, 2026. It launched on PC through the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Is End of Abyss on PS5?
Yes. End of Abyss is available on PlayStation 5, alongside Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Epic Games Store.
What are people saying about End of Abyss on Reddit?
Reddit discussions around the game’s release have focused on its atmosphere, its similarities to other horror games and the decision to launch the PC version through Epic Games Store rather than Steam. These are community reactions rather than professional review findings, so they should be treated separately from published reviews.
Also Read
