Introduction

If you grew up thinking the 80s and 90s made games correctly (and your childhood snacks were suspiciously pixel-shaped), Abathor is the kind of retro-flavored assault on the senses that will make you grin like someone who just discovered cheat codes. On PS4, this 2D hack-and-slash platformer invites up to four players to brawl through Atlantis as demons pour out of something called Abathor - which, judging by the naming, is clearly the kind of place ancient Atlanteans opened while saying "What could go wrong?" The result is a handcrafted pixel romp that wears its influences like a neon headband: loud, nostalgic, and a little sweaty. Pow Pixel Games and publisher Jandusoft have stacked Abathor with 52 stages across 10 zones. There are minecart sequences, disappearing platforms, side-scrolling shoot-'em-up detours, and a boss at the end of every zone. Played solo it's a tight, sometimes challenging single-player adventure; played with friends it's a chaotic couch co-op party where blame gets tossed around like a hot potato. For those who enjoy a soundtrack that sounds like a synth had a very cultured upbringing, the chiptune work here complements the action nicely and helps sell the retro fantasy.

Gameplay

Abathor's core loop is gloriously simple: pick a hero, run, slash, jump on some spikes, solve a puzzle or two, and reach the end of the stage without becoming an undead floor decoration. There are 52 levels divided into 10 themed zones, and each zone usually ends with a boss you'll remember both for how it looks and how it tries to eat your strategy. The structured progression means you generally can't skip ahead, which keeps the playthrough feeling like a proper old-school gauntlet rather than a menu of bite-size distractions. Variety is Abathor's secret handshake. The developers sprinkle traditional platforming with stage gimmicks that keep your thumbs honest: minecart sequences demand pixel-perfect timing, shifting and vanishing platforms make you check your own life choices, and shoot-'em-up style stages flip the script into side-scrolling bullet-spew terror. Puzzle stages add a slower, thoughtful pace amid the carnage, breaking up the rhythm so you don't go full button-masher throughout. There are over 100 enemy types, which sounds a bit like number-inflation until you meet how different their attack patterns and behaviors actually are. You'll learn quickly that every new enemy silhouette likely represents a new way for the game to ruin your day. Checkpoints are sensibly placed, which is a kindness modern games sometimes forget to grant. You die, you respawn; you don't waste ten minutes redoing the same spike-filled leap unless you absolutely deserve it. Difficulty-wise, Abathor offers three settings and an extra stage for the hardest mode, so completionists and masochists have something to aim for. The co-op is where the game truly shines: four-player multiplayer is a raucous, knock-into-each-other good time. Teamwork matters, but so does the ability to single-handedly hog all the power-ups and blame teammates when you fall into lava. One small gripe: some stages lean heavily on trial-and-error platforming that can feel punitive on occasion. A few of the boss fights are also more pattern memorization than spontaneous skill expression - satisfying once you get them down, but occasionally frustrating during the learning curve. Still, the balance is generous enough that those who want a breezier run can get it, while those chasing the extra stage or speedrun accolades have room to sweat. The PS4 version plays very smoothly, with responsive controls and solid collision detection - important stuff in a game where a pixel can decide your fate. Abathor also offers a well-paced difficulty progression that rewards practice without feeling cruel. For players who love replayability, the stage variety and co-op hooks mean this is one of those games you come back to, especially when you want to show a friend how "retro" is done in 2024.

Graphics

Graphically, Abathor is proudly pixelated and unapologetically retro. The art style emulates the look of late 20th-century action games but with modern sensibilities: animations are crisp, backgrounds are layered with enough detail to feel alive, and enemy sprites pack personality without trying to be photorealistic. Each of the 10 zones has its own visual identity - think sunken ruins, molten pits, eerie ruins and other spots where the locals clearly forgot to lock the gates. The pixel art does more than wink at nostalgia; it conveys gameplay information clearly. Hitboxes are readable, platform edges are obvious, and visual cues for hazards are explicit enough that deaths generally feel earned, not arbitrary. The chiptune soundtrack deserves a separate handshake: it's catchy, atmospheric, and varies to suit each zone, sounding like the kind of mixtape you'd make if you were a synth composer living in a submerged ancient city. On PS4 the palette pops nicely on a big screen, and the frame-rate holds firm even in the messiest four-player scrums. If Abathor has an aesthetic criticism, it's that the retro palette sometimes limits visual variety - some zones feel like cousins rather than distinct relatives. Still, the overall package hits the nostalgia sweet spot without feeling like a lazy pastiche.

Conclusion

Abathor is a love letter to old-school platform hack-and-slash games that actually remembers to include modern niceties like checkpoints, varied level design, and cooperative mayhem. It's the kind of title that makes you smile at its visuals, pump a fist at its bosses, and groan when a minecart betrays you at the last second. On PS4 it delivers responsive controls, a solid framerate, and co-op fun that turns a casual evening into a glorious pixelated brawl. It isn't flawless - occasional trial-and-error sections and a few repetitive visual motifs hold it back from absolute perfection - but those are small quibbles in an otherwise well-crafted package. With 52 stages, over a hundred enemy types, and enough soundtrack bangers to soundtrack a small nautical revolt, Abathor is a recommended pick for players who love retro aesthetics with modern polish. Dust off your controller, convince three friends to join you, and go re-seal a gate that clearly should never have been opened. If Atlantis needs saving, it might as well be stylish and loud while it happens.

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