This past week, we were privy to a preview of Luna Abyss. This is a first-person bullet shooter by trade, but also sports a bit of a Doom personality, especially in the weaponry department. While the demo didn’t last too long, and it is accessible on Steam for your own eyes to find out, it still left a positive impression that there are good times ahead for this game.
Those good times begin with an intriguing story. The player dives into this dark, sci-fi FPS by taking control of a prisoner named Fawkes. They are being released from their prison to hunt for technology left behind by a previous civilization that the Abyss consumed on the moon, Luna. As you might imagine, being a prisoner and being sent into a place called the ‘Abyss’ probably doesn’t mean that it’s going to be a good time for Fawkes. For us, the gamers, that isn’t a bad way to begin.
The story seems drawn from the likes of a Ridley Scott nightmare. It’s all alien culture with a hefty dose of a demonic touch. We’re talking really unsettling shit. It’s dark, musty, and drips with uncertainty around every corner. It matches the narrative beautifully and drives home Fawkes’ loneliness in such a desolate prison, while throwing danger around every corner with their journey to the Abyss. If the devs at Kwalee Labs were trying to sell the dreariness of Fawkes’ situation, and especially her journey from prison to Abyss, and how dangerous it was, then they nailed it, especially starting with the story. It sets the tone for the rest of the game and hooks one’s attention while not letting it go throughout the experience.
To help support that picture of the narrative as it is laid out, lighting and creepy-ass creatures roam the dungeons of the abyss and are hellbent on causing trouble. And this is where the Doom aspect of the game becomes crystal clear. Players will identify this right out of the enemy gate.
While traversing through the prison on their way to the Abyss, Fawkes meets strange creatures that have decayed heads, black bodies, and a thirst for blood. While the variety that I saw during my time with the game was limited, and probably on purpose, as the two types of creatures featured in the demo were huge creatures/floaters that spilled out gunfire in large quantities and in waves, and the aforementioned skeleton dudes that are annoyingly quick and tough to aim down sight on. Those little buggers were relentless as they were dangerous.
To make things even more creepy and frightening, occasionally Fawkes would run into a room where there would be a metal-faced screaming alarm that calls for backup of the above creatures. Hearing that thing talk and scream was unnerving to say the least, and its visuals were just bleh (but in a good ‘bleh’ way).
While the demo didn’t give away too much with the number of enemy encounters, and there were a few more in the second part of the demo, it did give away a boss. That boss, which I suspect will be one of many creative beings, was a warped-looking face that spat out loads of gunfire in a shooter-bullet-hell-like fashion. Taking them down wasn’t too hard, mainly because it was very patterned, but I suspect the demo took it easy on me during my time with it, and the final product will be much more challenging. Even if it’s not, it was neat to see a creative boss in action, especially one that echoed the story and the ambience Kwalee apparently was shooting for, and it was a wonderful warning of more creative beasts to fight in the final product.
What’s challenging enemies without guns to take them down? In between Fawkes and those enemies, there were large guns. Those guns ranged from short machine gun-like firearms to hefty shield-breaking shotguns. There were more than a few slots for Fawkes to fill with other guns, so I’m hopeful there are more interesting and powerful ones on the way with the final game. Now, having said that, what the demo showed was fun, it was easy to figure out, and sometimes required mixing and matching guns to dispose of different types of enemies, especially in the second part of the demo. The weaponry gave off a heavy Doom vibe with how mechanical and creative the weapon design seemed to be. Maybe not designs as ridiculous as some Doom weapons, like that skull crusher shotgun in the last Doom game, but certainly bulky and overkill designs and results at times. I can’t wait to see more of them.
To cap off this preview, I was also incredibly impressed with the visuals of the game. I ran the demo on the highest setting thanks to my 50xx series RTX, and didn’t have almost any graphical breakup. While there are certainly some unfinished pieces and parts of the levels in the demo, and it’s obvious that there are some gaps to fill in and more textures to update, the game delivered a good graphical experience, even if it wasn’t completely done. The ray tracing, highly detailed textures, and the previously mentioned mood lighting from the beginning of this review truly set the tone for what looks to be an interesting experience in 2026.
This game is going to look good when released, and it’s going to fit the story and what it’s trying to do quite perfectly. At least, I hope it does by the end of its development. Luna Abyss seems to be heading in the right direction as it stands. The demos were excellent in showing what is to come with this title in a more finished form.
Anyhoo, we will keep you all in the loop as the game continues towards its release sometime in 2026. Should we get another demo opportunity with it, we’ll update this preview. Until then, for those looking forward to this title, be hopeful because this looks and plays great right now.
