Absolum Launch Guide: Characters, Deflects & Rituals

Absolum lands with a crisp blend of classic beat-'em-up feel and run-based progression. Here's what's real at launch, drawn from hands-on reviews and public guides.

The cast at a glance

• Galandra — all‑rounder swordfighter; readable animations and strong punish windows.
• Karl — sturdy dwarf; gun compensates for melee range for safer pokes and confirms.
• Cider — nimble skirmisher with mobility tools.
• Brome — wizard archetype with ranged control and crowd setup.

Deflects, dodges, and readability

Reviews converge on a generous deflect window that turns incoming hits into punish opportunities. If timing's not your thing, vertical dodge is a consistent alternative.

GamesRadar's example shows a deflect‑centric ritual that fires thorned projectiles, stacked with throwable buffs to melt encounters.

Rituals & mid‑run choices

Absolum's "boons" work like Hades‑style Rituals that augment damage, defense, or utility. Early on, look for:

• Deflect payloads (thorns, counters, shock arcs) that reward timing.
• Throwable synergies (damage/range multipliers) for safer control.
• Crowd Control options (bubble‑like traps) to set up juggles.

Environmental & screen‑edge tech

The game bounces enemies off screen edges, letting you extend combos with juggle loops safely.

Starter choices by playstyle

• Safer route / Karl: Open from range, then step in for confirms once you see stagger.
• Parry‑punish / Galandra: Practice deflect into heavy strings; when flanked, swap to vertical dodge.
• Control / Brome: Take CC rituals to corral elites, then juggle toward the wall.