Luna Abyss: exploring the mysterious abyss beneath Luna’s moon

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On May 21, 2026, Luna Abyss – an action-adventure game developed by Kwalee Labs and published by Kwalee – officially launches on Steam. It is one of the most notable recent releases thanks to its unique combination of first-person platforming and bullet hell-style combat.

Luna Abyss (Image source: Steam)
Luna Abyss (Image source: Steam)

You are a prisoner, and Luna is a prison

In Luna Abyss, players take on the role of Fawkes – a convict sentenced to explore a massive, abandoned structure buried deep beneath the surface of a simulated moon known as Luna. The main mission is to recover forgotten technologies hidden within the abyss, along with the remnants of a once-thriving colony.

Throughout the journey, Fawkes is not truly alone – every move is monitored by Aylin, an artificial prison guard. The relationship between the prisoner and this “overseer” is expected to be one of the key narrative pillars of the game.

A dark and mysterious world

The centuries-old ruins in Luna Abyss are far from silent. They are tied to the history of the once-prosperous city of Greymont, now erased by a catastrophe known only as "The Scourge." Scattered throughout the world are traces of the doctrine of The All-Father, the chants of The Collective, and unexplained whispers still echoing from the abyss.

A dark and mysterious world (Image source: Steam)
A dark and mysterious world (Image source: Steam)

The game’s lore design is often compared to titles like BioShock or Nier: Automata – it is not delivered directly, but instead pieced together by players through environmental storytelling and subtle details. VG247 described it as a blend of BioShock, Nier: Automata, and Returnal.

Gameplay: smooth platforming and intense combat

Facing grotesque enemies (Image source: Steam)
Facing grotesque enemies (Image source: Steam)

Luna Abyss is built around two core gameplay pillars:

  • First-person platforming: Players run, jump, and dash through Luna’s brutalist-inspired structures. Movement is described as fluid and seamless.
  • Bullet hell combat: Players face corrupted enemies and strange cosmic entities, requiring quick adaptation, weapon mastery, and survival through dense patterns of projectile fire typical of the bullet hell genre.

This combination creates a distinctive pacing: it is neither a pure platformer nor a traditional shooter. Rock Paper Shotgun even described it as a potential successor to Returnal in the bullet hell shooter space.