Image: DotemuWhat would you get if you crossed Dead Cells with Streets of Rage 4? Well, to save you the hassle, well tell you. You get Absolum, a Rogue em Up from developers Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, and Supamonks which we recently got the chance to play via a streamed preview build. It takes the slick, stylish, and accessible combat mechanics that you might expect from a classic beat-em-up title and adds in unique runs with branching pathways, permanent upgrades, items, and quests.Trading in the urban environments of Streets of Rage for lush, colourful landscapes that look like theyve been plucked straight from Tolkien (or, perhaps more aptly, Golden Axe), Absolum sees you take on the role of one of four rebels in a quest to defeat Sun King Azra, an all-powerful entity that rules the fantasy land of Talamh. In the short preview build, we had access to two of the four playable characters: Galandra, an agile sword-wielding fighter and Karl, a brutish dwarf whose rifle lets him damage foes from a distance.Images: DotemuThe game wastes no time getting you into the action, and its clear that Dotemu and Guard Crush have used their experience with Streets of Rage 4 to craft a combat system that feels instantly satisfying yet deceptively deep. We played with an Xbox controller for this preview, and you simply tap Y ('X' on Switch) to dish out a quick melee combo, X ('Y' on Switch) to whip out your weapon and deliver a heavy attack, and RB ('R') to unleash a powerful special ability thats guaranteed to send multiple foes flying into the air.Fights are introduced frequently as you make your way through the environment and, in true beat-em-up fashion, the road ahead is blocked until you defeat all enemies. Whats different here, however, is that some successful bouts result in optional upgrades for your character, and its here that Absolum really leans into its roguelike elements.Like Dead Cells and Hades, the upgrades are often presented in groups of two or three, giving you the option to choose which one sounds more appealing and best fits your playstyle. You could opt for something that adds a burn effect to your basic combos, or maybe youre more keen on a deadly bolt of lightning manifesting from a perfect dodge.Images: DotemuWe can only imagine the possibilities that will be on offer with the full game, but even with the relatively short preview, the added abilities had a tangible impact on combat, making you feel noticeably more powerful as you make your way further through the levels. Of course, its still no cakewalk, and death may come swiftly if youre not careful or happen to find yourself unexpectedly overwhelmed.Again, taking inspiration from Dead Cells, each death results in a new run of the games world, letting you take stock of your situation, recover your health, purchase a few handy items, and finally set out on a fresh adventure. The layout changes with each run, but thanks to the remarkably stylish art design and gorgeous fantasy world, youd be forgiven for thinking that every playthrough has been lovingly hand-crafted each and every time.The preview ended with a pretty formidable boss with its own big health bar displayed at the bottom of the screen. Whether playing on your own or opting for a co-op session with friends, these boss battles seem designed to have you take full advantage of your skills and abilities to achieve victory. Its thrilling stuff, and we have to admit that we had our asses handed to us a few times before vanquishing the demos big honcho.Images: DotemuIn terms of presentation, the visuals certainly take some inspiration from the hand-drawn approach seen in Streets of Rage 4. Here though, it's a bit more stylised and abstract, almost like it's been pulled straight from an Image-produced fantasy graphic novel. There's a moment in which the protagonists are running in the foreground, completely blacked out like silhouettes, while in the far background an explosion destroys a stone bridge under the hazy light of the rising moon. It's a gorgeous-looking game, for sure.The same can be said for the audio design. Typical fantasy tunes really bring your combat encounters to life, while every swing of your fist and swish your sword is amplified by wonderful, punchy diegetic sounds. A few more quips or comments from the characters as you work together to take down your foes might be welcome, but we're equally satisfied if they remain stoically silent.The preview version we played was bereft of any unsightly bugs or performance issues, though we obviously cant comment yet on how it might hold up natively on the Switch, although given the solid state of Streets of Rage 4, we have high hopes. Were excited to see how this one shapes up later this year.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kAbsolum is scheduled for Switch and other platforms in 2025, although no specific release date has been announced just yet.What are your thoughts on what you've seen so far? Excited to see more? Let us know by leaving a comment down below.