Little Nightmares veterans have shared details about their work on the metroidvania End of Abyss. Team Section 9 told how they rethought the original concept and what they arrived at in the end.
End of Abyss is an unusual metroidvania with elements of survival and horror. The gameplay is based on battles with vile monsters and exploring creepy locations. The scanner will play an important role — not the most popular equipment for the genre. The developers decided to introduce it to make the information-gathering process more convenient.
The story follows a technician named Sal. Together with a group of soldiers, she goes to an abandoned complex to study strange parasites that have settled in its walls. These disgusting creatures resemble clumps of flesh or living tumors. They are clearly not happy about the intrusion and are ready to destroy the uninvited guests.
Initially, the game was conceived as an isometric action game with dynamic battles. The heroes ran fast and deftly dodged enemy attacks. At some point, the creators noticed that the niche of top-down metroidvanias was still not too "crowded." So it was decided to change the development vector of End of Abyss.
Following the genre self-determination, much else changed as well. The style became less cartoonish, and the gameplay became more thoughtful. The characters slowed down, and the atmosphere acquired the characteristic features of that very oppressive tension familiar from Little Nightmares. Thanks to the camera placement, Sal seems small and fragile against the backdrop of a giant complex filled with aggressive monsters.
The developers also revealed what inspired them when creating the future novelty. This list includes science fiction anime like "Akira" and "Ghost in the Shell," and classic horror films "The Thing" and "Alien."
End of Abyss will be released sometime in 2026. The exact date is not yet known. You will be able to play the creation of Section 9 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series.