I wasn't quite sure what a 'brinepunk roguelite' shooter is but, going by the latest Abyssus trailer, it just means sick hardware chewing through sea monsters

Today's fantabulous PC Gaming Show 2025 featured a new trailer from Abyssus, which it says here is a "brinepunk roguelite." You what now?

It turns out that this means wielding "powerful brine-powered weapons" that, as seen in the new trailer, can be tinkered with and refitted with ominous-sounding "ancient technologies" to make 'em shoot good.

Abyssus is set in a world where everything, not just the weapons, is powered by brine. This is no mere Earth saltwater but a rare substance found in the deepest parts of the sea, sought out by "daring brinepunk explorers." The discovery of a sunken kingdom with a huge brine deposit is the game's jumping off point, but then everything goes a bit hairy when the corrupted inhabitants rise up against you.

This is a co-operative shooter where synergising your loadouts leads to massive rewards: such as survival. The vibe here is very much Kill Me Plenty, with the game built around a "merciless roguelite gauntlet, where no run is the same as the last."

Abyssus features eight main weapons and 45 mods, as well as character skills and suits. Over runs you build up your upgrades and options, but even when you're totin' the finest brine-arm around (sorry) this still won't be an easy ride.

One thing that should be clear from the trailer: gunfeel is everything here, and Abyssus clearly wants the comparison to the big boys. Up to four players can tackle its 64 hand-crafted levels, which are procedurally sequenced to make each run through feel a lot different. Across those you'll find 36 different enemy types and four giganto-bosses, and that's just at launch.

At one point on the Steam page for Abyssus (where you can try its new demo) the devs pose a few questions. The last one sticks in my mind: "Can we weaponize an anglerfish?" If the answer isn't "yes" I'd be amazed.

Abyssus is due August 12.

2025 games: This year's upcoming releases
Best PC games: Our all-time favorites
Free PC games: Freebie fest
Best FPS games: Finest gunplay
Best RPGs: Grand adventures
Best co-op games: Better together

Check out every game, trailer, and announcement in the PC Gaming Show 2025