The first mistake you can make in End of Abyss is treating it like a straightforward shooter. You have a gun, enemies can be killed, and dodging feels responsive. But the deeper you explore, the more obvious it becomes that surviving is only half the challenge. You also need to understand the facility, remember inaccessible routes and make good use of the equipment you find.
Developed by Section 9 Interactive, End of Abyss follows Cel, a combat technician investigating a mysterious underground complex. The game combines twin stick shooting, survival horror and exploration inspired by Metroidvania games.
These End of Abyss tips and tricks focus on the mechanics that make the biggest difference during your first playthrough, including combat, ammunition, the Scanner, equipment upgrades, navigation and boss encounters.
Use Your Scanner Before You Get Lost
The Scanner is one of the most valuable tools in End of Abyss. It helps you investigate the environment and identify information that is not immediately obvious.
Use it when you encounter unfamiliar doors, suspicious structures or areas that appear to have no clear route forward.
Scanning also helps document important discoveries on your map, making it easier to remember where you need to return later.
A useful habit is to scan a new area before leaving it. Finding a locked passage is not wasted time if you have recorded what prevents you from entering.
Do Not Treat Every Locked Door as a Dead End
End of Abyss uses a progression system where newly acquired tools and equipment can open previously inaccessible routes.
If you find a door or passage that cannot be opened, there is a good chance you need something that becomes available later.
Instead of searching the same room repeatedly, check the Scanner information and continue exploring another available route.
When you obtain a new tool or access item, review your map for places where it might be useful.
This approach makes backtracking more purposeful and prevents you from wasting time trying to solve an obstacle before you have the necessary equipment.
Remember That Your Starting Pistol Recharges
Cel's starting energy pistol is especially useful because it does not depend on a conventional supply of ammunition pickups.
Its energy replenishes, allowing you to continue fighting without permanently exhausting your basic ranged attack.
However, you still need to manage its firing rhythm. Repeated shots can temporarily exhaust its available energy.
Against weaker enemies, use the pistol whenever possible and preserve limited ammunition for situations where additional damage or crowd control is necessary.
Learn When to Use Charged Shots
The energy pistol supports charged firing, giving you another way to approach combat.
Holding the firing input prepares a stronger shot, but using it can temporarily interrupt your ability to continue shooting.
This makes charged attacks useful when you have a clear opportunity rather than when several enemies are already closing in.
Try using charged shots against isolated targets or enemies whose movement you can predict.
If you are surrounded, maintaining mobility and using quicker attacks may be the safer option.
Save Your Shotgun Ammunition for Difficult Encounters
More powerful weapons give you additional options, but their ammunition is more limited than your starting pistol's energy supply.
The shotgun is particularly useful when an enemy gets too close or when you need to push back a dangerous target.
Do not spend valuable shells on every weak creature you encounter.
Instead, consider whether the pistol or a melee attack can handle the situation without consuming scarce resources.
Having a few powerful shots available can make a major difference when an unexpected encounter begins.
Keep Moving During Combat
End of Abyss uses twin stick controls, allowing you to move in one direction while aiming in another.
Take advantage of that freedom. You do not need to stand still to face an approaching enemy.
Move around threats, maintain a safe distance and avoid backing yourself into corners.
When several enemies appear, focus on keeping an escape route available rather than trying to eliminate everything immediately.
The ability to reposition is often more valuable than landing one additional shot.
Use Dodge to Escape Attacks, Not Just to Move Faster
Dodging is one of your most important defensive actions.
On the PlayStation controller layout shown in the game's settings, L2 activates Dodge.
Use it when an enemy begins a dangerous attack or when you need to escape a position where several threats can reach you.
Pay attention to the direction of your dodge. Avoiding one attack is not particularly helpful if you immediately move into another enemy.
Practise combining movement, dodging and aiming until you can retreat while continuing to keep a target in sight.
Use Melee Attacks When They Make Sense
End of Abyss includes a dedicated melee attack, assigned to L1 in the displayed PlayStation configuration.
Melee can be useful in close situations and for certain environmental interactions, but getting near an enemy also increases your exposure to danger.
Do not assume that melee is always the best way to conserve ammunition.
Against a dangerous creature, maintaining distance with your energy pistol may be considerably safer.
Use melee when you understand the enemy's behavior and have enough room to retreat afterward.
Flares Are More Useful Than They First Appear
Flares are not simply decorative light sources They can illuminate dark areas and distract certain enemies, giving you an opportunity to reposition or avoid an unnecessary confrontation.
Consider using a flare when visibility is poor or when a group of enemies is blocking a route.
A distraction can sometimes solve a problem more efficiently than spending ammunition trying to defeat everything in the room.
Think Carefully Before Throwing Grenades
Grenades can be extremely effective against grouped enemies, but they are not something you should waste on a single weak target.
Try to identify opportunities where one explosion can affect several creatures.
The grenade controls support different throwing distances depending on how the equipment input is used.
Practise with the equipment system so you understand how to place a grenade without accidentally throwing it too close.
When enemies are clustered together, a well positioned explosive can save ammunition and reduce the number of threats you need to handle individually.
Scan Enemies Before Committing to a Fight
The Scanner can provide useful information about the creatures inhabiting the facility.
When you encounter an unfamiliar enemy, investigate it before assuming that your usual weapon strategy will work.
Different creatures have different behaviors, and understanding how they move or attack can help you decide whether to fight, retreat or use another piece of equipment.
Do not rush into close range simply because an enemy appears slow. Watch what it does when it detects you.
Check Your Map After Finding New Equipment
Exploration in End of Abyss is not a straight journey from one room to the next.
New tools can change which routes are accessible, so an area you visited earlier may become important again.
Whenever you acquire something that appears to affect exploration, review your map.
Look for locked doors, blocked passages and locations where you previously discovered an obstacle.
Returning to those places with the correct equipment can reveal new paths, useful resources and optional secrets.
Use Save Points Before Difficult Sections
Save points are important because they provide a reliable place to preserve your progress and prepare for the next part of the facility.
Restoration Pods also help replenish your health and healing resources.
Whenever you reach one, consider whether your equipment is ready for the next encounter.
Do not assume the next room will be safe simply because the previous corridor contained no enemies.
Be aware that enemies can return after saving or dying, so revisiting an area may still involve combat.
Do Not Waste Healing Resources
Healing is limited during exploration, which makes timing important.
On PlayStation, Triangle activates the Heal action in the displayed controller configuration.
Try to heal when you have enough space to complete the action safely.
If an enemy is about to attack, dodging and repositioning should usually come before attempting to recover health.
Also consider how much health you are missing. Using a healing charge after taking only minor damage may leave you short of resources later.
Collect Materials and Use Crafting Stations
Materials collected throughout the facility support equipment improvements and consumable crafting.
Do not ignore resources simply because you already have a working weapon.
As the game becomes more demanding, upgrades can improve your ability to handle tougher enemies and longer encounters.
When you reach a crafting or upgrade station, check what is available before spending materials.
Think about which limitation is causing the most problems. If you are struggling to survive, improving defensive capabilities may be more valuable than pursuing an upgrade that only provides a small offensive advantage.
Upgrade Equipment Around Your Playstyle
Equipment progression is an important part of End of Abyss.
Rather than upgrading everything without a plan, consider which tools you use most frequently.
If you rely heavily on your starting pistol, improvements to its effectiveness can be useful across many encounters.
If you struggle against groups of enemies, consider upgrades or equipment that improve crowd control.
Remember that exploration tools can be just as valuable as weapons because they may unlock additional resources and previously inaccessible areas.
Pay Attention to Enemy Attack Patterns
Many difficult encounters become easier once you understand what an enemy is preparing to do.
Watch for changes in movement, pauses before an attack and the direction in which a creature approaches.
Do not automatically fire continuously whenever something moves toward you.
Sometimes the safest response is to dodge first, create distance and attack while the enemy recovers.
Learning these patterns is especially important during encounters where several creatures behave differently.
Do Not Rush Through Dark Areas
The underground facility is designed to feel unsettling, with limited visibility and environments that can conceal threats.
Moving too quickly can cause you to miss useful items, interactive objects or routes worth investigating.
Use the Scanner, observe the surroundings and check unfamiliar corners when it is safe.
However, avoid standing still for too long in an area where enemies are actively approaching.
The goal is to explore carefully without losing awareness of immediate danger.
Prepare Before Boss Encounters
Boss encounters place greater demands on your understanding of movement, aiming and equipment.
Before entering an unfamiliar arena, make sure your weapons are ready and your available healing resources are sufficient.
During the fight, spend some time learning the boss's behavior instead of trying to deal maximum damage immediately.
Watch for attack patterns and identify moments when you can safely fire or use equipment.
If a strategy repeatedly fails, reconsider your positioning and weapon choice rather than simply repeating the same sequence.
Use the Environment to Your Advantage
Rooms, obstacles and narrow passages can influence how enemies approach you.
When several creatures are pursuing Cel, moving around the environment may help prevent them from attacking simultaneously.
Look for routes that provide enough room to dodge and reposition.
Be careful with enclosed spaces. A corner that initially appears safe can become dangerous if multiple enemies approach from the same direction.
Understanding the layout of an encounter is often just as important as choosing the right weapon.
Explore Optional Routes Before Moving Too Far Ahead
End of Abyss rewards curiosity.
Some side passages contain resources, equipment or discoveries that are not necessary for immediately reaching the next main objective.
When you find a branching route, consider investigating it before continuing deeper into the facility.
If the route is blocked by an obstacle you cannot overcome, record it through the Scanner and return later.
Exploring thoroughly can reduce the need for additional trips when you discover that an upgrade requires materials you passed earlier.
End of Abyss Beginner FAQ
What should I do first in End of Abyss?
Learn the movement and combat controls, become familiar with the Scanner and explore the starting areas carefully. Pay attention to locked routes and collect useful materials.
Does End of Abyss have unlimited ammunition?
The starting energy pistol recharges and does not require conventional ammunition pickups. Other weapons and equipment can have limited resources.
How do you find hidden areas?
Use the Scanner to investigate suspicious structures and identify useful environmental information. Revisit previously blocked routes after unlocking new tools.
How do you survive difficult enemy encounters?
Keep moving, maintain distance, use dodging to avoid attacks and choose equipment suited to the situation. Avoid getting trapped in corners.
Should you save ammunition?
Yes. Preserve limited ammunition for tougher enemies and situations where your rechargeable pistol is less effective.
Can you upgrade weapons in End of Abyss?
Yes. Equipment upgrades are part of the progression system and can improve your effectiveness as you explore deeper into the facility.
Why do I need to return to earlier areas?
End of Abyss uses exploration progression where new tools and access items unlock routes that were previously inaccessible.
Is End of Abyss a survival horror game?
Yes. It combines atmospheric horror, resource management and dangerous encounters with twin stick shooting and Metroidvania exploration.
What is the most useful beginner habit?
Use the Scanner regularly. It helps you understand the environment, record obstacles and recognise places worth revisiting after obtaining new equipment.
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