Neon Abyss 2 Review: Critic Scores & Steam Verdict (1.0)

Is Neon Abyss 2 worth playing after its 1.0 full release on October 8, 2026? The short answer from critics: yes — professional reviews landed between 8 and 9 out of 10, praising absurd weapon builds and co-op. The player picture on Steam is more mixed, at roughly 69% positive across about 1,988 reviews. Here is both sides of the story.

What the Critics Say: 8 to 9 Out of 10

The most detailed review so far comes from TheSixthAxis, where Jason Coles scored Neon Abyss 2 a 9/10 and called it "an excellent time, every time." His verdict: the 1.0 launch "is now simply better in every possible way, both to that first Early Access release and the original game." He highlighted the weapon system — weapons gain affixes as they upgrade, from flat damage to extra projectiles per Hatchmon and effects that trigger on hit — and described one run where a cat shot fish bones that split into 12 projectiles linked by lightning. His listed pros: weapons are all absurd, build variety is great, and co-op is always pretty neat. The one con: some builds will make your PC weep.

Gfinity scored the game an 8/10 in its video review, concluding that "if you have a few bucks to spare and want a really solid indie roguelite, then you could do much worse than what Veewo Games has cooked up." The same review called the game "a neon-drenched, loud, frenetic good time" and "another solid addition to the 2026 Game Pass Ultimate lineup." A Spanish-language outlet reportedly scored it 8.5/10 (outlet details: to be confirmed). All reviewed the PC version of the 1.0 release.

The Steam Player Score: About 69% Positive

Steam tells a more divided story. At the time of writing, the game holds roughly 1,988 reviews with about a 69% positive rating — a "mixed-to-mostly-positive" score sitting well below the 90%+ range that top roguelites enjoy. For a game critics scored 8–9/10, that gap is worth understanding rather than dismissing.

The recurring player criticisms are consistent across Early Access and into 1.0: some players strongly dislike the game's control feel and enemy design, arguing that the sequel hasn't improved on the first game in that respect. One long-time series player wrote that an hour with the sequel "brought back all the negative memories" of the original, while still conceding the game offers far more content and resources than the first game and is "honestly worth the price."

What Players and Critics Agree On

Interestingly, both camps converge on the same strengths. The weapon and affix system draws praise everywhere — critics call build variety great, and fans fill Steam guides with faith tier lists and Hatchmon fusion tables. Co-op earns goodwill in both worlds, and the sheer content volume compared to the first game is acknowledged even in negative reviews. The Gfinity review also noted it's "fun to play right from the get-go," which matters in a genre where early hours can be a slog.

There's also shared agreement on the flaw behind that TheSixthAxis "con" line: things can get visually chaotic. The Gfinity review's main criticism was that "it's extremely hard to keep track of enemy projectiles and where you are on the screen," and extreme builds can tank the frame rate into single digits. If you're sensitive to screen clutter, this is the game's biggest risk factor for you. It's also worth noting that the Gfinity video ran its review during a busy release window, praising the game as "a solid addition to the 2026 Game Pass Ultimate lineup" while flagging balance as needing further polish.

Context: Early Access and the 1.0 Bump

Any fair review should weigh when the opinion was formed. Neon Abyss 2 spent July 17, 2025 to October 8, 2026 in Early Access, and the developers explicitly shaped the game around player feedback during that period. Several reviewers of the 1.0 release noted the game "did maybe feel a bit similar to the original" 18 months prior, but that the 1.0 launch resolved that concern with new modes, bosses and systems.

The Gfinity review, while scoring 8/10, noted "there's still a lot of room for polish with the overall game balancing badly in need of an overhaul in its current state" — but also that with quality post-launch support, "this could absolutely end up being the rare roguelite I return to again and again." The 1.0 patch already delivered a long list of balance, performance and co-op fixes, and post-1.0 support plans are to be confirmed.

How to Read the Score Gap

A 69% player score alongside 8–9/10 critic scores looks contradictory, but roguelites generate this pattern often, and it helps to look at what each side weighs. Critics play the full release with fresh eyes and score the whole package: content volume, build depth, co-op, the Storm Raid mode, and the sheer number of fixes 1.0 shipped. Long-term players score their accumulated experience, including Early Access frustrations that the full release can't retroactively erase — several negative Steam reviews reference problems or gripes that predate the 1.0 patch entirely.

Timing matters in the other direction too. Many positive Steam reviews explicitly note how much 1.0 changed: achievements arriving, saves carrying forward cleanly, and co-op receiving its biggest fix list yet. If the trend continues as the 1.0 version accumulates its own reviews, the overall percentage should be a more accurate reflection of the current game than it was a month ago. Watch the recent-review filter on the Steam page rather than the all-time score if you want to gauge the present state.

Verdict: Who Should Buy It

If you love build-crafting roguelites with over-the-top synergies, want 4-player online co-op, and don't mind some visual chaos, the critical consensus says Neon Abyss 2 delivers — TheSixthAxis went as far as calling it "a roguelite for the ages." If your issue with the first game was the moment-to-moment game feel rather than content depth, read recent Steam reviews first, because that specific criticism persists among a sizable chunk of the player base. At its price point and with a day-one Game Pass release, trying it yourself is cheaper than usual.

Related Guides

• Neon Abyss 2 vs Neon Abyss 1 — exactly what changed between the two games.
• Neon Abyss 2 Beginner Guide — start strong if you do buy it.
• Neon Abyss 2 1.0 Update — what the full release added over Early Access.