HEART ABYSS: an angry fox, a broken collar and the slickest finishers around

You're Leon, a half-human, half-fox Jinko who remembers little beyond the cage he was kept in. Now the collar is off, and he's out for vengeance on the Empire that enslaved his kind, while searching for his missing sister. It's a pixel-art action platformer steeped in Japanese folklore, with yokai, snowy temples, torii gates, sakura and, yes, ramen.

The combat is the star. Leon heals by staying in the thick of the fight, ripping health from enemies and building Qi energy for lightning, energy blasts and even a tiny singularity, and the finishers are gloriously over the top. It's fast-paced and properly difficult, the kind of game that swings you between feeling like a god and yelling at your screen.

This one is violent, with brutal finishing moves and a story built around oppression and slavery, so it isn't for the squeamish. It's also very new and launched with some bugs, and a few arenas and slower heavy hits can feel rough. It's Windows-only, Steam Deck Verified, built for a gamepad, and on a launch discount until November 17.