There are thousands of side-scrolling action games created over the years, and finding one that has just that little bit of 'je ne sais quoi' gets harder every year. There are tons of excellent titles out there, but none of them keeps me awake like the way Abuse does. The games DOES have a storyline, but anyone who played the game and still remembers what it was near the end, is either inhuman, or needs to get out more. The story is not important in this game, the action is, combined with the atmosphere, an atmosphere which hasn't been equalled in side-scrollers ever since. In Abuse your character has to escape out of a prison, a prison filled with genetically engineered creatures, which give the game a good excuse to confront you with horribly mutated monsters.

As you can see from the screenshots, the game is quite dark. It can be adjusted to a lighter setting, but that kills the atmosphere. Playing this game at the recommended gamma-setting, is advisable, to make sure you enjoy it like it should be enjoyed. Because the atmosphere is what the entire game rests on. The gameplay is good, but not much more than adequate. The levels are nice, but nothing special. It's all about graphics and sound in this game. One moment, you could be walking on a ledge, in the dark, with no enemy in sight, with the sound of your heart beating in the background, and the next, all hell breaks loose, and cocoons start tearing open, and you hear terrifying screams coming towards you. This title will definetely startle you out your chair many times.

The levels are nicely built, but to be honest, I'm surprised if you can finish the game, since levels tend to look all the same after a while. That makes the addictiveness a bit low as well, but the fast-paced action more than makes up for it, with its diversity in enemies, and the waves in which they attack.

Also, the game comes equipped with a multiplayer option, providing you with a chance to duke it out with a buddy, which is surprisingly addictive, contrary to the single player part of Abuse.

Turn off the lights, lock the door, and turn the volume of your speakers to maximum, to experience this game like you should. It will scare the living hell out of you, if you are open to it. But, aside from its excellent atmosphere, which I can't stress enough, the game itself is nothing really special. It's slightly above average, but nothing more than that. If you want fast action, nervous gameplay, and a gripping feel to a game, download this. If you're a more serious gamer, and want a good solid storyline and high interactivity, you should look further, this isn't what you are looking for. Your choice.