Eldabyss is a fast and brutal platformer set in the year 3058, somewhere in rural Washington. Humanity is dead, and in its place a race of robots called Symbions inhabit the world. You play as Vikku "Ebic" Lamphart, a cloaked vampiric Symbion who bursts out of a grave to find the mortal realm invaded by demonic entities and corroded with rifts to the Underworld. Brandishing a cross, Ebic dives headfirst into Hell's nine rings to hunt down a rival who threatens the universe itself, racing to stop him before he attains the perfect vessel to become the False God.
The game draws from Dante's Inferno's nine rings as its setting, filtered through the Eldabyss universe. Movement is the core of everything here: the platforming emphasizes tight controls and what the developers describe as almost unnecessary amounts of movement tech, giving players numerous ways to gain momentum as they run, gun, slash and dash through Hell. Combat leans on a large arsenal of weapons with names that match their excess. The Shot-Crucifix pulverizes crowds, the Nailed Rocket blasts you into the air, and the Bulletstream shreds through enemies strong and weak alike — all sitting among a wider collection of otherworldly tools. Boss fights pit you against the cores of Hell, machines, gods and goddesses, heavier demons, cultists and enemies you make along the way, demanding you shift between offensive and defensive roles.
Exploration threads through the rings as well. Secrets are spread throughout the world, locked doors can be revisited once new means are found, and hidden challenges wait beneath the surface for those willing to dig deeper. Cinematic cutscenes punctuate the action, covering everything from swapping stories and reuniting with friends to confronting deities and visiting a local shopkeeper. The developers cite inspiration from classics like Castlevania, Metroid and Kirby alongside newer titles such as Super Meat Boy, Quake and Hollow Knight. What holds it all together is a Symbion with a cross and nine rings of Hell standing between him and the thing that buried him in the first place.