You know that feeling when you love a series so much you’re almost afraid of the tie-in game? It happens all the time. Most anime games are just low-effort arena fighters or visual novels that play it safe. But Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness isn’t playing it safe. Honestly, it’s kind of a miracle this game exists in the state it does. Developed by Chime Corporation and published by Spike Chunsoft, it manages to capture that specific, nauseating dread that Akihito Tsukushi’s original manga is famous for. It is clunky. It is often unfair. And if you aren't careful, it will make you throw your controller across the room.
The Abyss is a giant hole in the ground. That sounds simple, right? It isn't. In the world of Orth, the Abyss is a vertical underworld filled with relics of a lost civilization and creatures that want to dissolve your internal organs. The game splits itself into two very different modes: "Hello Abyss" and "Deep in Abyss." If you’re coming into this thinking you’ll just play as Riko and Reg from the start and have a grand adventure, you’re only half right. The Riko mode is basically a tutorial. The real game—the one that actually tests your sanity—is the "Deep in Abyss" mode where you create your own Cave Raider.
Why Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness Deserves More Credit
Most critics panned this game at launch. They talked about the "outdated" graphics and the stiff animations. They aren't wrong, technically. The game looks like a high-end PlayStation 3 title. But they missed the point. Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness is a survival horror game masquerading as an action RPG. It understands the "Curse of the Abyss" better than any other medium besides the source material itself.
When you move downward, you're fine. But the moment you try to climb back up—even just a few feet to reach a ledge—the Curse hits. Your screen warps. You hear your character gasping and retching. If you’re deep enough, you start bleeding from your eyes and losing health rapidly. This mechanic transforms a standard 3D environment into a claustrophobic nightmare. You can’t just jump around. You have to calculate every single step. It’s stressful. It’s exhausting. It’s perfect.
The Brutality of the Cave Raider Life
In the custom story mode, you start as a "Bell," the lowest rank. You’re a kid. You have a tiny backpack, a crappy pickaxe, and almost no stamina. You go into the first layer, pick up some lapis, and pray a Primeval Creature doesn't notice you.
The inventory management is ruthless. Everything has weight. That cool relic you found? It weighs 5kg. If you take it, you might not have enough room for the salt and meat you need to cook a meal so you don't starve to death on the climb back up. I’ve spent twenty minutes slowly crawling back to the surface, stopping every ten steps to let my stamina bar refill, genuinely worried I was going to lose three hours of progress because I ran out of food.
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Breaking Down the Layers
The game covers the first five layers of the Abyss. Each one feels distinct, not just visually but mechanically.
- The First Layer (Edge of the Abyss): It’s green and lush. You think, "Oh, this is fine." Then a silkfang jumps out and kills you in two hits because you forgot to craft a spear.
- The Second Layer (Forest of Temptation): This is where the verticality really starts to mess with your head. The Inverted Forest is a nightmare to navigate.
- The Third Layer (Great Fault): A giant vertical shaft. If you have vertigo, this part of the game is genuinely upsetting. One slip and you’re a red smear on the rocks.
- The Fourth Layer (Cup of Giants): This is where the emotional weight of the series starts to settle in. The humid atmosphere and the looming threat of the Orbed Piercer make every corner feel like a death sentence.
Combat and Crafting: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Let’s be real: the combat is janky. Locking onto enemies feels a bit like wrestling with a greased pig. You’ll swing your pickaxe and miss a flying bug by an inch, then get staggered and fall off a cliff. It happens. But there’s a depth here that rewards preparation.
You aren't a superhero. You’re a scavenger. You have to craft your own bullets, your own medicines, and your own tools. The skill tree is surprisingly robust, allowing you to specialize in certain weapon types or improve your carrying capacity. Pro tip: prioritize the "Weight Limit" skills. They are the only thing that makes the mid-game bearable.
Survival Mechanics That Actually Matter
In most games, "hunger" is just an annoying bar you fill up every once in a while. In Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness, hunger is a constant threat. If your fullness meter hits zero, your stamina stops regenerating. If your stamina doesn't regenerate, you can’t climb. If you can’t climb, you stay in the Abyss.
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You find yourself hunting "Neritantans"—those cute little hamster-like things—not because you want to, but because their meat is the only thing keeping you alive. It forces you into the mindset of a Cave Raider. You become utilitarian. You become desperate. You start to understand why the characters in the anime are so traumatized.
The Narrative Weight of "Deep in Abyss" Mode
While the Riko and Reg story is a condensed version of the anime's first season, the "Deep in Abyss" mode offers something unique. You interact with characters like Tiare, Dorothea, and Raul. You see the politics of the Orphans' School. You feel like a part of the world of Orth.
There’s a specific cruelty to the writing that matches the manga’s tone. It doesn't shy away from the fact that children are being sent into a meat grinder for the sake of profit and "glory." The side quests often end in tragedy. You’ll find notes from previous raiders who didn't make it, and their stories are never happy.
Technical Hurdle or Intentional Design?
People complain about the "Save Point" system. You can only save your game by returning to the surface or using a very rare, consumable "Balloon" item. This means if you die at the bottom of the Third Layer, you lose everything you did in that run.
Is it frustrating? Yes.
Is it "bad" game design? Not necessarily.
This choice forces you to respect the Abyss. You don't just "try" a boss fight; you prepare for it for an hour because the stakes are real. It creates a tension that most modern AAA games are too scared to implement. It’s the Dark Souls of anime survival games, but with more vomiting and existential dread.
A Note on the "A" Rating
In Japan, this game received a CERO Z rating, which is the highest possible age rating. In the West, it’s ESRB M. They didn't tone down the violence. If you fail a certain encounter, the death animations are... graphic. It’s faithful to the source material's "Cute art style, horrific consequences" vibe. This isn't a game for kids, despite the big eyes and small statures of the protagonists.
Making the Most of Your Descent
If you’re going to dive into Made in Abyss: Binary Star Falling into Darkness, you need to change your mindset. Don't play it like an action game. Play it like a logistics simulator.
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- Always bring more salt than you think you need. You can’t cook meat without it, and raw meat gives you food poisoning.
- Abuse the "Stealth" mechanic. If a creature hasn't seen you, don't pick a fight. Just move on.
- Learn the map layout. The mini-map is okay, but understanding the landmarks of the Second Layer will save your life when you're being chased by a Corpse-Weeper.
- Don't rush to the Fourth Layer. Grind for better gear in the Second and Third. The jump in difficulty is massive.
The game isn't for everyone. If you want a smooth, polished, cinematic experience, you won't find it here. But if you want a game that actually makes you feel the weight of the Abyss—the terror of the climb and the obsession with the depths—this is the only game that delivers that.
It’s a flawed masterpiece of atmosphere. It’s a grueling, sweaty-palmed trek through one of the most interesting worlds in fiction. It’s a reminder that sometimes, "fun" isn't the point of a game. Sometimes, the point is survival.
Actionable Next Steps for Aspiring Delvers
- Check the Version: Ensure you have the latest patches installed. The developers fixed several game-breaking bugs and balance issues regarding creature spawn rates that were present at launch.
- Manage Your Save Data: Keep multiple save slots. It is very possible to get "soft-locked" if you save in a dangerous area with no food and low health. Always keep a backup save from when you were safely in the town of Orth.
- Study the Bestiary: Spend time learning the attack patterns of the Primeval Creatures in the First Layer. Mastering the parry and dodge early on is the only way to survive the "boss" encounters in the later layers where one hit can end your run.
- Prioritize Relic Selling: Don't hoard every relic you find. Sell them to upgrade your whistle rank as fast as possible. Higher whistle ranks unlock better crafting recipes and essential survival skills in the talent tree.