Nippon Ichi Software announces roguelike strategy RPG Bar Stella Abyss, set to release on February 29 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch

by Adam Vitale and Kite Stenbuck on 21 November, 2023

Nippon Ichi Software has announced Bar Stella Abyss, a roguelike strategy RPG set to release in Japan for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch on February 29. A western localization has not been announced.

In Bar Stella Abyss, the player will explore randomly generated dungeons while enhancing characters with Powers of the Constellations known as Stellas. The game will also feature an eponymous bar where characters can trade stories while drinking.

The game will start with the protagonist Samayoi (The Wanderer) visiting the Stella Abyss bar and chatting with fellow regular patrons. The player will have multiple options to react to the patrons' topics by agreeing, disagreeing, doubting, laughing, or drinking. They must choose the correct responses for the conversations to proceed. If the player drinks too much and goes into a stupor, they will enter a randomly generated world called Yoi no Sekai in Japanese (the word Yoi can mean either Good, Night, or Drunk depending on the kanji used, but Nippon Ichi's usage of katakana for this word makes it very ambiguous)

The World will contain facilities like Shops and Observatories; the latter will let players obtain enhancement skills for their characters. Samayoi can also encounter the bar patrons who can assist as allies. But once they get into contact with a loitering monster, it will trigger a turn-based strategy battle. If Samayoi runs out of HP, the current game session will end and they will wake up in the bar's restroom while retaining money and equipment gear (other items and character levels will be reset).

The player can gather Stella powers while exploring the dungeons. There will be around 130 types of Stellas available with effects ranging from increases in damage and attack range to alterations of enemies and terrains. Up to 4 of these Stellas can be equipped on a character's technique. The Stellas will also be reset if the current game session ends.

The game will also feature around 300 types of Cocktails that Samayoi can order from the bar. Each cocktail will have differing effects from increasing experience points earned to improving probability of specific Stella drops. The player can also order multiple cocktails to amplify the effects.

Characters

Bar Stella Abyss main characters

Samayoi / The Wanderer (voiced in Japanese by Nanako Mori)
The protagonist who arrives at Bar Stella Abyss after pursuing a leaflet floating around the city. You have somehow lost your face and an arm. And in order to regain them back, you will go back and forth between the Bar and the alternate World.
Master (voiced in Japanese by Ayaka Shimizu)
A woman who runs the Stella Abyss bar. Her gentle demeanor also makes her adored by the bar's patrons. She does seem to know the existence of the alternate World and will give you advice in dealing with the sudden events.
Tipsy (voiced in Japanese by Michiyo Murase)
A deity's familiar in the alternate World who rescues the protagonist. It is the one who gives you the name Samayoi / The Wanderer. It will help you find an arrest the culprit responsible for stealing your face and arm.