The Abyss (2)

Damage:	Certain Death (Falling)

Unlike all other areas in Spelunky 2, the Ice Caves, Abzu, and Tiamat's Throne have no solid ground beneath the bottom edge of the map.

Falling off the lowest platform of a level or drifting too close to the bottom and being grabbed by the tentacles will send unfortunate Spelunkers plummeting into the endless Abyss, never to be seen again.

Mechanics

After falling for enough distance down the Ice Caves, the camera will no longer follow the player down as they fall down. Unlike in Spelunky HD, dropping below a certain point on the map will not display an off-screen icon indicating the player's position, which can make it harder to ascertain the player's position on the level and for them to return to safety.

It is possible to recover from a fall into the Abyss by flying back up to solid ground using a Back Item or Climbing Gloves, but the Spelunker will be considered dead after passing a specific point-of-no-return.

Although plunging into the Abyss counts as a death for the purposes of gameplay, the caption attached to the post-mortem snapshot on the final score screen notably suggests that the Spelunker has yet to fatally hit the bottom of the chasm, assuming it has one at all.

Just a single tile off from where the camera stops following the player, the entrance to The Mothership is found, resting on top of a solid block. Although it is most easily located with the assistance of the Alien Compass, it is possible to skip it and use a variety of factors to locate it without its help, which is written about in detail in the Skips page.

The Ball and Chain does not detach from the player's leg if thrown into the abyss, unlike how it would in Spelunky HD. As a player cannot ascend back up from the abyss while chained to their punishment ball without the help of extra mobility or Spring Shoes, their best chance of survival may be to locate The Mothership's entrance and return to the upper portion of the level through it.

The Abyss works differently in Abzu and Tiamat's Throne. The Abyss is covered in water, making it in theory simple to swim up before reaching the point of no return, although Tentacles are present, emerging from the Abyss in an attempt to grab the Spelunker and drag them in.