The Indie Informer

[Update 3/18] It’s been nearly a year since I plunged into Thunder Lotus’ vision of the underworld, but the view was hauntingly familiar. Because of this, I’ve chosen to add to my earlier preview rather than rewrite my experiences as the game hits Early Access. While most of my initial observations still hold true, some mechanics have been updated. The biggest one I clocked during my two-hour hands-on session was Feats. This list of achievable goals netted me stars which then unlocked additional spots for boosts. Thankfully, the game continues to be hard to put down. You can read more about that below.

It is not the first time I’ve combed the depths of 33 Immortals‘ fiery underworld. There’s something curiously fascinating about the way a game seems to morph between early previews and public offerings. The first is typically a short, meticulously curated, experience led by the game’s team. In 33 Immortals case, I was ushered into a room behind the stage which had recently hosted Xbox’s summer showcase with a handful of other journalists. The moment was chaotic. With no time to explain everything going on, the developers lead us through objectives while I did my best to remember every detail.

This week’s ongoing Closed Beta was another beast entirely — though there’s still plenty of chaos involved. I got a feel for the early stages on stream but dove back in to take my time in its world. And 33 Immortals grabbed my full attention with searing hands, burning into me even greater anticipation for its full release.

My early experience with the game came in handy as this initial, semi-public hands-on doesn’t guide players through every aspect of its gameplay. A new character for me, Beatrice, runs me through the basics of gameplay but there’s a lot to learn in the field (like when and how to use teleportation stones). But after surmounting the learning curve — and, really, even before then — 33 Immortals was hard to put down.

I play as a damned soul in a loose adaptation of Dante’s Inferno. My main goal is to fight my way from the lowest of its circles upward, toward paradise, freedom, and a fight with God. This is an impossible task alone. However, the massive multiplayer throws me together with other lost souls — teamwork makes the dream work, you know?

As someone that prefers single-player experiences, I had my reservations on how this aspect of the game would go, but the developers have been smart. Communication is limited to a series of emotes like a thumbs up of approval, arrows indicating follow me, and a raised hand meaning help. I can also unlock a whole slew of new thankful, appreciative, and encouraging emotions that come in the form of cute snails, birds, and deer. The contrast between these manuscript-inspired images and the burning tortures of hell is endlessly amusing.

There’s not much need to say more to the scattered souls floating and fighting around me because the game is fairly clear on what’s important. Entering a combat zone from a peaceful nexus area with merchants and upgrades, I manifest into a open world map.

Its various locations contain monstrous demons and possible rewards for those willing to hack their way to them. New players teleport in all around you and it’s up to you to communicate which direction you’d like to explore. Usually, this is accomplished simply by striking out towards a question mark on the map. People will follow each other because to be alone is often to die quickly — especially in the map newly opened for this beta, Purgatorio.

The first minutes center around exploration. Finding treasure-filled chests and urns hide behind the watchful eyes of creatures like giant wasps and headless swordsmen. Killing these and retrieving the prizes both reward players with currency. Dust motes from fallen enemies allow me to upgrade my stats in this combat session and likewise I can spend bones found in chests or urns to heal or obtain useful items. The purple gems I can carry back to the nexus world to upgrade my abilities, weapons, and more.

Things heat up when the game announces that new portals to torture chambers are open. Countless souls stream past loot and would-be enemies to be the first to reach the gates, which only allow six players to pass. Within the chamber, the thrown-together army has to destroy waves of enemies and giant elite foes to clear the room and unlock the room’s special treasure hoards.

Once enough of these chambers are cleared, the final battle for ascension begins. Players hot-foot it to the indicated battlefields before a wall of fire overtakes them and a ferocious frenzy ensues to take down a swarming mass of baddies. Only those still standing at the end of this free-for-all will be able to challenge the final boss.

But before we step foot into that heated encounter. I want to take refuge in the hub world for a moment. Before entering the first gate towards war, I find myself walking shoulder-to-shoulder with my fellow spirits meeting literary figures and picking the perfect equipment.

Dante is hard to miss. He populates the corner of a small, abandoned, church offering those who pass by perk upgrades for their adventures. Of course, I have to find these perks in the realms beyond first to upgrade them. After discovering these hard-won abilities, I can use gems to make them even stronger. These can include things like giving me a boost to my attack power or the ability to enter combat with bones already in hand.

Charon might be my favorite character so far. This incarnation of the ferryman of the dead is a fashionista and keeper of cosmetics. Here, I can customize my cloak, halo, weapon skin, emotes, and I can even choose which familiar to keep with me. Currently, I have an orange cat following me into battle.

Perhaps my most-visited area is the weaponry altars. Ghostly rebels can stop by this area to choose their deadly tools and, consequently, their next run’s playstyle. Between every riotous attempt to meet my maker, I can swap between a greatsword, daggers, staff, and bow. Each play very differently.

The sword is slow but does serious damage. It also allows wielders the unique ability to guard against enemy attacks and grant fellow players temporary shields from damage. The bow — my personal favorite — is swift death from afar. Its special recalls spent arrows, damaging any enemy it passes through and I can trigger an intense volley against larger monsters.

Now, I’ll jump back to the moment when a still-standing but bloodied cohort of the rebellious dead prepare to enter one last battle. There’s no healing from the last encounter, no more upgrading. Just a frozen waste that seems eerily silent.

The first map’s boss is a three-headed, winged demon preparing to cast absolutely devastating spells. The only way to stop these from cutting through my force is to destroy things like magic cuffs, icicles, and frosty enemies. You’ll never know exactly what you’ll have to do until the sand is already sliding through the hourglass of your demise. Victory is hard-won but sweet.

33 Immortals should be on everyone’s to-watch list but not everyone will be lucky enough to play it this time around. Though players are free to sign up for the beta, the preview has proved so popular the team ran out of codes in the first couple of days. A new wave was sent out today, but it’s difficult to know how many will receive a key to these not-so-pearly gates.