revealed a surprising amount of depth for what could first appear to be a simple action-roguelike. And there’s so much more for me to see: What’s the Ascension Battle like? How hard is it to face down Lucifer?

, and though I am ecstatic to see it finally released to the public, my first impression of the game had left me confused. Like all players, I spawned somewhere in Inferno, immediately thrown into a chaotic battle as Beatrice, the guide, instructed me on the basics of combat—though you won’t survive that first run.

Experience your soul’s epic journey through the afterlife rendered in beautiful hand-drawn animation. 33 Immortals is a unique take on Dante Alighieri’s literary masterpiece, the Divine Comedy.

And while I really like the game’s massive scale and the forced cooperation, there are moments where it feels like pure luck whether you get a well-organized squad or a chaotic free-for-all. More ways to communicate, a tighter movement system, and tweaks to balance the power curve would go a long way in refining the experience.

While players have more than one wheel of emoticons, they’re still not enough to communicate effectively. Screenshot via Dot Esports

This multi-tiered approach to finishing your roguelike “run” is challenging, yet very fun to play with — even though I only managed to complete just three Torture Chambers before succumbing to the elements (aka ‘ripped apart by monsters’). As I would learn during repeated runs – it seems the number of completed Torture Chambers is retained should you die and reenter Inferno — the larger the group of fellow Souls I traveled with, the larger my chances of survival became – and you can imagine how much bigger those chances get with 32 other people on your side.

While the primary objective is to ascend from Hell and confront Lucifer, you need to upgrade your character with temporary powerups and perks to even stand a chance.

The focus on cooperative play is seen everywhere. Finding a healing point and using it costs resources, but it also heals nearby allies for a smaller amount. This means it’s more economical to get together and heal as a group than simply wasting money for a solo boost.

, the “cozy management game about dying” that went on to sell millions since 2020. If you follow the studio’s history though, you’ll see it jumping between multiple genres over the years, and its latest project, 33 Immortals

Nearby, Charon manages cosmetics, all currently unlockable for free using cosmetic tokens found in runs. To the north, Beatrice grants you Feats, which unlock new gameplay features, while the eight Weapon Altars around her will let you pick which one you want to defy divine judgement with.

That also means you can join an open game at any time – there are more than enough enemies around should I just want a quick “pick-up and raid” session to earn 33 Immortals Gameplay some Shards to spend on cosmetics and Perks in The Dark Woods, your home base on this adventure. Having a constant flow of Souls in and out Inferno also fits nicely within the narrative of 33 Immortals

The available content isn’t a small amount, but feels just a little underwhelming when there’s promises being made for more things that are coming in a few months’ time. A small delay could have meant shipping the game with at least the missing options menu items.

Upgrading your character and focusing on strengthening your class abilities is what will keep you in the fight through Inferno, along with working with other players, and the variety of currency you can earn here feeds into that. The reliance on other Souls to unlock the more difficult sections of 33 Immortals

Dante, the keeper of Perks, provides a selection of 20 upgrades, improving everything from gold drops to attack power—each can be upgraded five times for stronger bonuses.