I spent a large chunk of my time with the game on the first available map, Hell. Entering Purgatory, the second map, requires special keys that can only be obtained by progressing far enough with the final boss battle in Hell (a three-headed Lucifer). While I managed to snag some keys, not many players from the review session were available to join whenever I entered this new world and usually ended up dying almost immediately due to the much higher tier of enemies and horde numbers.

It offers both light and heavy attacks, coupled with a call-back attack that pulls in all the arrows you have shot to deal a blast of damage to anyone in its path. Coupled with the weapon, players also have a handy dodge for either pin-point escapes from damage or simply kiting enemies.

Every few Torture Chambers, divine punishment strikes—fire tornados, meteors, and other deadly hazards force you to stay on the move or be wiped out. This Wrath of God intensifies until 12 chambers are cleared, triggering Holy Fire and the final sprint to the Ascension Battles.

Thankfully, Thunder Lotus has been listening it seems, as a changelog for the day-one patch I’ve seen lists a permanent reduction of the dodge cooldown to 1 second. The update will also offer more perks when starting out and reduce the number of hurdles you have to jump through to unlock features like weapon upgrades, hopefully reducing the starting grind.

The game begins with a 33-player map, Inferno, which is an arid wasteland of roaming demons, 12 Torture Chambers and one big ascension battle to complete. The minions running around Inferno are easy enough to dispatch for practice and extra bones (the game’s currency), or you can run right by them without punishment. Torture Chambers are miniboss rooms designed for six players to tackle at once, but you can enter them with fewer than six, even alone. However, you’re unlikely to get far solo. The minibosses are hulking skeletons and big, flopping demon worms with plenty of health, and they always have hordes of minions as backup.

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You’ll also find Charon, who manages the in-game shop, where you can equip and manage cosmetics for your Soul. One of those customization options is a pet by your side – I’ve got my eye on a little beagle companion.

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Adding to that, if you’re itching to play with a wider group of friends than three, unfortunately, four player parties are the maximum you can achieve right now, letting you matchmake into 33-player rounds with the group as if this is a co-op battle royale.

and shifts the focus from individual mastery to coordinated survival. Victory isn’t just about how well you fight, but how well you fight 33 Immortals Gameplay together.

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 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.

was conducted on a pre-release copy of the Xbox version provided by the developer and Microsoft. The game was played on a Windows PC.

Then there’s the one-man army. The ultimate dude who has min-maxed his build, got the perfect rolls during the run, and wants to get through the boss with or without his team. I saw all variations of these through my brief time with the game.