Bumping into another player or two, teaming up to fight random objectives, then going through the entire dungeon, only to get separated and somehow feel melancholy about that 20-minute unspoken bond is probably something you can only get from a video game.

, and though I initially tried to fade into the pixels and treat it as a single-player game, I quickly found myself emoting and seeking groups of warriors to join.

Sustain your numbers as best you can, for only the strongest group of survivors stand a fighting chance in brutal boss battles. Rise above the Almighty

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.

. Multiplayer games live and die by their playerbases, and releasing a cooperation play-focused indie game that wants 33 players in each session is a tough ask even in the short-term unless the title simply blows up across the current gaming landscape.

The game’s dependence on teamwork is a double-edged sword—success feels earned, but failure can often be out of your control.

In the heat of combat, with swarms of demons flooding the immediate area, it’s actually tricky to get three people to stand in the proper spots, but it takes just a moment of synchrony for the special ability to activate, and it’s a palpable relief every time. And then everyone immediately gets back to hurling spells, shooting arrows, flinging daggers and reviving allies, eyes peeled for the next special ability.

Releasing on Game Pass is a major plus for this reason, but the studio is skipping Steam for the early access launch. This has not boded well for most multiplayer games on PC.

, 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

The later runs, I was also completing meta objectives that would unlock permanent upgrades in the future. Building that perfect character so I wouldn’t let my fellow immortals down has a certain nice feeling to it, even though the possibility of meeting the same random player groups can be low.

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 33 Immortals Gameplay 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

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