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.

Combat has a satisfying impact, though some may find it clunky when using some weapons in particular, and the tutorial could do more to ease new players in. With its striking art, rich world-building, and MMO-lite mechanics, the game has a strong foundation. The game is only now starting its early access, so if Thunder Lotus refines onboarding, enhances communication, and polishes movement, 33 Immortals will become a standout in the genre. Pros

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

In the first part of this game, conquering Hell is an exercise in structure. Your goal is to defeat Lucifer, the “boss” of Inferno, but first you must work with other players to unlock an Ascension Battle just to reach him. How do you do that? Glad you asked: You must complete 12 Torture Chambers, mini raids where you are grouped up with up to six players to battle multiple waves of monsters.

Though I battled Lucifer three times with varying team sizes, I never beat that first overworld. I’m eager to try again and unlock the next map, Purgatorio, which maxes out at 22 players.

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

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.

are visually breathtaking, blending medieval manuscript aesthetics with nightmarish, apocalyptic imagery. Thunder Lotus’ hand-drawn style is rich in detail, from illuminated script menus to grotesque, hellish landscapes straight out of a horror series—complete with mutilated devilish bodies around the map.

, 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.

Attempting to solo almost any activity can get boring quickly. I found that even the smallest enemies can be massive bullet sponges until you build up your character with hours of upgrades. Even as a late-stage herculean character, having some backup can upgrade the amount of damage you deal exponentially. This is thanks to the title’s use of critical hits, which only begin racking up when another player is also hitting the same target.

Being an early access release, Thunder Lotus has a lot more planned for the title following its initial release. On the road to 1.0, the studio hopes to add more features like private sessions, more enemy and boss variety, and the third world that let 33 Immortals Gameplay players fight God.

Play a damned soul, and rebel against God's final judgment. Pick-up and raid, cooperate to survive hordes of monsters, defeat massive bosses, and face the wrath of God in a fight for your eternal life. Join the rebellion

A perk that reduces the cooldown of the dash by one second was one of my absolute favorites to randomly find, this made the game feel more agile and reactive, where I can be an aggressive force in the battlefield instead of being on the defensive so much and saving my dodge for later. Instances where I had this perk was also when I progressed the furthest in the final boss fight. Going back to the standard 2 second dodge cooldown in later runs felt like such a downgrade, making the gameplay feel noticeably slower and less responsive compared to when I had the perk.