33 Immortals couldn’t be more different from Spiritfarer if it tried. Developer Notify Lotus made waves with its soft and at times heart-wrenching management and platforming blend, yet is swapping its shimmering seas and carefree exploration for a much more perilous journey. 33 Immortals focuses on action, propelling you and over 30 other players into chaotic PvE skirmishes and greater challenges as you attempt to ascend through the various levels of the underworld and battle against the forces that oppose you there.
33 Immortals strives to condense the experience of an MMO raid into shorter, event-based encounters that you can participate in with up to 32 other players. Every event starts on a somewhat stylized map focusing on PvE challenges. You will likely be encouraged to quickly team up with other players to survive, while also boosting your own power by defeating enemies and gathering resources for upgrades. Scattered throughout the map are 12 Torture Chambers, which can be your initial objectives to tackle. These combat arenas allow only six players in at a time but throw two intense waves of enemies at you in a confined space. Clearing these chambers yields rewards, but also contributes towards the larger aim of unlocking an ascension challenge. The stakes elevate here, with a more demanding encounter awaiting a larger group of 11 players. Those remaining can use the time to further strengthen themselves before facing the challenge as well, with the most exciting, climactic boss battle anticipated once everyone still standing manages to prevail.
The structure of each event follows an easily understandable formula that is essential for eventual success, eliminating much of the unpredictability often related to raid-like activities in games such as Destiny and World of Warcraft. This not only allows sessions to be significantly shorter, but also ensures that you can comfortably jump in and out of sessions without having to dedicate potentially hours at a time to make progress. This refinement is exactly what 33 Immortals aims to achieve, but currently, it comes with the downside of narrowing your focus entirely to combat, which presently lacks a depth that keeps you engaged run after run.
It can be easy to feel overwhelmed when starting your first few runs in 33 Immortals, but this appears to be by design. Cooperative play is not merely a recommendation: it is a necessity. Attempting to navigate the PvE zones solo may not get you very far, as even small groups of enemies present significant challenges to your survival. Your combat abilities also depend on synergizing with the classes of other players, each defined by the weapon you select before each event. At this stage, there are four weapons available: a greatsword capable of dealing and blocking substantial damage, a bow that enables you to shoot and retrieve projectiles through foes, a magical staff that focuses on slowing down enemies, and a pair of daggers that allow you to quickly slice down opponents. Each weapon also has a unique ultimate ability that requires two other players to trigger when executed, further emphasizing teamwork as the most effective way to use your skill set.
No single weapon makes you feel as though you can handle every enemy you encounter, but the ways in which they facilitate class-based play is often lost in the chaos of the frantic and fast-paced action. It’s challenging to decipher what other players are doing at times, especially in Torture Chambers where the area is extremely limited. This reduces the ability to effectively capitalize on the strengths and weapon choices of different characters, which may become more troubling as additional aspects of each weapon are unlocked. This is compounded by movement that can feel sluggish at times, and a dodge ability that is too short-ranged and with a cooldown that is far too long to utilize when you truly need it.
There is also a roguelite element to each event, too.