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The Invincible developer Starward Industries has announced its next project: action-adventure anti-combat RPG, Dante’s Ring.
With survival and arcade elements, Dante’s Ring tasks you with enduring the “unrelenting forces of nature during an unexpected volcanic eruption on an eerie, ancient, and mysterious island”. It’s here where you’ll need to save as many lost beings as possible.
It’s this requirement to save people rather than blow them up that makes Dante’s Ring “anti-combat”. You can check it out in the teaser below:
“On a perilous journey to the very gates of hell, Dante’s Ring will see players step into the role of a bold explorer, striving to survive and rescue as many lives as possible, while mother nature throws everything she has into the Ring of Fire,” the developer teased. “Uncovering secrets buried deep beneath the island’s fiery fury, players must face molten lava flows, powerful earthquakes, and scorching volcanic fires, armed with fireproof armour and stylized retro weapons.
“As if that wasn’t enough of a challenge, Dante’s Ring will consistently push players to navigate life and death through strategic planning and ingenuity, all while navigating complex moral choices that will shape their story. The main questions are: how much are you willing to sacrifice to save one more life? Will you descend into the very heart of hell, and are you prepared to uncover its secrets?”
As yet, there’s no firm release date, but Steam suggests it’s coming “soon” to early access in 2025. The team says the game will remain in early access for as long as it takes to create “engaging gameplay and a captivating story”. The early access version, however, will be fully playable.
We enjoyed our time with Starward Industries’ prior project, The Invincible, saying it is “a spectacular adaptation of Stanisław Lem’s book”, but “limited in terms of what you can do in it, and the impact on the story you have”. Our Bertie awarded it three stars out of five.