During yesterday's 42nd Golden Joystick Awards, which saw Black Myth: Wukong triumph in the Game of the Year category, developer Starward Industries unveiled a new game called Dante's Ring. The Polish studio's first game, as you might recall, was The Invincible, an adventure game adaptation of Stanisław Lem's sci-fi novel.
This time, the setting appears to be entirely original. Interestingly, Dante's Ring is being labeled an 'anti-combat' action RPG. What that means in practice is you'll be roaming a volcanic range with the goal of fighting against the environment, surviving, and possibly rescuing other folks. There's also going to be an element of choice, apparently, in how you navigate the various survivor factions featured in Dante's Ring. Here's the official overview:
The game focuses on rescue and survival, using retro equipment in a race against nature’s wrath among mystical beliefs. Will you fight a frenetic fire or flee from a pyroclastic flow? Break the door to rescue someone or stop and give first aid? Once the volcano’s hot breath reaches you, every second counts.
Dante's Ring offers a fresh approach to gameplay, focusing on avoiding combat and immersing you in a mesmerizing, eerie world where you pass through the gates of hell to save just one more life from its grasp.
GAMEPLAY FEATURES
- Uncover the mystery hidden in the Ring of Fire.
- Confront the untamed fury of fire with a range of retro-inspired equipment,
- Traverse the terrain on foot or using retro inventions.
- Solve intricate puzzles, break through obstacles, and carefully manage your supplies.
- Find your own way to save people and animals.
- Prepare for missions in the hub by selecting the equipment for your preferred gameplay styles/classes.
- Complete quests and missions with outcomes that can influence the course of the story.
- Scavenge for resources using retro tools on an island covered in a thick layer of ash.
- Navigate complex moral choices and broker uneasy peace among diverse factions — all vying for survival.
Dante's Ring will debut next year on Steam Early Access. The full release is currently planned for 2026.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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