Dante: Inferno Review - Never Interrupt A God When He's Getting Lucky

[@rickbachCGS]

Thank you for the honest feedback. As for the Chronicle phase, we have changed a lot since that prototype and also in the Confrontation! We have our ears open listening to feedbacks.

[@BoardGameCo]

The game is great already, I'm very excited to see what you do to it :)

[@lordhandsomeswag1854]

Amazing approach

[@thegamewarrior6306]

Alex, Thanks for the review. A few questions. for you or Rich at SGS: 1) How many character types are there to choose from? And are they cool? Are they individually distinct? Think Oathsworn, where there are a number of different characters to choose from, which are richly different vs. Primal, where 4 characters come in the box, and 2 more with an expansion. 2) How do the characters level up between scenarios? Is there a sense of progression? New cards? New Equipment? New weapons etc? 3) How LONG did it take to play the scenario? What's the length of a Chronicle and what is the length of a Confrontation? 4) How were the miniatures? 5) How many scenarios are there in the campaign? Oathsworn had 20 (which felt a little long for me) and I think Primal is 12, though there are more branches in Primal. This looks great. I look forward to Demoing it at Dice Tower West. P,S. I hope CGS doesn't listen to you and make the first boss impossible to beat. Give people a decent challenge and opening into the game before you kill them later. This whole Zombicide is too easy and you should die more often than live idea should stay with zombie games. Players want a challenge, but not to get destroyed, especially in the first scenario.

[@Jokerinho4]

How do you feel it compares to Oathsworn? That's currently my favorite boss battler and would like to know if this one is in any way comparable. Thanks!

[@ryangilmore3678]

I was going to ask the exact same thing haha. I'm seeing a lot of similarities. Oathsworn was my first jump into boss battlers so I'm curious if the similar aspects are just how boss battlers work, or if Dante is borrowing inspiration from Oathsworn.

[@Wealtharch]

me too

[@Christheghostbuster]

👀 saaaaaame

[@BoardGameCo]

I think they're very different in the feeling I get from them....Oathsworn feels more rugged, this feels more basic almost. Not in a bad way but it's definitely simpler, more accessible....I do think you'd like both if you liked one, but there's much more happening in Oathsworn.

[@Jokerinho4]

@@BoardGameCo Many thanks, Alex! Much appreciated

[@Maaexi]

Great video as always Alex. What do you think about their pricing? I feel like it’s a bit higher than it “should” be.

[@HerVoiceRemains]

Nice review and thanks! Looks interesting, but with the bland, colorless game board and the shipping at 33%-50% of the base pledge, it’s a hard pass for me. Plus I’m still working thru Oathsworn (my fave BB of all time) and ISS V. That said, this will be a massive success

[@andre3691]

3 questions: 1. How asymmetric are the Heroes? Like Zombicide with a few different aspects or more Like Too many Bones/Gloomhaven? 2. Are all scenarios one shot Sessions or you can carry Progress/rewards/Level ups into the next scenario? 3. How is the weight based on BGG in your opinion

[@john9801]

1. They are asymmetrical like in Gloomhaven. 2. It's meant as a campaign and you have character progression. But they also wanted to add rules to allow to play then as one shots. There are only 9 scenarios. 3. I'd estimate it between 3 and 3.5

[@namewithheld8115]

I really like the response mechanic. That's a very clever approach.

[@Scheduledd]

Everytime I hear from Wild Assent it's like salt in the wound

[@Filthyanimal9]

At least you’re not alone! Worst crowdfunding decision i’ve ever, er wait, i backed Stornsunder all-in too ….

[@BoardGameCo]

Sorry :(

[@stevenharris6161]

Yea the wait for storms under continues. Such a disappointing company.

[@draphsor]

Hopefully you at least avoided my mistake-all-in back of Anastyr. 🤦

[@stevenharris6161]

@@draphsor LSG will be the next company to go under.

[@JulianBartlett]

Hey Alex @boardgameco Just wanted to ask can we Expect some stuff about Primal the Awakening from you soon as its now delivering in the US, Thanks

[@haxan6663]

I was interested in this and followed prior to the campaign starting. When I watched a few playthroughs, it just didn't grab me. Which is fine because I don't need to buy every game and still have unplayed games in my collection. I wish it success.

[@BoardGameCo]

I agree completely, don't back things you're not sure of.

[@wade138]

I'm not a fan of having to do division to figure out damage. I know it's grade school math, but it still takes a beat longer than simple addition or subtraction. I don't want to be second guessing myself each time I make an attack roll, perhaps opening the phone to use my calculator. Decimal points and rounding should not be a thing in board games. The difficulty calculation for Gloomhaven/Frosthaven is annoying for this but at least you just have to do it once before you begin play.

[@BoardGameCo]

I hear that, I think for this one I find the math so quick it doesn't bother me. There have been games like that for me.

[@ScytheNoire]

I checked out the campaign. Saw the price. Saw the amount of content. Ran away.

[@jhowd78]

Seriously ive played this demo three times. There's signs of greatness. I have trust for the publisher at this point so I feel safe saying this. 😊

[@john9801]

Did you also play the chronicle phase 3 times?

[@jhowd78]

@@john9801 1.5 times. First demo we experience almost everything story wise. Second was a more sped up version. Last time we just played the battle only

[@BoardGameCo]

I'm glad I'm not alone :) How did you feel about the Chronicle phase? That's my biggest hang up so far.

[@JM32JM32]

If i want the adventure and narrative elements but I'm not big on boss battlers, how much does this offer me?

[@BoardGameCo]

Hmm...I think there are better games if that's your goal

[@Zomerdromen]

As a huge fan of narrative adventure games I feel I'm the exact opposite of your opinion: I love the Chronicle phase, the puzzle for the tests I find fun and something new, and I like how there seem to be quite some meaningful choices to be made with regards to how the story progresses. The theme interests me as well, but boss battles are not so much for me as they lack the adventure and exploration of a more dungeon crawl type game and in general I care more for finding creative solutions over just fighting until one side is defeated. The game to me would already feel largely like playing the same "level" 9 times (even though the bosses will have somewhat different play styles I presume), as it's still the same heroes on the same map with the same 'kill or be killed' objective. Now I'd gladly play through it all once, and then go through just the Chronicle phase again to discover all branching storylines, but that's not really enough to warrant the high cost. Even just the standee pledge already comes down to around $150 once you add in VAT and shipping. I do recognise that there is a lot more gameplay in there with the added mode to play single battles (Colosseum, I think?), but that's just something that I personally don't care for. So I hope to find someone who, like you, does care for the boss battler aspects of the game so I could maybe share the experience to still get the most out of it 😂 Or maybe it will appear in retail for a lower price (without those stand alone battle additions that I don't need anyway). Regardless, thank you for the video as it has made it extra clear that the game as it is crowdfunded now is simply to expensive for what it would add for my personal tastes. There's plenty of narrative campaigns still to play though 😂

[@mxyrpancakes]

with the companion characters, are the rules similar to oathsworn, where you can swap full and companion characters easily?

[@BoardGameCo]

Yes!

[@AlBundy4td]

Monster Hunter, Oathsworn and Primal en route already in collection and Descent Legends Acts I and II for the fancy terrain - what makes this one different outside of more accessibility based on 9 scenarios? Looking at Core pledge but looks similar to what already stacking up in this boss battler genre.

[@ValorMVP]

Of those which is your favorite

[@Vasquez2150]

Could you tell how long it took you to play through this scenario? How long was Chronical phase initially and how long was final battle itself?

[@mxyrpancakes]

Where did you get that adorable shirt??

[@BoardGameCo]

Teeturtle :)

[@estilniap]

How do you compare this to Monster Hunter?

[@pedrodubois00]

Hi Alex. Still here following you. Do you know the story of Dante's Inferno? And if you do, does it follow it at some point?

[@Linnir]

Thanks for this excellent video. A good explanation. I was interested in this game, but when you said it was a boss battler and survival means not for me. I prefer dungeon crawlers and exploration. I like fighting bosses, but not if this is the majority of the game.

[@Logs888]

I saw so many channels hyping this game and the campaign status confirms the hype. As someone who never played a boss battler, what is the actual target here? First prepare the heroes through the story chapter, then kill the boss together? Replaying it, we kill the boss again? Is there any competition between the players or only cooperation (everyone wins or we all die) ?

[@BoardGameCo]

It's all coop

[@kurtwolffjr9727]

How would you say this compares to Vagrantsong and Townsfolk Tussle?

[@BoardGameCo]

Hmmm...past being boss battlers, not sure I feel a ton of overlap.

[@stevenharris6161]

It’s more of an Oathsworn light.

[@patriziopastore9895]

I think will be also good to add some comment about the pledge level, maybe not in this video but... 399$ all in? plus this 756$ final price is it real? or just showing a big discount to hype the fomo? Anyway the game looks solid... I think I will choose the mid pledge.

[@john9801]

And $399 for what? 9 scenarios. Might be one of the rare occasions where I go for standees even though I highly prefer miniatures if at all.

[@AlBundy4td]

The core pledge is all the gameplay. Everything is a cosmetic upgrade outside two character packs. Which you’ll get minis for those it appears either way. So proxy your core standees. Core seems the way to go if intersted. To many minis already with Oathsworn and Primal bout to be delivered.

[@patriziopastore9895]

@@AlBundy4td Hi, thanks I'm not questioning what is inside the box but the hypotetical discount during the gamefound campaign... like half of it?

[@herr_der_spiele]

My pick of the Year! Definitely!

[@john9801]

The year just started... No information about it yet, but there is also "Blood" from Ludus Magnus studio that might also be a Boss Battler or dungeon crawler. Dante seems cool. But like Alex said, I can see the chronicle phase being less replayable. And with only 9 scenarios that's quite important.

[@herr_der_spiele]

@@john9801 I myself had Demobox. No other game was so much fun here. Did 5 videos (also English,) on my channel. So YES this is what I think!

[@DustyLamp]

After watching a bunch of prototype reviews and reading some dev commentary Im left feeling...mid. The exploration mode looks a bit undercooked and the story its going to lean on, of the divine comedy and hell, is almost too-frequently dipped into by pop culture. Im not sure how much they're going to be able to riff on the nature of man and carnal sins that hasn't been done before. Thats fine though, this setting lends itself more to cool visuals than complex narrative, and this game is more of a boss battler anyway. My concern is because they've focused on 9 scenarios there isn't going to be enough time to really indulge in the diversity that the setting allows. Regardless of how many ways a boss can play, Im going to want more than 9 dudes to fight. Add to that the story mode that doesn't excite with its gameplay and probably won't be overly novel in its story, which means the campaign loses like 1/3 of its interest for me. Then you have to look at the price with all that in mind. So yeah, I WANT to like it, my wallet is ready, Ive just somehow found myself on the fence. Im hoping something will change in the coming days and push me into the YES side.

[@BoardGameCo]

I'm curious what expansions hold

[@flipz101]

If there’s no James Cosmo story narration… then I’m out!

[@AdamJorgensen]

.... seriously? 😂

[@BoardGameCo]

I mean...you gotta have standards right?

[@andreikoenig5718]

ugh. I did back it all-in cause boss battlers are my fav genre (KDM is still king). But I dont like Oathsworn mainly because of the boss next AI card is revealed. and its the same here... I hate this predictability, makes the boss activation so boring...

[@stevenharris6161]

Yea I agree. It seems to play like a simpler Oathsworn too. Agree that KDM is still king!

[@avaman1993]

You should probably look into Kingdoms Forlorn or Aeon Trespass Odyssey then. They are closer to the KDM formula as far as combat goes.

[@andreikoenig5718]

@@avaman1993 I have ATO!

[@kevincragun5853]

You know…if you put a big plastic dragon in the middle of the board it would be similar to that CMON game currently being funded! Wish them the best of luck…definitely not for me.

[@john9801]

That's a totally different game.

[@BoardGameCo]

I'm not sure I understand that comment at all..

[@tonytodd7201]

Seriously, Wild Assent? I understand that the gameplay might be good but the so-called reprint campaign for that game is a shambles with a lot of backer unhappiness and growing concern that the creators, Lazy Squire Games, may turn out to be the next Mythic Games. I like your channel, Alex and you got me heavily into boardgaming, but you recently apologised to viewers for recommendations you previously made for games from Mythic Games because of your concern that your recommendations, even though you didn't know how bad things at Mythic were and were evaluating the games not the company, might have played a role in encouraging people to back what turned out to be at best a disaster, at worst outright fraud. To display such earnest concern for your viewers in that situation then turn round and recommend a game from a company whose problems are now becoming very obvious - King of Average even covered LSG specifically in his "If you backed games in this video, worry" a year ago and things have gotten more concerning since - does not match up and, regretfully, makes me question your sincerity or at least that you have been rather thoughtless there.

[@happypancakes]

Can you even consider that Alex might not be aware of the situation? It's impossible for him to be on top of every issue in the world of boardgaming

[@AdamJorgensen]

​@@happypancakesI'm pretty sure he's aware...

[@BoardGameCo]

Wild Assent is an existing game. I didn't say Lavon Rising, I said Wild Assent. Every time I've talked about Stormsunder or Lavon Rising, I've been very clear it's a back at your own risk situation. Whereas Wild Assent already exists and is the game I'm referring to. You don't have to like that I recommend a game from a company who has massive delays, but if your response is to question my sincerity...ok. If you don't think I'm sincere than I highly recommend finding channels to watch where you get value out of their content, lord knows any content creator who I don't find sincere I don't personally watch. I also tend to not immediately accuse people I like of not being sincere...but that's just me.

[@tonytodd7201]

I don't think any major content creator is unaware of the situation. KoA has covered the issues with LSG twice in the last year with, in addition to the video I mentioned earlier, another one entitled "Lies, scams and unorganized messes" and isn't the only channel to cover it. Since Alex has said he follows KoA's channel and periodically references it, its pretty likely he is aware of that. But to directly answer your question: Can I even consider that Alex, as a major boardgame content creator is unaware of issues affecting huge games he has personally backed made by a prominent company which lists their games on a crowdfunding platform of which he is Chief Marketing Officer, while other major content creators he follows are prominently covering those issues? Sure. Doesn't seem likely though.

[@tonytodd7201]

@@BoardGameCo "Wild Assent is an existing game. I didn't say Lavon Rising, I said Wild Assent." I also only said Wild Assent. The very opening statement of LSG's Lavon Rising campaign is "Wild Assent: Lavon Rising is a reprint campaign for Wild Assent". In fact, the only way I know of to buy a new copy of the base Wild Assent now, except by stumbling across a 1st printing copy lying in a retail store somewhere, would be by directly contacting LSG and asking to pledge or by paying LSG in the event they, for example, seek extra contributions in the current campaign by asking existing backers for more like mythic did and/or reopen the pledge manager to draw in new Wild Assent purchasers. It seems incongruent to post an apology that over the years you incentivized people to buy or back Mythic Games products, even though there were no reasonable grounds for you to suspect that company's financial difficulties or questionable business practices at the time, yet a short while later promote a game that could only now be purchased new from a company whose financial state and business practices you know there are reasonable grounds to be concerned about and which therefore carries a greater risk of loss. You specifically highlighted that your other recommendation, Primal, was not currently available for purchase, since that campaign is finished and currently fulfilling. Perhaps, to avoid inadvertently incentivising anyone to pledge for Wild Assent through the current reprint campaign if that route reopens, it may be worth making clear that you are referring only to 1st printing copies that people already own or can find?