The Infernal Return

The Infernal Return is a single-story adventure about Koward, a 23-year-old who is taken to the underworld city of Fengdu after muttering that he would rather choke on his food and die than confess his feelings to his girlfriend, Mangostina. There, he learns that a thousand-year curse crafted by King Yan means he has never lived past 23 in any lifetime. To break it, he must escape the underworld on his own two feet.

Koward’s journey takes him from catching ghosts for the River God and gambling against White Impermanence to solving the Ksitigarbha Seven Souls Formation, entering all 18 layers of Hell and collecting three legendary instruments. Beneath the escape lies a story spanning 1,300 years, involving a lost friendship, guilt and a forgotten version of Koward himself. The linear narrative takes about 10 hours and has no branching endings.

Fengdu and its characters

You can roam freely through Fengdu Square, the banks of the Wangchuan River, Mount Luofeng and the 18 layers of Hell. You can talk to demons, visit the casino and put money in a charity box, though underworld departments skim off most of its contents. The world draws on Chinese mythology, with figures including King Yan, Black and White Impermanence, Meng Po, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and Fengdu Emperor.

Koward travels with two companions. Ray is a blue-haired young man caught stealing prison robes by Black and White Impermanence; Koward trades one of his own souls to save him, and Ray then follows him through every circle of Hell. Flora, a sharp-tongued and perceptive girl assigned to hard labor, is fiercely loyal and becomes the brains of the trio. Their conversations, battles and escapes point to a truth: this is not the first time they have met.

The plot also follows White Impermanence and the Tang Dynasty musician Lang Xuan, whose story connects to events 1,300 years earlier. Koward’s escape becomes a tale of debt and redemption as he finds the courage to make things right.

Puzzles and combat

The main quest unfolds through linked missions, with each clue leading to the next. You observe your surroundings, work through logic and speak to NPCs repeatedly to piece together an escape route. Some puzzles require specific items, such as shape-shifting potions, dancing shoes and teleportation orbs, which you must obtain through their own adventures.

Encounters with underworld creatures lead to turn-based battles. You choose basic attacks, spells such as Hellfire and North Yin Ice, items or buffs; combat emphasizes tactical decisions over raw numbers. You can switch between first- and third-person views with one button, using third-person to survey the surroundings and first-person for puzzles and atmospheric scenes.

Divine powers

Items from the human world—including boxing gloves, crystal dance shoes, teleportation orbs and a motorcycle—can be refined at the Great Spirit Temple to unlock four abilities:

• Might: push heavy boulders to open new paths.
• Grace: dance on glowing floor panels to trigger hidden events.
• Teleport: return to Fengdu Square from anywhere.
• Ride: speed across the underworld on a motorcycle.