Hell is Us is ambitious, unique, thoughtful, and old-school in the best possible way

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The story “Hell is Us” begins with an interrogation scene. A man with an unusually pale complexion and elongated neck poses the questions. “How did you enter Hadea?” a man named Rémi, under the influence of truth serum and hooked up to a lie detector, responds to these queries, setting the stage for the story that follows. Hadea is a secluded nation, similar to North Korea, which has isolated itself from the world, currently embroiled in civil war. When he was five years old, Rémi’s mother placed a necklace around his neck, put him into the back of a truck to leave the country, and instructed him never to return.

Remi isn’t unintelligent; he comprehends why his family took the actions they did. However, he yearns for resolution, seeking them out. Yet, civil war isn’t the only hazard in Hadea. After a mystical incident referred to as the Calamity, the region is plagued by bizarre and unsettling creatures called Hollow Walkers. These beings resemble humans but are disconcerting in their movements, appearing jerky and stuttering. Instead of faces, they have black voids where their torsos should be. Remi isn’t aware of the Hollow Walkers when he joins an international peacekeeping force to return to his homeland. However, he quickly learns about them upon arrival.

The scenario unfolds within a dense forest. Remi, once associated with peacekeeping forces, finds himself separated due to the deteriorating situation in Hadea, as they are withdrawing from the region. Nevertheless, his mission remains unfinished. He barely recalls anything; only that his mother was abducted by the Hadean border guards and his father was a blacksmith in Jova, a nearby village. This scant information is all he possesses. However, there’s hope – if fortune favors him, it could be just enough.

Stepping out of my ON gear, I started to scour the surroundings. Not long after, the grim reality of Hadea’s civil war became evident as I chanced upon a farmhouse marred by battle. Its owner, a man named Ernest, was huddled in the basement, shielded behind a makeshift steel fortification he’d constructed for safety. He was holding out hope that one of his four sons might still be alive, while mourning the loss of the other three. When I enquired about Jova, Ernest explained it would be quite a journey, and I’d need a vehicle to get there. Strange soldiers patrolled with an APC nearby. Perhaps I could seek their assistance.

In this game titled “Hell is Us,” something fascinating takes place. Unlike many games, it doesn’t offer a mini-map or quest markers. However, you can find maps in the game world and use them in conjunction with your tablet for reference; they just won’t provide real-time location information. Remi has a compass, but he needs to manually activate it, and it only remains visible for brief periods. Navigation within the game is achieved by recognizing landmarks and following verbal instructions. For instance, Ernest instructs me to follow the wind chimes, so I do just that.

I really enjoy things like this, which Jonathan Jacques-Belletête, our creative director, refers to as “player puzzling.” It’s set up in such a way that all the pieces are there, but it’s up to you to put them together. Hell is Us doesn’t give you everything straight away; instead, you have to unravel the mystery yourself. So I decided to follow the wind chimes.

Following my path takes me to an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), but there’s just one wounded soldier there. He urgently requires a medical kit. Since he was separated from his team during an investigation of old ruins, if you can retrieve the medical kit for him, he will guide you to his unit so you can get the APC key from their captain. The path to their camp, where the medkit is located, is marked with white Xs on the trees.

Allow me to be straightforward with you, dear reader. I must confess that navigating my way around isn’t my strongest suit. In games, I find myself relying heavily on mini-maps and guides, and I must admit that I veered off course a couple of times en route to the camp. Moreover, I initially missed the medical kit. However, getting lost didn’t bother me; in fact, I enjoy the challenge of solving puzzles, testing my boundaries, and exploring new territories. It was still early days in Hell is Us, but I found it helpful in acclimating me to the environment. Eventually, I managed to locate the medical kit. Now, let’s return our focus to the soldier.

Following the tool he provided to unravel a riddle for unlocking the ancient ruins’ entrance (without revealing puzzle solutions, just like many aspects of my journey through Hell is Us, all it takes is careful observation and exploration), I ventured within only to find myself swiftly ensnared. Soon after, I encountered my initial Hollow Walker, along with an odd, squared, spiky object that resembled frozen matter in a William Gibson novel (you’ll discover later they are called Haze, and you can’t eliminate a Hollow Walker until you destroy its Haze).

Bullets proved ineffective for Rémi. He seemed doomed until a woman, shrouded in mystery, arrived. To divert the Walker’s attention, she utilized a drone, then confronted the Haze with her sword. Despite nearly overpowering them, she succumbed to their attacks. In a moment of realization that he was a hero from an RPG, Rémi claimed her cloak, drone, and sword. This marked the beginning of “Hell is Us.”

Bullets didn’t help at all. Rémi seemed to be in big trouble until a woman who looked mysterious came into the picture. She used a drone to distract the Walker and fought against the Haze with her sword. Although she was close to defeating them, she was defeated herself. It was then that Rémi remembered he was a protagonist from an RPG game and took her cloak, drone, and sword. That’s when “Hell is Us” started.)

Similar to many contemporary games, Hell is Us incorporates combat based on player stamina. What sets Hell is Us apart from most other modern games, however, is its unique health restoration system inspired by Nioh. In this game, every time you strike an enemy (or perform a series of attacks), there’s an opportunity to press a specific button at the right moment to replenish your health. The length of your combo determines how much health you regain. This strategy involves risk as Hollow Walkers can retaliate by attacking you while you’re engaged in combat, and prolonged periods without a hit will break any combo you’ve established. The timing for absorbing the energy gained from striking enemies is crucial; you need to pace yourself and wait until the energy accumulates before attempting to absorb it, as going too quickly may cause you to miss it altogether.

In every contemporary action game, there’s a parry move (yikes! spooks!), but what sets Hollow Walkers apart is the unique twist: parrying doesn’t instantly knock enemies off balance for an execution. Instead, their stamina bars are divided into segments; a single parry only drains one section. If you want to take these tough opponents down by playing defensive aggressively, you’ll need to get it right multiple times in succession. And let me tell you, they pack quite the punch! A single foe can turn your day sour if you’re not cautious, especially when they possess a Haze, which must be neutralized before you can harm them. This makes your drone’s ability to distract and fight enemies crucial. When I inevitably meet my demise, I’m transported back to the interrogation, told it couldn’t have happened that way, and urged to focus and try again. I adored this nod to the overarching narrative. Everything in Hollow Walkers feels cohesive, and the careful attention to detail is something I truly appreciated.

Here, I was, standing amidst these ancient ruins without a map, surrounded by formidable foes who seemed as hard as steel and eager for a fight. Yet, I was enjoying every moment of it. Hell is Us works because it relies on you. Upon discovering one of the two seals required to open a door, I remembered the destination due to having walked past it earlier. So, I retraced my steps to insert it in its correct spot. Then, I began my search for the remaining seal.

In that initial dungeon, I met my demise numerous times. However, upon escaping and obtaining the APC key, I felt like an embodiment of divinity. I arrived, observed, and let my dominance shine. I tackled the challenges myself, overpowered the adversaries. Yet, even after my supposed end, I was honored with experience points. I later discovered another seal outside the ruins and re-entered to uncover what lay beyond that door. Inside, I found a watch and a letter; the soldier who had it had stolen it from three brothers his unit had killed in a farmhouse. I returned it to Ernest, not because Hell is Us instructed me to do so, but because their story stayed with me. The watch once belonged to Otis, Ernest’s grandson. It was a simple tale, but its natural unfolding within the game moved me deeply.

Afterward, I made my way back to the APC and headed towards Acasa Marshes – where Jova resides. That’s when things began to unfold for me. I battled past numerous types of Hollow Walkers (some armed with spears, some with wings, others wielding magical swords, etc.), all the way to Jova, but alas! Upon arrival, I discovered it was under control of soldiers.

In this location, I discovered the grim reality of the Hadean civil war. During my conversation with Captain Vaas, who controlled the town, I came to understand that the strife stemmed from the rivalry between two factions: the Palomists and the Sabinians, each convinced they are superior to the other. Vaas belongs to the Sabinians, and they’re annihilating any Palomists they encounter. As he puts it, “When you have a pest problem at home, you don’t negotiate with the vermin to leave.” This is a clear case of genocide. Each soldier I spoke to was eager about their role here.

In my exploration, I stumble upon a priest who’s been bound and seemingly abandoned to perish. He hints that Remi’s father might have departed with the ON evacuation group. He implores me to verify on his niece, Rebecca, who is concealed in a wrecked dwelling, hiding from Vass’s troops. I discover that she witnessed her family’s demise and recognized my convoy. For the second time, she provides me with directions for my journey; unfortunately, I still find myself wandering, albeit this time partially due to recognizing where I should be – it’s just a place I don’t wish to be.

I don’t want to reveal too much more about Hell is Us since I believe that part of its strength lies in the mystery and surprise it offers. While playing, I managed to pick up on hints regarding what happened to the ON convoy and how to enter my family’s house. In the house, I encountered a favorite puzzle from my time with the game. Without giving away the solution, I discovered clues that pointed towards the door code for a locked door I needed to open. However, one of these clues was incomplete. As I struggled to decipher the missing information, I came to understand that the answer might be hidden within the game’s environment itself. So, I began searching and, as it turns out, I was correct. Finding and solving that puzzle gave me a great sense of accomplishment, and I appreciate how Hell is Us enabled me to figure it out on my own without explicitly telling me anything. That’s really cool!

Towards the end of my demonstration of “Hell is Us”, I found myself in a vast, intricate labyrinth called the Limbic Forge. Instead of leading me through, the game encouraged me to delve deeper into its mysteries and remember my journey thus far. The game didn’t hold my hand; it allowed me to piece together the fragments I encountered, solve puzzles, and discover new locales on my own.

In this part, I had the opportunity to wield a variety of weapons, such as a spear and a greatsword, each with unique abilities that could be tailored to my preference. Every weapon in “Hell is Us” feels satisfying, but victory comes from choosing the right one for the task at hand and being open to trying out new strategies. It turns out, I’m more of a spear user than I thought!

I didn’t complete the Limbic Forge game, but I gained a clear understanding of its essence. Before we started playing, the kind developers at Rogue Factor provided us with a notebook to help us navigate through the game. The Limbic Forge seems to hint at the direction Hell is Us might be headed, as it was expansive, intricate, and required players to keep track of various locations, paths, and objectives. However, I admire Rogue Factor for venturing into innovative territory.

After trying out the game “Hell is Us,” I had a conversation with its creative director, Jonathan Jacques-Belletête. He explained that the game’s design was heavily influenced by its themes, and this becomes apparent as you play. The game encourages exploration, risk-taking, and self-discovery rather than simply providing solutions. It doesn’t hold your hand; it challenges you to find the answers on your own. However, once you do, your understanding of the game will be deeper and more meaningful than if you merely followed an icon on a map. The game also invites us to reflect on our actions, the world around us, and our interactions with others. “Hell is Us” isn’t just a snappy title; it serves as a sobering reminder that many of history’s most atrocious events were acts perpetrated by humans against one another. The Hollow Walkers may be frightening, but they pale in comparison to the horrors humanity is capable of.

The journey with Hell is Us isn‘t over; even the best ideas are worthless without proper execution. However, it’s evident that Rogue Factor has a clear vision for their project and their enthusiasm shines through. As I put down my controller for the last time, I knew I wouldn’t complete the Limbic Forge, but it didn’t matter. The glimpses I got were enough to have faith in and admire what Rogue Factor is attempting. Now all that remains is to see if they can pull everything together.

The sneak peek we saw was from a private demonstration led by the game creator. The game titled “Hell is Us” is set to launch for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on September 4, 2025.

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2025-05-30 15:29