In a gaming landscape saturated with handholding and constant guidance, Hell is Us emerges as a bold experiment, daring to trust players with genuine discovery and challenge. Developed by Rogue Factor, the studio behind cult titles like Mordheim and Necromunda, this third-person action-adventure game with RPG and horror elements is set in the fictional, war-torn country of Hadea. Here, players step into the shoes of Rémi, a young exile raised abroad who returns to his devastated homeland in search of his missing parents amid a brutal civil war. The journey, however, quickly spirals into something much darker and stranger than a simple family reunion.
According to The Cosmic Circus, the story in Hell is Us is both personal and investigative. Rémi’s quest is not just about reuniting with his family; it’s about piecing together the fractured history and mysterious present of Hadea. The country is locked in a civil war, haunted by supernatural creatures called Hollow Walkers—monsters immune to modern weaponry and seemingly born from the emotional turmoil of the conflict. Only ancient weapons, which Rémi uncovers throughout his journey, can harm these beings, hinting at a deep and unsettling connection between the supernatural threat and Hadea’s forgotten past.
What truly sets Hell is Us apart is its radical rejection of convenience-based design. There’s no minimap, no objective markers, no quest log to remind players what to do next. Instead, navigation relies on environmental storytelling and careful observation. As Push Square notes, “When someone tells you to ‘follow the wind chimes north,’ you better start listening for those chimes and find north on your own.” This approach channels the spirit of classic adventure games from the 1990s, where getting lost was part of the experience and curiosity was your best guide.
The storytelling is refreshingly subtle. There’s no exposition dump or constant narration. Instead, players must glean lore and plot details from fragments of conversation, printed notes, and the ruined topography of towns and dungeons. “Every single piece of lore must be discovered by you,” writes The Cosmic Circus. “If you’re not willing to learn the story and important plot points, then it will be harder for you to go further with the story.” This design rewards attentive players while potentially frustrating those accustomed to more direct storytelling.
The gameplay itself is a blend of methodical, Souls-like combat and open-ended exploration. Each strike in battle is a commitment; parrying and dodging require patience and timing. As Push Square describes, combat is “deliberately paced without being punishing in the Dark Souls tradition, but ultimately feels a bit clunky and stiff.” Players have access to a variety of melee weapons—swords, spears, axes—each with distinct attack patterns and speeds. These weapons can be upgraded and even transformed by a blacksmith into elemental variants, dealing more damage to specific Hollow types.
Ordinary firearms are useless against the chimeras that roam Hadea. Instead, Rémi relies on his arsenal of ancient melee weapons and a drone companion. The drone is far from a mere distraction; it reveals enemy weak points, interacts with mysterious devices and languages, and even offers tactical abilities like Surge Step for faster movement and a cyclone spin for crowd control. “It’s like that faithful companion you have and can always count on,” The Cosmic Circus observes.
Puzzles are another cornerstone of the experience. Some are simple symbol combinations, while others are so intricate they might require community collaboration to solve. Clues are embedded in architecture, hinted at through dialogue, or hidden in the environment. There are even Time Loops—distorted bubbles in the overworld—guarded by Hollows and accessible only after obtaining certain artifacts. These puzzles are not mere diversions but integral to world design and progression.
The absence of traditional navigation aids forces players to truly engage with the world. Side quests, known as Good Deeds, emerge organically from found items, such as a gold watch engraved with “Otis,” which can spiral into a full-fledged questline. Progression eschews experience points and stat upgrades in favor of exploration and discovery: finding trinkets, gear, and weapons that enhance abilities. Weapons themselves level up through use, and research items collected throughout the game reward players with relics, gear, and skills.
Performance-wise, Hell is Us runs on Unreal Engine 5 and, according to Push Square, offers mostly solid performance on the base PS5. Frame rates remain stable during exploration, though some stuttering occurs during combat. The game requires 21.57GB of storage space, and load times are a brisk seven seconds from the main menu. Customizable difficulty options—Lenient, Balanced, and Merciless—can be changed at any time, but there are no options to make navigation or puzzles easier, reinforcing the game’s commitment to its vision.
The game spans three substantial acts and takes approximately 30 hours to complete, depending on how much optional content players pursue and how often they get stuck. Controls make use of the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback and speakers, adding to the immersion, though some camera sensitivity and character movement issues are noted. Visually, the game is stunning, blending WWI-inspired trenches with supernatural horror under the direction of Art Director Jonathan Jacques-Belletête. The Hollow Walkers are genuinely unsettling, and the oppressive mood is heightened by masterful lighting and atmospheric effects.
Audio design also plays a crucial role, with environmental sounds guiding exploration in the absence of visual waypoints. Elias Toufexis, known for his role as Adam Jensen in Deus Ex, voices Rémi, adding gravitas to the protagonist’s journey.
Of course, this uncompromising design won’t appeal to everyone. As Push Square cautions, “You will spend a lot of your time figuring out what to do next, piecing together what clues you might have missed.” The lack of guidance can be polarizing, and some players may find the difficulty and obtuseness off-putting. Enemy variety is somewhat limited, and certain gameplay elements may need further polish, especially those tied to abilities unlocked later in the game.
Still, for those seeking a different kind of adventure, Hell is Us offers a rare gaming experience—one that rewards curiosity, patience, and a willingness to get lost. As The Cosmic Circus puts it, “Not many games reward curiosity and trust you enough to believe you won’t get lost. With Hell is Us, whenever you do something that the game doesn’t suggest, but it’s an available option for a player, the payoff feels like something you earned. And the game respects it.” The reviewer rates the game 4 out of 5, reflecting both its ambition and its flaws.
Hell is Us launches on September 4, 2025, and for those tired of being led by the hand, it might just be the breath of fresh air the gaming world needs.
