When you think of September, at least in terms of video game releases, a few notable names come to mind. Borderlands 4, especially since Randy Pitchford stopped self-sabotaging it (for now); Dying Light: The Beast, which Techland wants to be the best game in the franchise; Silent Hill f, the newest mainline title in Konami’s horror franchise that could also end up the strangest if writer Ryukishi07 has his way; the list goes on. That’s not even accounting for Ghost of Yōtei, which launches just two days after September ends, or Battlefield 6, which launches on October 10th.
Such is the end-of-year release schedule and the holiday rush, but if there’s always a handful of unorthodox and less marketed titles that end up snagging our attention, which is happening more and more this year than expected. Case in point, Rogue Factor’s Hell is Us. You probably remember the studio for Mordheim: City of the Damned, released way back in 2015 when it was still part of Cyanide. Of course, when it announced Hell is Us in April 2022, our first thought was “Death Stranding meets Souls-like.” Though scheduled to release in 2023, it would disappear and re-emerge during Sony’s State of Play, still looking as enticingly haunting as ever.
After its release date announcement at the most recent State of Play, we’ve finally seen more of Hell is Us and even had a chance to go hands-on courtesy of a limited-time free demo. And while there’s still a ways to go before launch, it’s already looking like one of the more underrated titles of the year, especially with that ever-coveted $49.99 price tag.
First, some background: Hell is Us takes place at some unknown point in the future, where a mysterious Calamity has occurred. Creatures known as Hollow Walkers have been emerging, their purpose unknown. However, you’re not looking to reconnect the world or even save it against the Calamity. Instead, you play as a peacekeeper named Rémi, who suddenly goes AWOL. His goal is to locate his parents in the fictional country of Hadea, which is easier said than done, given the resources at his disposal and the ongoing civil war that’s left utter devastation in its wake. He can hold his own in combat, utilizing different weapons like swords and axes alongside his trusty drone to fend off the Hollow Walkers.
But when it comes to finding his parents, Rémi must rely on his eyes, ears and deductive reasoning. Despite a “semi-open world”, Hell is Us doesn’t offer a compass, map or even quest markers. You’re as blind as Rémi while venturing through the various regions, not knowing where to start or even who to trust. With that in mind, you can speak to different NPCs and gather clues, which can be linked together and hopefully lead to his parents.
For instance, you may discover the remains of a village called Jova and speak to an orphaned survivor, which then leads to some mysterious monuments from an ancient civilization. Another instance involves following wind chimes at the behest of Atticus Caddell, who’s lost his family, and discovering a military patrol that was recently ambushed. If you help out the one survivor, he’ll tell you how to get to some nearby ruins where the remaining members have ventured for some unknown purpose. Of course, venturing inside quickly reveals the location to be much more than some simple catacombs.
At first glance, all of this may seem unconnected (and they very well may be in the grand scheme of things). However, you never know what clues could lead to upgrades, gear and useful items for your journey, making it that much easier to venture out further and take on the different mysteries adorning the world (which Rogue Factor touts as “countless”). What is that big anomaly in the distance? Why are certain Hollow Walkers, the Hazes, distinguished by different human emotions? For better or worse, it’s up to you to find out.
That being said, the actual exploration is still something that must be done completely unguided. You must venture out on your own, fending off other Hollow Walkers (which have multiple tiers and can even combine into deadlier threats) and following whatever information is at your disposal to find places. The HUD is fairly minimalistic, and sometimes, you have nothing but your instinct (and maybe a bit of luck) to guide you, checking various nooks and crannies, examining locations that may have a little more going on than meets the eye, and so on.
It can sound frustrating, especially when you add in the light survival elements. Though there’s a stamina meter which regenerates in combat, any reductions in health will reduce the maximum amount available. Running out of stamina results in your attacks becoming weaker, and while there may be shades of Souls-like games, especially with the parrying and hack and slash combat, Hell is Us isn’t aiming for that in terms of difficulty.
That doesn’t mean you won’t encounter some dangerous battles, which brings us to the dungeons. Dungeons are perhaps the most enticing part of the game. Each is hand-crafted and possesses a unique theme tied to emotions. Completely alien to the current setting but not your typical fantasy layout, they contain puzzles and challenging battles, with some having more of one than the other. Once again, you have no assistance when solving these puzzles and must take a step back to try different things in the hopes of succeeding (and facing the final enemy at the end). The dungeons also have some connection to the current situation of the world, which could potentially mean clues towards the Calamity.
Even in terms of other action-adventure titles, Hell is Us isn’t sticking to a set formula. Rather than bosses, Rogue Factor is focusing more on “meaningful fights at key moments in the story,” as described by creative and art Director, Jonathan Jacques-Belletête, to PlayStation Blog. The fact that it’s taking inspiration from Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy, including the critically acclaimed Annihilation.
And if you’re really keen on upping (or even reducing) the challenge, there are three combat presets – Lenient, Balanced, and Mercyless – to tailor enemy health, damage and so on to your liking. A Death Penalty option is also available, which resets any XP gained and enemies defeated after you die to your last save.
Once you peel back the strong art direction, Hell is Us appears to have some lofty ambitions when it comes to its gameplay loop and core mysteries. Based on its development time and hefty PC requirements, it may seem like Rogue Factor is biting off more than it can chew. Nevertheless, Jacques-Belletête has worked on Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Mankind Divided, so there’s some hope that this is far more than your average action-adventure (that too, one with a proper, conclusive ending).
I’m still a bit iffy on how it will perform in terms of sales, especially launching amid so many other big-name titles. There’s some hope that the inherent weirdness of Hell is Us will shine through and that it possesses enough substance to really draw in those who want an unorthodox exploratory experience. Who knows? It could very well surprise us – another running theme for several games this year. Hell is Us launches on September 4th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, having recently gone gold, so thankfully, we won’t have to wait too long to find out.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
