The rewarding feeling of self-discovery is often marketed by the developers of games trying to break the cycle, yet the tag is rarely realised once the mission list expands. Click a mission title, see a big arrow on a map, follow arrow to your next cut-scene or fight sequence. While the 90s and early 00s had RPGs that required classroom chatter to find the next path, we now live in a state of solutions at fingertips. Hell is Us wants to buck this trend by removing all quest markers, maps and hand holding. They call this ‘player plattering’, an ambitious approach for a small team intent on placing their name as a marker on the industry through their creativity. But Hell is Us provides more than just a reset to how we progress through a game. The disturbing and unsettling setting, hack-and-slash combat sprinkled with Soulslike influence, the requirement for notetaking and a mysterious story combine into a 25-hour experience that is unlike any other in 2025. Hell is Us is not perfect in its quest to be different, but there are enough positives to drive this gritty thriller into its conclusion. In a month packed with heavy hitters, this game is distinct from the class and requires full concentration.
The game opens with a note to the harsh themes that will be present across its playthrough. The cited violence coupled with the word ‘Hell’ in the title demonstrate that the dark presentation is not just a skin for glory. The opening scene sees the protagonist (Remi) taking a lie detector test across from a man with bloated features smoking a cigarette (the lie detector scenario plays into any death). After lengthy exposition, we found ourselves navigating the woods on return to a location that we left at childhood. This is our first engagement with the lack of mapping or a pointer to a quest. The location is bleak and dreary, with broken paths eventually leading to a house and an NPC to showcase how Hell is Us deals with conversations. Important characters transport us to a different viewpoint as we quiz these desolate citizens about the civil war, the enemies and our next point of interest. The directions can be quite general, and while wind chimes or arrows painted on trees serve an early tutorial purpose, any handholding soon goes out the window to ensure you’re reading every note and deciphering every clue from the dense world.
The earliest hours of the game are the most frightening as you are essentially weapon-less and unaware of the lurking dangers. This provides the creepy vibes of a Resident Evil title before the expanding artillery. Here, guns are useless against the white enemies. Instead, players are provided with weapons that look right out of Elden Ring: dual axes, polearms, great swords and general swords. The mish mash of medieval weaponry infused with colourful emotion-based powers in a 90s set world ravaged by warfare is striking yet doesn’t seem out of place once the game rolls on. You get so caught up in the puzzles and memory that combat plays second fiddle to exploration. Now, a word on both of those topics.
Exploration is the defining feature of Hell is Us because it operates differently to most games, more at home with the point-and-click PC titles in the blossoming years of gaming. You’ll be presented with locks featuring symbols that require finding a note or cassette that highlights the solution in a roundabout way. An NPC holding a crying baby asks for milk and there is no further information to help you find a resource that sounds challenging with a lack of fridges. Your next destination is vaguely mentioned in a northeast direction on your compass, meaning the classic directional navigation comes to the fore. The first 15 hours are a joy because discovery feels rewarding both through your own actions and the trinkets hidden away in rooms. The puzzles can be challenging, but if you look in all areas you’re bound to find leads that will eventually point to success. This is thanks to a menu system that mind-maps clues. The final ten hours can see repetition creep in, but this is understandable as by then the game has grounded its gameplay loop. This means the attention aspect is more demanding than most current generation releases – you’re not putting on a podcast or TV show while stomping through Hadea, and this is the way it should be. It is also worth noting that this is not an open world game, instead operating in semi-open world hubs that can be accessed via a fast-travel vehicle. Each section still feels large and can be multiple layers/levels, ensuring the exploration only really feels overwhelming when first entering a new setting knowing every corner will need to be checked.
The combat in Hell is Us operates like a mixture between Soulslike-lite and God of War. Most of fighting is slashing at the enemy with your melee weapon while remembering to dodge out of harm’s way. There is also the mechanic of healing through aggression, pressing R1 to gain health after smacking or downing a foe. This can all feel clunky at first, especially with the enemies that spawn glowing orbs that need to be destroyed before advancing on the white figures. But once the glyph system, wide range of moves and drone capabilities are fleshed out there is plenty to play with based on your style. The combat is more than serviceable for a game leaning heavily into self-discovery, but the main gripe is that there is really only four enemy types across the entire 25 hours of play. Boss battles are very, very minimal and once you know how to defeat these white soul-sucking figures, challenge in combat does start to dissipate no matter how many fill the screen. Still, the combat is responsive and looks badass.
In terms of performance, the game looks and sounds incredible. I encountered no issues on the base PS5 and some of the semi-open world locations are standouts in 2025 due to the level design. Mounds of bodies in a pit, shadows dancing off structures, people hanging from trees, the faraway movement of an enemy – the game wants the player to see something in the distance and track it, therefore emphasising graphical ability to stretch that distance. Smaller developers have been kicking goals in this regard recently, and Hell is Us is no exception. My favourite part about this action-adventure is checking out everything. The smallest details show a labour of love that I hope inspires future games.
If you’re seeking a game to command your full attention in a dark and war-ravaged setting, few games offer the level of rewarding discovery that Hell is Us litters across its 25-hour campaign. The combat exists to add challenge to the searching and enemy variants are low, but the package serves its purpose in creating a nightmarish setting to test your nerves. At a lower-than-full-price tag and made with passion by a developer intent on challenging the industry, I can’t help but root for this team and their ability to expertly craft settings that keep me looking over my shoulder. I can’t wait to see what Rogue Factor delve into next.
Pros
- Refreshing take on exploration and discovery
- Graphics are superb in a dreary, war-torn setting
Cons
- Enemy variety is low
- Story has great potential, but the landing may not stick with everyone
