Hell is Us review

No map, no compass, no quest markers: that’s the lede when it comes to the unique exploration of Hell is Us, a dark action-adventure game developed by Rogue Factor and published by Nacon. Though you’ll discover pretty early on that one of those is a lie: you do indeed have a compass, only you have to use it like a consumable to bring it up on the screen for a short while before it disappears again. You could be pedantic and argue that Hell is Us has a map, too. Many maps, in fact. But what you can’t do here is bring up a map like you would in most games, showing your position, points of interest, and more.

Hell is Us doesn’t leave you entirely in the dark, then, but with very limited hand-holding, you do have to work harder to progress through its world than you would in other action-adventure games. And why are you doing so? Well, even that’s somewhat shrouded in mystery. You’re looking for information about your family, at least initially, but for what purpose? It’s certainly a strange time to do so, given that the world is currently in the midst of both a civil war and a mysterious calamity that has brought strange supernatural creatures into being.

Your journey begins in a forest, seemingly unprepared for the horrors that lie ahead. You know you’ll need a vehicle to complete your goal, however, and hearing that some soldiers are nearby with an APC, you head to investigate. This prologue section does a decent job of easing you into things, letting it sink in that Hell is Us isn’t your typical action-adventure game focused on combat. There’ll be a lot of that later, sure, once you’ve got your hands on a special weapon that can actually do damage to the supernatural creatures that now inhabit Earth. But your ability to solve puzzles is also of utmost importance here, as well as having keen investigation and orienteering skills.

Needless to say, exploration is key to your progression in Hell is Us. Only by following your instincts, paying attention to the things people say, and being able to parse any documents you find for information which might be useful, will you be able to get an understanding of where you need to go and what to do. And sometimes you’ve just got to follow your heart. You’ve got your own objectives, sure, but it might pay to find time for others in this cruel, uncaring world. That man you passed earlier who was cradling his dead child, for example: might he appreciate you locating one of her most prized possessions so he can give her a proper burial?

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Hell is Us has lots of little encounters like this if you wish to seek them out. People who need help but don’t expect it in a world that’s gone feral; people that don’t deserve your help but you might do so anyway to get the upper hand; and people that perhaps don’t even realise they need help until you intervene. Sometimes being able to help will immediately pay dividends. Sometimes you might get nothing and need nothing other than the knowledge that you’ve done the right thing. But the crux is, most of this is entirely optional. So, do you want to be selfish and simply pursue your goals, or do you want to be a beacon of light in this hell?

Taking all this into account, I’d say that the combat is the least compelling aspect of Hell is Us, actually. And that’s a bit of a shame because there’s quite a lot of it whenever you leave the safety of a town or suchlike. Thankfully, there are difficulty levels, so you can minimise the challenge of overcoming your enemies if you wish. In any case, this isn’t a Soulslike, which makes a refreshing change, but you will need to study your enemies and either block, dodge or parry their attacks if you want to be truly effective at dealing with them.

Making combat more interesting is a range of drone-assisted skills, such as one which allows you to spin like a whirling dervish, damaging enemies all around you. There’s a mechanic that allows you to recover some health as you attack, too, should you have impeccable timing. And then there are glyphs that can be attached to your weapons, also providing buffs and abilities at the cost of Lymbic Energy. In the place of elements here are emotions – these are colour-coded, with some enemies pretty much unleashing their feelings upon you with strange glitch-like growths which you must deal with before you can do damage to their hosts.

All in all, the combat of Hell is Us is solid enough, but it can be a little frustrating at times. My main issue with it is the fact that your stamina is limited by your current health level, so when you’re at your most vulnerable it can be hard to mount a solid attack and dangerous to try and block. Add in unpredictable attacks, which can make it hard to consistently parry, and the sheer number of enemies you’re sometimes up against, and things can get a little messy. You might find trying the various weapon types available quite fun at least, then developing your favourites to make them more powerful. There are other equipables, too, so again, it pays to go off the beaten path to try and find new items that might give you an easier time during combat.

With its lack of hand-holding, Hell is Us won’t be for everyone. But for those not afraid to work hard to get to the bottom of a mystery, it’ll prove to be gripping right from the off, especially if they gel with the game’s combat, which is no doubt its weakest part. The puzzles here are fantastic; it’s ever so rewarding exploring locations and figuring things out for yourself. There are some fun dungeons, too. And with its civil war setting, it might also make some players think as they make their way through its various locations.

Hell really is us, turning to violence to solve our problems instead of finding compassion and compromise, with the most vulnerable often bearing the brunt of it. If you want, you can be a glimmer of hope in this haunting world, helping those in need while also achieving your own goals. But will you?