Developer: Strelka Games, Yonder
Publisher: A List Games
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Hell is Others – Review
When developers make a game they try to give it a fitting name to shortly explain what it is all about. Games like Need for Speed will have something to do with racing while Mafia will be centered around crime. In Hell is Others it is all about dodging other players on the dangerous streets of Century City in a PVPVE experience. Developed by Strelka Games and published by A list Games we were lucky enough to try this game and had a lot of fun doing so.
Story
The game is centered around your character Adam Smithson. While living in a tiny apartment high above Century City, he is the man people call when they need something sorted, collected, and delivered. His job is a dangerous one and it’s up to you to successfully help the inhabitants of Century City get the items they so seriously need. In general, there is no real story in the game as it turns out that living in Century City is an endless nightmare. The only thing that matters is to survive another day while trying to mind your own business.
Graphics
Hell is Others is set in the Noire-styled Century City where the most prominent colors are black and red. This makes the game a visual feast thanks to the very dark atmosphere surrounding the city. The indoor segments on your apartment floor are in a 2D pixilated style with a lot of attention to detail in the many pieces of furniture seen around the apartment building. Once you make it outside, you are greeted by the dark and misty streets that limit your view, while taking in the scenes from a top-down perspective. Thanks to the limited line of sight, it will take some skill to spot enemies around you but it also allows the players to play stealthily, as other players’ line of sight is also very limited.
Sound
Good audio cues could mean life or death in high-stress environments. Luckily the developers decided to spend enough time on the various sound effects in Hell is Others, and even though you play the game from a top-down perspective, you are able to detect where stuff is going on just by listening. Most enemies make a buzzing or humming sound as they roam around while players make a more distinct sound with their footsteps on different surfaces. Relying on cues could mean getting the edge over your opponent, especially when you hear them reloading, healing, or engaging with others. During your stay in the city, you will be accompanied by a jazz-inspired soundtrack. The music always remains in the background during your adventures and will move more to the foreground when you are in your apartment where it is safe. The soundtrack never gets in the way of the audio cues when venturing the streets of Century City.
Gameplay
Hell is Others is a top-down PVPVE extraction looter shooter where you fight to make it to the next day. The game starts with Adam waking up to a phone call in his apartment. A junk dealer needs his assistance and asks if you could meet him on the streets. You take the elevator down and this starts the tutorial that teaches you the basics of survival and looting. Once you complete the tutorial, there will be a mysterious package dropped at your door. A bonsai is left there with a note that the owner will come back in ten days, and if you take care of it, then you will receive a handsome reward. This sets the gears into motion to start roaming the streets to water this plant, as in this realm you need blood for everything. Blood serves as one of the main currencies in the game and is a very rare resource. Getting blood can be a straightforward yet very dangerous task, as killing the various monsters might be an easy option, but there are other players also trying to gather blood.
The City is engulfed in a dangerous and toxic mist, and while the mist may not be dangerous when venturing outside for a short period, it could be deadly after ten to fifteen minutes. That’s why during each raid you will get a timer that shows you how much time you have left and it’s best to keep a close eye on this as you can easily lose track of time. After a set amount of time, the first extraction locations will start popping up, and these are the same elevators that you came down with. These elevators are shown on the map but the surrounding area can get quite dangerous when you activate these. Elevators will be loud and can lure monsters and others players to your location. You can always try and defend your extraction point, or try to deny someone else their extraction. Fighting players is a mixed bag, as some will be keen to take you down, while others are more passive and will even spare you when they are between another monster and you. As this is the community and there is no direct influence, it can be really heartwarming to know that especially in the beginning many encounters with other players will not always end in a showdown to see who can come up on top. Spotting other players is done by suddenly feeling a heartbeat that intensifies the closer you get. You can use this to steer clear from others or go on the hunt for some spoils of war.
Getting around the various buildings and looting your way to a full inventory can be stressful if you know that there is danger around each corner. Fortunately, the game is very easy to control and utilizes only a few buttons to quickly use items from your inventory or to switch weapons. This said, the longer you stay on the ground the more enemies will spawn, and if you die, you will lose everything you have in your briefcase. Just like in Escape from Tarkov, you can put something in your pocket this will stay with you after death. This means you can put a high-value item in this so you don’t lose it. For newer players, it is advised to put a medic kit here for some emergency heals or this spot can also be very handy if you found a nice weapon or quest item that you need to hold on to.
Keeping your character in good shape is important as Adam eventually gets worn out by going on multiple raids during the same day. When you get hurt or you need some extra buffs, you might want to eat something or take medicine. In most games, you could just keep taking medication to your heart’s content but this is not the case in Hell is Others. Every time you eat, your saturation meter will fill, and the heavier the food the more the meter will fill. Eventually, this meter will reach its maximum and you won’t be able to eat anymore for the day. The same goes for medicine. While these healing items can be helpful they will have their own toxicity level and an overdose of meds will put you in the ground faster than a finger snap. By calling it a day you will rest, regain your health, and remove all the debuffs you picked up during your time out on the streets.
Conclusion
Hell is Others is a good example of mixing the gameplay elements just right. Each run that you make is both exciting, scary, and adrenaline-inducing while the game doesn’t have a high learning curve. Each encounter is different and can play out in so many unspeakable ways that hearing another player is not always a bad sign. Jump into an elevator, start looting and shooting while making sure to get out on time and preferably with a nice trophy or two. There is no real story presented but the setting and overall freedom of your quests make it so you are writing your own story, rather than following one. When it comes to the game’s visuals, you are also in for a treat thanks to the nice pixilated graphics and the smooth jazz accompanying the onscreen action. The overall sound design is also superbly handled, especially when it comes to the game’s many audio cues. The overall gameplay is very entertaining and for its current price tag, we can easily recommend this one.
No Comments