Developer: Rogue Factor
Publisher: Nacon
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PS5
Hell is Us – Review
Soulslike games come in all shapes and sizes, and while fans of the genre will have their pick of the litter, we can all agree that the gaming landscape is a bit oversaturated with similar titles. When Hell is Us was initially advertised as another title in the genre, we were skeptical, as there are so many good games out there already. When the release slowly came closer, we saw more and more footage of a title that clearly wanted to diversify itself from the competition, and we can already state that this is very much the case. Hell is Us offers a variety of familiar mechanics from the genre, along with numerous unique twists, which set it apart from many of its competitors. Even though our review was a bit late due to our ever-growing backlog, we are happy to present you with our opinion of Hell is Us.
Story
The game starts off with very little to no information as to what the main character, Rémi, has gotten himself into. Rémi finds himself tied up in the middle of an interrogation room, being injected with truth serum. He is forced to talk about his experiences in Hadea, a country that is not only suffering from war but also from an event called the Calamity, which caused the appearance of many supernatural beings currently plaguing the area. We learn more about Rémi’s experience in Hadea, why he deserted his post as an ON Peacekeeper, and so on. The plot is actually quite interesting and a lot more fleshed out than many other similar titles in the genre. Even though the game has a lot of freedom in terms of exploration, the story still progresses at a steady pace.
Graphics
Graphically, Hell is Us is a beautiful game. There are so many details to be found in all the different enclosed environments of the game, and even though there are a lot of static assets present, the world still feels alive. We don’t mean this in the sense of active NPCs, as these are fairly scarce, but the world just feels realistic for the game’s setting. The monsters look impressively scary, and we loved encountering new ones as we progressed through the game. That being said, we quickly encountered all of them, as Hell is Us only has five Hollow Walker designs and a dozen Lymbic Entity designs. Rémi and the other NPCs in the game look very detailed as well. All in all, everything looks highly polished, and the performance was also buttery smooth.
Sound
All in all, Hell is Us’ sound design is great. The music is appropriate for the setting, and there’s quite a bit of voice acting present in the game. Many of the NPCs have a reasonable amount of dialogue options, and they all come with quality voice acting. The sound effects also do a good job at enhancing the atmosphere. The game has atmospheric sound effects, but also the combat SFX provide great audio feedback. It feels like there’s actually some weight behind your weapon attacks.
Gameplay
Hell is Us could best be described as a Soulslike with quite a few environmental puzzles thrown in for good measure. The game will never hold your hand, as there is no map, there are no quest markers, meaning you’ll have to figure things out yourself. Luckily, most zones in the game are enclosed areas, and if you pay attention to what NPCs tell you, you will figure things out (eventually). There are some accessibility options to visualize audio cues, but other than that, you’re on your own. You’ll be playing as Rémi, fighting off Hollow Walkers and Lymbic Entities as you interact with survivors in Hadea. For the most part, things are straightforward, but you’ll be left to your own devices from the moment you start playing, which might take a bit of time getting used to.
Even though we enjoyed exploring our surroundings, solving puzzles, and simply figuring out where to go next, the combat was truly the highlight for us. The game offers players the traditional mechanics of any good Soulslike. You have light and heavy attacks, you can block, parry, or dodge, and you have a varied arsenal of weapons at your disposal. Where Hell is Us does things differently is with Rémi’s drone and the healing mechanic you can activate during combat. The latter is a timing-based button press after a combo, which allows you to heal some HP in the heat of battle. This does make combat in general a lot more rewarding, and it will give players who invest time into learning the mechanics a very satisfying healing option. Rémi’s drone is pretty much the replacement of magic that you would see in other similar titles. With the drone, you can distract enemies, but also activate other skills, such as a powerful dash or whirlwind attack. The combat in the game is also focused on fighting multiple targets, as most Hollow Walkers will spawn their Lymbic Entity, which you’ll need to vanquish first in order to attack the physical bodies of your enemies. It’s a fun, original system that does make the battles feel different compared to other Soulslike games.
While Hell is Us is not the longest game in the genre, it’s focused, polished, and simply doesn’t overstay its welcome. The time it takes you to beat the game is also heavily dependent on how quickly you solve puzzles, how fast you figure out where to go, and how well you perform in combat. We took roughly twenty to twenty-five hours to beat the game, but we weren’t rushing and didn’t always figure everything out immediately.
Conclusion
Hell is Us is probably one of the best Soulslike titles out there. While it isn’t exactly the longest game in the genre, there is more than enough content to warrant its price tag. If you decide to pick up Hell is Us, you’ll be treated to a beautiful-looking Soulslike with engaging gameplay mechanics, extremely satisfying combat, and a shtick that diversifies itself from the competition. If you’re a fan of the genre and you’re looking for something new, picking this one up is an absolute no-brainer.
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