Hell is Us

Subscribe to Push Square on YouTube163k

Hell Is Us is a game about the depravity of humanity and the consequences of our actions. Almost everything about Hell Is Us is crafted to perfection, from its incredible environmental storytelling to its characters and world. Though some may find it difficult to progress due to a lack of direction, its exploration becomes a key to its success. Its combat is fun with plenty of mechanics to mess around with, but it could have done with a little more enemy variety.

Rogue Factor have created something truly special in Hell is Us, combing head-scratching puzzles with fun, challenging combat. This is an unexpected treasure.

Hell Is Us is a darkly engaging adventure puzzle game that blends the uncanny character vibes of David Lynch with exploration elements found in Fromsoftware games without its punishing difficulty.

I've been intrigued by the third major release from Montreal-based developer Rogue Factor, Hell is Us, ever since I first saw its debut in 2022. The teaser trailer didn't give away much, and frankly, there's a lot about that original trailer that looks very different now, even if I can look back on it and recognize what every element of it refers to now that I've hit credits on it days ahead of its full release. But I've kept the game in the back of my mind for years now, which has its own layer of expectation building, even though I realistically knew very little about the game.

Hell Is Us is a rare gem that we don’t normally see in the gaming industry. It’s more than a game that simply “doesn’t have waypoints or quest markers.” Instead, it’s an engaging experience that truly trusts the player’s intelligence, curiosity, and active listening skills. Figuring out how to progress the main story or its side quests through pure investigative work is immensely satisfying and constantly rewarding, to the point that I couldn’t put the controller down. It feels as if Rogue Factor has created its own genre in a way, similar to how FromSoftware spawned Soulslikes. The game’s onl...

Hell Is Us is one of the most unique gaming experiences of the year, bringing some of the most intricate and memorable puzzles in recent memory, accompanied by superb exploration mechanics.

The defining design pillar of Hell is Us is a refusal to guide the player. There are no waypoints, no quest markers, and very little in the way of an actual objective to follow. Instead, you’ll have to listen, observe, and puzzle your way through a brutal civil war that has torn apart the fictional nation of Hadea.

With its sometimes chilling civil war setting and general lack of guidance, Hell is Us isn't a game for everybody. Those who embrace its hands-off approach, however, will likely find it an incredibly compelling experience provding they can tolerate its occasionally frustrating combat. And it's ever so rewarding being a force of good in such a dark world.

Sadly, those retreads often mean more combat. It’s exciting at first, this scrabbly Soulslike stamina-baiting movement against eerie phantasmal hollow-face demons, wielding a Ki-Pulse-like rally mechanic straight out of Nioh that precludes the need for healing items once you get the timing right. Weapons are strictly melee-only, a collection of upgradable gleaming blades rotted over by colored status-effect elements, though Rémi himself lacks any proper level-ups or skill trees. Beyond the blade, an assistant flying drone offers a few special modules that trigger dash attacks and other functio...

Hell Is Us makes bold choices: no hand-holding, no maps, no shortcuts. That design philosophy is both its biggest strength and its biggest frustration.

Hell is Us is an absorbing, nightmarish meditation on the horror of war, but divisive design choices prove tedious.