Hell is Us is the type of game that only comes around once in a while. By removing all elements of your standard video game guidance and letting players loose on a desolate world to explore on their own and unravel the mystery at their own pace, it creates a new level of immersion and realism rarely seen in the medium today, though there have been leaps into that direction with Atomfall and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II leaning into that “anti-fantasy” factor too. Despite its shortcomings, Hell is Us is a rewarding, albeit sometimes frustrating, slice of bold game design.



Hell is Us is a third-person action-adventure game that takes place in the fictional war-torn country of Hadea. An Organised Nations Peacekeeper named Remi takes leave and heads off into Hadea to find his missing parents. He soon discovers that the region is infested with strange supernatural beings called Hollow Walkers which appeared following a mysterious event known as the “Calamity.” With nothing but his instincts to go on, Remi ventures into Hadea to get to the bottom of its mysteries and why the region has been cut off from the rest of the world.



Upfront, Hell is Us doesn’t give you any of the guidance you’d typically expect in a video game. No quest markers, no points of interest marked on your map, no direction to follow or progress the story – it’s a completely hands-off experience that asks players to figure things out as they go along. You’ll come across items that may or may not be important at some point later in the game, but it’s up to you to keep track of your inventory because, again, Hell is Us just doesn’t outright tell you what any of it means or what it’s used for until you make the connections yourself.

It’s a completely hands-off experience that asks players to figure things out as they go along.

This creates a gruelling investigative process that takes you across Hadea in search of answers. I’d use the word “wander” to best describe the bulk of your exploration because you’ll be wandering (often aimlessly) into areas a lot trying to piece things together. This hands-off gameplay forms the foundation of Hell is Us and it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Some players might find it tedious or irritating to have to backtrack to places, solve its environmental puzzles or pick up items with no clue about your next objective. However, that in and of itself is the most fascinating part of the game because it forces you to engage with the world on a much deeper level than you usually would just following quest markers.



There’s a lot of interesting world-building happening in Hell is Us that adds vital context to the story and keeps you guessing every step of the way. Not every note, NPC conversation or item is going to have the answers you want but they do provide clues to your next destination or point of interest, requiring you to be extremely attentive. Best of all, the game made me feel like every plot revelation was earned by my hands. If I decided to go left instead of right at a certain area, for example, I could’ve missed something important that offers a crucial clue as to where to head next. It’s not always clear, but you’ll cherish any drip of info you obtain that gives purpose to your next trek, motivating you to continue exploring, even if it means getting lost and running into the game’s antagonists.

Not every note, NPC conversation or item is going to have the answers you want but they do provide clues to your next destination or point of interest, requiring you to be extremely attentive.

Combat in Hell is Us is relatively straight-forward. You have light and heavy attacks with melee weapons ranging from swords and dual-wield axes (which are a personal favourite). Each weapon type has an attack pattern that balances speed, distance and agility. For instance, the polearm is slower but hits harder and has longer range, while axes swing faster but do slightly less damage and require you get up-close and personal. The sword is the most balanced option of the lot, though you’ll stumble across plenty of weapons along the way to experiment with, encouraging you to find an ideal playstyle.



Hollow Walkers take the form of abstract supernatural creatures that have infested Hadea. They have standard melee attacks and dashes but can also throw out hologram-like transforming objects that look insanely cool visually. Remi comes equipped with a drone that can be used to distract enemies while he creates openings, though it’s particularly terrifying if you’re jumped by two or more enemies at once. That’s not to say combat is difficult, but if you’re careless and don’t watch your spacing, you can easily be overwhelmed and killed. Combat in Hell is Us doesn’t stand out, but it's not bad either. On that note, combat can also feel a tad bit clunky with the way Remi moves and strikes, so it takes some getting used to. You also have stamina management (guys, it’s not a Soulslike) to keep in mind as Remi can enter an exhausted state when his health and stamina is low, leaving him more vulnerable to attacks.

Where Hell is Us might lose players is its strict level of commitment. This isn’t the type of game you can easily drop and return to weeks or even days later, expecting to pick up right where you left off and know exactly what’s happening. That immersive investigative process of exploring and unravelling the story is both its greatest strength and weakness. Luckily, it’s not a very long game – my overall playtime clocked in at around 20 hours and that’s including tackling as many “side” objectives as I could, sometimes completely against my will without me even knowing. I’m sure there’s a clearer path forward for the story but Hell is Us’ loose guidance means you’ll probably be stumbling across tasks that don’t always add to the overarching narrative beyond fuelling your curiosity.



As far as performance goes, I played Hell is Us on PS5 Pro and encountered only a few hiccups. Of course, playing in Performance Mode ensured I hit a mostly stable 60fps (especially utilising PSSR), though there were instances where the slight dip was noticeable in demanding areas and heavier action moments. Hell is Us isn’t a seamless open world either – similar to maybe Metro Exodus, players move between large zones that do have minor loading pauses when transitioning. It’s not too bad as the loading times are very fast but I have run into sections where the frame rate jitters before stabilising again. DualSense support is also excellent on PS5, with fittingly subtle haptic feedback used without breaking any of the immersion.

That immersive investigative process of exploring and unravelling the story is both its greatest strength and weakness.

Hell is Us also boasts some gorgeous visuals with strong art direction, particularly where the creative designs of the Hollow Walkers are concerned. There’s some variety between enemy types but I wish there was just a bit more since a few combat scenarios, particularly in the late game, can feel a bit same-y after a while. However, the world is very well-designed with plenty of landmarks and points of interest to guide your exploration. Nothing in Hell is Us ever feels like a waste of time – it’s very time-consuming, sure, but stumbling upon a new object, location or area rewards your curiosity in small or big ways; that’s up to you to decide.



Hell is Us’ shortcomings are mostly overshadowed by its strong presentation, bold design choices, rewarding exploration, fascinating world-building, and a story that earns its big revelations. However, it won’t cater to every player’s taste as many could see its bold design as tedious or slow at times, and understandably so. If you’re looking for a new, highly immersive adventure that keeps you guessing until the end, you’ll find a lot to love about Hell is Us.

*PS5 Review code provided by Nacon | Hell is Us is available to purchase for R949