8.0

Review: Hell Is Us

Setting and Premisse

Hell Is Us is an action adventure game that immediately stands out due to its quirky approach and special atmosphere. Developed by Rogue Factor and published by Nacon, the game puts you in the shoes of Rémi, a UN soldier returning to his native country Hadea. What he finds is a country that has been torn apart by civil war and is also plagued by supernatural beings, the so-called Hollow Walkers, who have their origins in a mysterious disaster called the Calamity. This setting creates a world that not only feels grim and raw, but is also full of symbolism and mystery.

Gameplay and Fights

The gameplay is mainly about melee-fighting and exploration. Rémi has different weapons such as swords, axes and spears, each with their own pace, range and style. The fighting often feels intense because you not only have to keep a close eye on your life bar, but also your stamina. When your health drops, your maximum stamina also decreases, making you gradually weaker and every fight feels more risky. In addition, you get support from a drone called KAPI, who can not only help in combat, but also plays a crucial role in deciphering foreign languages, symbols and structures that you encounter during your journey.

Exploration and Discovery

What makes Us special is that it leaves out almost all modern tools. There is no map, no quest log, no waypoints or other indications that tell you where to go. Instead, you have to rely on dialogues with NPCâ€TMs, subtle directions in the environment and your own curiosity. This makes the world feel organic, but this can also be frustrating to some players. The game requires you to pay attention, to connect and to think actively, rather than to follow an arrow thoughtlessly. This design idea gives back an old-fashioned sense of adventure, where discovery and own interpretation are central.

Symbolism and Enemies

The exploration is enhanced by the way the world is built. Everywhere you will find mysterious ruins, strange symbols and ominous structures that invite you to unravel their meaning. Many puzzles are not explicitly explained, but hide in the visual details of the environment. The game uses symbolism not only in its puzzles, but also in its enemies. The Hollow Walkers are designed to represent emotions, such as grief, mourning and fear. By fighting them, it sometimes feels like you're tackling not only physical opponents, but also inner demons. This strengthens the thematic depth of the game and makes your fights more weight than just an obstacle on the way to the next goal.

Atmosphere and narrative

The atmosphere of Hell Is Us is dark, oppressive and often emotionally charged. Hadea is not a vibrant fantasy land, but a place full of scars of war: broken buildings, quiet villages, bodies along the road and threatening ruins determine the landscape. This is combined with surrealistic elements that always put you on edge, such as mysterious orbs, bizarre rituals and cryptic symbols that you don't immediately understand. Especially the first hours of the game strongly focus on this mystery and uncertainty: You are constantly confronted with things that you cannot read or understand, making you as confused as Rémi himself.

The story itself is ambitious, but not always compelling. Rémi's search for his parents is the common thread, but the larger narrative about the Calamity and the war sometimes feels fragmentary and sometimes misses urgency. Where the atmosphere and symbolism are powerful, the plot does not always succeed to make the same impact. After about ten hours the repetition can also occur. The fighting, which initially feels exciting and dangerous, can become repetitive due to the limited number of weapons and enemy types. Also the structure of the gameplay â€