"Hell is Us": A game for adults who want to think for themselves

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A game without a map, without permanently blinking signposts, markers and popping signs? What seems like a design flaw in these days of overly chatty and completely overloaded open-world monstrosities from various AAA studios is a deliberate decision in the case of "Hell is Us". With its new title, the Canadian studio Rogue Factor under publisher Nacon not only wants to tell a dark third-person adventure, but also make a new and yet classic form of exploration tangible – similar to the great adventures of days gone by.

In search of identity and home

The story takes place in a fictional country that has been shaken by a protracted civil war. Protagonist Rémi returns there in search of his parents and his identity after being smuggled out of the country as a child. But on his return, the isolated country is not only scarred by war, but also by a mysterious phenomenon that brings forth supernatural beings reminiscent of archaic monuments that cannot be harmed with conventional weapons.

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"Hell is Us" is a game for adults. Not because it is full of explicit violence, but because it shows its consequences. "We are deliberately targeting an adult audience because we want to show the horrors of war," explained designer Simon Girard during his presentation at this year's Gamescom. "Civil war is all around you, and we want to do virtual justice to this terrible human conflict." However, players do not become a direct part of the war and never fight against other people. Nevertheless, the effects can be felt everywhere: destroyed villages, distraught inhabitants and murals with political messages.

There are said to be more than 160 NPCs in the game who are involved in the war in one way or another: voluntary or involuntary participants, mere spectators and victims of the raging conflict. So if you can't stand the sight of grieving families, children's corpses and tortured prisoners of war, you should steer clear of this game.

Narratively multi-layered and playfully free

According to Girard, "Hell is Us" pursues three narrative levels simultaneously: Rémi's personal story, the effects of the civil war on the population and the supernatural threat posed by the "Calamity" phenomenon. These narrative levels are therefore deeply interwoven, similarly significant and are repeatedly weighted differently in the course of the story. "The narrative shifts smoothly from one level to the next and keeps you under its spell. But nothing happens by chance, everything has a purpose," promises Girard.

On a playful level, "Hell is Us" is also aimed at a mature audience: "players who want to think for themselves", as Girard describes it. The aim is to break up "silver plattering". A term that describes the tendency of modern games to serve up all information in a bite-sized format. "With us, there's no map, no quest markers – you have to rely on your senses and your own judgment to find your way." Instead, players receive subtle hints from NPCs, conspicuous plumes of smoke in the distance or signs on buildings. Those with an attentive eye for detail will be rewarded. Those who expect to be able to simply follow an arrow, on the other hand, run the risk of losing their bearings in frustration.

According to Girard, although there is "an enormous amount of information" in the game and investigative work is important, it should still be easy for players to filter out the relevant from the less useful. "We want to respect your time – After all, you are adult players who have other things to do," emphasizes Girard. The conversations with NPCs are therefore kept short, but provide players with exactly the information they need – provided they listen carefully. "Every clue can be important. It's up to you to ask the right questions and interpret the clues." However, players have to memorize names and locations themselves or keep track of them in the "mind map system", which works like a visual notebook.

Psychic hand-to-hand combat instead of blunt shooting

From the very first confrontations with the supernatural "Hollow Walkers", it becomes clear how much importance "Hell is Us" places on tactical action. The enemies are supernatural beings that resemble stone statues and can only be defeated with specially adapted weapons. Classic firearms have no effect here. Instead, modified swords, spears and axes are used. The battles require good timing, precise evasive maneuvers and clever stamina management.

If you are too hasty, you will quickly run out of energy and suffer serious damage. An exciting trick is that energy and stamina bars are linked to each other. If you take damage, you also lose stamina. Rémy is not on his own, however, but has access to a hovering drone. It deflects enemies or triggers special abilities, such as area attacks or special projectiles.

According to Simon Girard, the two gameplay levels of combat and exploration each make up around 50 percent of the gaming experience. Visually, the adventure also impresses with strong effects and beautiful landscapes that invite you to gaze into the distance. If the preliminary demos and presentations live up to their promise over the entire duration of the game, fans of open-ended adventures can expect a world that is both credible and threatening thanks to its dark atmosphere and mixture of realistic conflicts and supernatural phenomena.

"Hell is Us" will be released on September 4 for PC, Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

(joe)