All quiet on the Hadean front: ‘Hell is Us’ takes players through the inferno of human conflict

In the game, you have to destroy these monsters called hollows, and you do this by using special limbic weapons; regular weapons don’t work on these creatures. What’s war got to do with these monsters? Well, these hollows are created when there is a concentration of negative energies. The most powerful hollows are attached to time loops that form from past horrific events involving war crimes and serious atrocities. It’s a nice premise, but some of the execution is lacking, and some of the choices are odd.

For example, Hell is Us is missing a lot of the conveniences and quality-of-life features that most modern players have come to expect. There’s no map, no quest log, and no waypoint system. You’re expected to remember everything yourself, like a detective piecing together a case board. At first, that sounds cool and hardcore, but in practice, it means you have to constantly revisit places because you forgot where a locked door was, or scroll through screenshots to remind yourself what some random NPC said three hours ago. Oh, not to mention remembering where certain puzzles are located because you probably don’t have all the components required to complete them. Remi has a high-tech drone, an armoured vehicle, and a data pad, but apparently, taking notes isn’t his strong suit.

This makes the game feel needlessly tedious at times, and not in a way that adds depth. This also means that you are either taking screenshots or keeping a journal of things, which can get tiresome. Not to mention, if you are like me and haven’t touched a game in five days straight, then getting back into the groove of the game becomes a chore. 

Combat doesn’t really help matters. On paper, the system is interesting: you use special limbic weapons like swords, axes, and polearms, and attune them to emotional states like grief or rage. In practice, though, fights are not nuanced. I don’t need Dead Souls or Elden Ring level combat variety, but I do want some variety. There are also only a handful of enemy types, and even the boss fights feel like slight variations on the same formula. Once you figure out a weapon setup that works for you, you can pretty much button-mash your way through most encounters. You’ll rarely need to think beyond basic combos and drone support.

Where Hell is Us really shines is in its exploration and atmosphere. The devastated landscapes of Hadea are haunting, filled with collapsed towns, propaganda-covered walls, and environmental storytelling that hits uncomfortably close to real life. It may serve as a warning to people who would advocate for war. It is especially important now in these trying times, where propaganda is the only thing we hear. Every ruined house and burned field tells part of the story, and some areas in the game are genuinely memorable. The puzzles are well-designed and often require real attention, making exploration the most rewarding part of the experience.

Hell is Us has a message for the human race, which is essential. However, it is not a game I would spend too much time on in the near future. This has nothing to do with the game’s content but rather some choices made by the developers that, for me personally, make it harder to play the game. Mind you, this doesn’t mean the game is bad. In fact, it is a reasonably decent game with a halfway decent story and is highly playable if you are willing to put in the effort. I am not willing to put in the effort required. It is a recommendation for anyone who loves action-adventure games and is highly organised.