The adventure Hell Is Us was critically acclaimed for its gloomy atmosphere, deep lore, and unusual approach to world exploration.
The action adventure from the Canadian studio Rogue Factor received 83/100 on OpenCritic and 75/100 on Metacritic. Scores range from 9/10 at Shacknews, Push Square, and PSU to 6/10 at Eurogamer. Most publications gave the game between 8 and 8.5 points. The average score of 83/100 on OpenCritic looks like a strong start for a game that is already being called the “dark horse of the year.”
The story takes place in the fictional country of Khadea after a civil war and a mysterious cataclysm. The protagonist Remy returns to his homeland to find out the truth about his past. The world is deliberately made to look like the 1990s: without smartphones, with outdated technologies. The themes are not easy either (but favorite for Instagram users) — racism, fanaticism, the consequences of war and manipulation of the masses. Monsters here are metaphors for human suffering.
The game doesn’t have a map or markers, so you’ll have to rely on NPCs, notes, and the environment to find your way around. Battles take place against monsters that ignore firearms — the main emphasis is on swords, axes, and spears. A special drone can distract enemies.
“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.,” — writes PlayStation Universe.
Reviewers emphasized that Hell Is Us gives almost no hints to the player, so the main focus is on independent exploration. The battles are intense, but there could be more enemies. Other reviews call the game an “impressive achievement” that does not shy away from difficult topics but presents them in a calmer way than one might expect.
“If you’re looking for a different challenge, a game that forces you to observe, fight smart, and be involved every step of the way, Hell Is Us is a title worth your attention. You might not have expected it, but here’s a dark horse that has a lot to say this year.,” he adds Generación Xbox.
At the same time, Hell Is Us has also received a portion of criticism. Among the disadvantages is the difficult to understand beginning due to the overload of names and symbols. Also, some people did not like the uneven pace of the story and the combat system, which starts to repeat itself after a few hours.
Hell Is Us will be released on September 4, 2025 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S Pre-order will start at 1,500₴. The players’ opinion will be known very soon, so we hope there will be no bugs with the engine Unreal Engine 5, which was recently discussed by the boss of Epic Games.
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