What parents need to know
Hell is Us is the brand new game from Rogue Factor, a studio based in Montreal. Their brand new game is an interesting hybrid, halfway between the adventure and exploration of a The Legend of Zelda, the puzzles and the disturbing atmosphere of a Resident Evil and the combat of a Dark Souls.
You play as Rémi, a member of the ON peacekeepers (the UN’s version of this universe) who flees his battalion to infiltrate Hadéa, a mysterious dictatorship cut off from the world. Rémi has a reason for wanting to infiltrate the country ravaged by civil war: he was born there, and his parents took him out when he was very young.
But what Rémi discovers when he sets foot on the land of Hadéa exceeds his expectations. Not only is the country plagued by a cruel and violent civil war between the Palomists and the Sabinians, which makes the country look like a post-apocalyptic world, but above all, it is invaded by terrifying demons resembling white mannequins whose appearance no one can explain.
To find his parents and solve the mystery of his origins, our protagonist must explore this ravaged country, confront demons and investigate the secrets that lie beneath the surface.
One of the striking particularities of Hell is Us is that the game, on purpose, gives us very few indications. There is no world map, no quest markers, and objectives are a bit nebulous at times.
On the other hand, what the game offers us is a jostle and a lot of documentation. We then have to dig through his notes, question the Hadeans and orient ourselves by observing the scenery to progress in our adventure.
The combat system, on the other hand, is reminiscent of the famous soulslike. The fights are difficult, the enemy attacks are devastating, and we have to deal with a stamina bar that constantly decreases when we move in combat.
Fortunately, the drone that accompanies us has some skills that allow us to draw our card from the game. For example, it can temporarily paralyze certain enemies, or allow us to rise into the air to perform an aerial attack.
We also have the ability to heal ourselves during confrontations. If you manage to land several blows in a row without getting hit back, a white ring appears around you. When it becomes opaque, you have to hurry up and pull the right trigger. If our timing is right, our character will immediately regain some of his life and stamina.
On the other hand, Hell is Us is not a pure soulslike. There is no progression system with experience points, little progression or customization of our character’s abilities (apart from our choice of weapons and their upgrades) and the enemies, once defeated, remain defeated.
Details
Level of experience required
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Evaluation
Demons don’t bleed, but they’re definitely scary. Otherwise, even if we don’t fight against humans, we see them in bloody situations.
We didn’t notice any nudity or sexuality per se. However, many references to rape by soldiers are made during the game.
There is a lot of reading to do in the game, which is essential to progress. Vocabulary can be complicated, and we’re often asked to deduce and read between the lines.
Our character has an interesting condition that we won’t reveal here but that has an influence on his morality. The subject of war is treated with a certain amount of cynicism.
Hell is Us is easier than many soulslikes, but it’s still a game for seasoned gamers. The puzzles, without being extremely complex, still require a good dose of reflection and analysis.
The game has very good production values, especially since it is sold for only $64.99. Downloadable content is absolutely optional.
Local game modes
Single-player story mode.
Online Game Modes
None.
Expansions/Add-ons (DLC)
There are a few expansions available with cosmetic content.
Our opinion
First of all, we have to mention that the game is a nice surprise. Rogue Factor is a relatively new studio game, and even though many of their employees have a lot of experience at other studios, it’s a studio that’s still looking to make its mark.
Hell is Us may be the game that will allow them to do so.
Despite a budget that we guess is limited (Rogue Factor prides itself on producing AA games, halfway between the modest budgets of independent games and the gargantuan budgets of AAA games), Hell is Us looks like a big production. The graphics are detailed, the lighting is successful and the animations are convincing and worthy of a AAA.
On the other hand, we obviously had to find ways to save money. Instead of offering a large open world, Hell is Us offers closed and independent areas and we travel between them thanks to a menu in our armored vehicle. If we imagine that a hypothetical Hell is Us 2 could benefit from an open world due to the emphasis placed in the design of the title on exploration, we don’t mind it too much here. These environments are well-designed and interesting to explore.
On the other hand, we also saved in terms of the variety of enemies and there, it hurts more. The enemies look very similar, and there is little variation in their attack patterns. Very early in the game, we are offered to face an enemy who excretes a kind of colored crystalline ball that we must destroy before we can inflict damage on the enemy itself. It’s an effective mechanic if not particularly original, but here’s the problem: this enemy represents the vast majority of the enemies you face, to the point where you couldn’t stand crossing them anymore.
The bosses aren’t particularly impressive either. This is usually a slightly tougher version of a regular enemy.
It’s a shame, because the artistic direction of Hell is Us is fascinating. The white models are scary and captivating, and we would have really liked to see the artists have a great time and give us even more horrors. Maybe in a future title, who knows?
The universe of Hadéa is very successful. Games that talk about war sometimes tend to become moralistic or to string together banalities. Hell is Us avoids these pitfalls. As we explore, we talk to a host of characters with different points of view about the exceptional situation in which the country finds itself. Sometimes they hate the Palomists, while at other times they hate the Sabinians.
The screenplay doesn’t fall into easy clichés either, with a moral “let’s love each other” that would be too simple. The situation is complex, and as in real life, war, as absurd and horrific as it is, appears as an inevitability.
Since Hell is Us forces us to follow the quests organically, without quest markers or any other external interface, we feel more involved in this world. What could represent frustration becomes more of a way to encourage an emotional attachment to this particular and disturbing universe (and this comes from a player who usually prefers more guided experiences).
We also need to talk about the clashes. The combat system of soulslike games often forces us to take precautions. The Hell is Us system encourages the opposite, for two reasons. First of all, there is no penalty for dying (other than the time wasted making our way back from the save point), and enemies remain dead between attempts. In addition, the longer you do combos, the more life you can regain.
These two elements encourage us to play very aggressively, which makes the fights more exciting and the pace faster. The different weapons also add variety to the fights, which are still undermined by the limited variety of enemies.
Hell is Us is not a perfect game. We have mentioned some of the shortcomings of the title. But all that doesn’t matter, in the end. The developers of Rogue Factor have concocted an intriguing universe that stands out in a genre that is already well explored.
We can’t wait to see what’s next, as scary as it may be.
