BerenErchamion Hell Is Us Review

Where to start? This game really hooked me. It reminded me of an era of gaming that I feel is kinda lost... I remember the time of Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 1 when I was reading online forums about Arlathan and the Reapers... all the theorycrafting and videos. It was amazing to delve into those worlds and their intricacies. It’s really been a while since I felt the same, and this game helped me feel like that again. The level of world-building in this game is AMAZING. Every detail, every piece of writing is so carefully crafted—the monuments, the ruins, the handcrafted world, the NPC interaction and how their POV gives you different perspectives of the world. It made me want to talk to every single NPC out there. This is a crystal-clear example of how more is not better—quality is what matters, and in the narrative and world-building you guys nailed it. The music is AMAZING. It helps you get into the atmosphere so much—each place with its own thematic songs, those songs changing as you transition between different areas of the same sandbox. Wow, it really shows the level of detail and thought you guys put into it. I’m one of those who’s always thought games need to be fun first, and then art, but this game really makes me rethink that. You guys really outdid yourselves with Lake Cyan—it’s so beautiful, and it’s very cool to just watch. And the rest of the areas, modern, rural, or old, are pretty cool too. The Temple of the Fallen is imposing, the Limbic Forge underground is amazing when going down the waterfall, the sense of being lost in Senedra Forests, the imposing top of Arcas Spire and the story it tells in every single level from bottom to top, Marastan with its green hues, the Aruiga Museum and all the Asterian backstory... it’s just amazing. Also, the timeloops were a very cool concept—what they represent and the sounds once you stabilize them. The story and lore are fascinating, not telling too much in order to create the sense of mystery and wanting to discover more. The scattered pieces of knowledge help you understand the culture of Hadea and its people, the ancient mystery... Also, while not having IRL politics (THANK YOU), it is still very relatable to our world. Seeing it play out in a self-contained world really makes you reflect, if ever an activist wants to make a real impact. It’s elegant, thoughtful, and it doesn’t take away from the fun. The Good Deeds system was cool, and although I missed 4 and hence the relics (only two achievements I’m missing), I like that you can actually fail stuff in the game. Again, it reminds me of a time when games did not handhold you—you actually had to think, listen, and remember. It’s so refreshing. The drone is pretty cool, and the mashup of ancient weapons with tech is a concept I very much liked. It felt organic and plausible. Most of this game’s criticism is about its combat. To be honest, when I played the demo it was obvious (at least to me) that this game wasn’t going to be about combat, but more about the discovery journey, piecing the story together, and the interactions with the NPCs—basically, the world-building. The combat is fine. I didn’t dislike it, although it does get repetitive. Maybe make it more meaningful. The Hollow Walker concept I very much liked. Variety would have been cool, and maybe some stuff like: Terror is weak to Ecstasy, Rage is weak to Terror, Ecstasy is weak to Grief—sort of like rock, paper, scissors. That way I think using different weapons would have been more meaningful, instead of relying so much on glyphs (or making glyphs more meaningful too). Also, I never used a single suppressor during my whole gameplay. I played on normal, since I saw there was no achievement for playing on the hardest difficulty. Maybe you could have added more ponchos, with some cool ancient (like Pento’s in Watcher’s Nest) or OMSIF hi-tech visual effects, but with stats that modify the gameplay. Say 10% less damage from Ecstasy and neutral damage. And yes, I know the game is not an RPG type, but those elements I think would have helped the gameplay a lot. Relics were cool, but I think there were too many. Some of them you get very late—I already had almost the whole sandbox cleared, so I had no time to try out those relics. Maybe if the relics could be added to the poncho, just like glyphs to weapons, and stack some passives, that would have been cool. But then again, I understand the simplicity of the system, since the combat is simple too—there aren’t that many dynamics. In general, this game is AMAZING. Don’t play it for the combat, play it for the experience of delving into a handcrafted world, story, and adventure. That’s the strongest point of this game and it really doesn’t disappoint. I’m so happy I pre-ordered and supported this game and studio. One last thing: Act 3 kinda felt rushed. I got the achievement and was like... wait what? Already ended?? I guess that’s good—it means I want more of this game and world. I’m still wondering what the heck is the Eye of Setherys, who is Teaar, and with those after-credits… what will happen? Oh, and the Interrogator—was he human?? Anyways, kudos guys! Great game!! Thanks for the experience.