Hell Is Us Reviews
Since its announcement, Hell is Us was shaping up to be a game to keep a close eye on, and now that I’ve played it, for the most part, ended up being even better than I expected. It felt like a slight breath of fresh air that removes most of the handholding, entrusting players to progress at their own pace. It’s a wonderful and unique experience, but one that occasionally stumbles with repetitive enemy design and a story that falls short of its full potential. Regardless, these issues felt like mere setbacks, and don’t stop Hell is Us from being one of the biggest surprises of the year.
I still feel like recommending Hell Is Us, to some people at least, because it is a unique experience worth digging into. Just, remember to arm yourself with a lot of patience – and maybe a guide or two.
Hell Is Us is a game that dares to be different, and for that, it deserves recognition. Its refusal to hold your hand creates moments of genuine exploration, mystery, and tension. Puzzles and investigative elements shine, and the atmosphere is haunting in a way few games manage. However, the game’s ambitions come at a cost. Combat often feels sluggish and clunky, pacing is uneven, and storytelling can leave you scratching your head. The lack of guidance will appeal to some players while alienating others. Ultimately, Hell Is Us is a game of extremes. It will either captivate you with its boldness or frustrate you with its rough edges. There’s a lot to respect here, even if the execution isn’t flawless.
No maps. No markers. No mercy. Hell is Us trusts you to listen, to feel, and to get lost. And in doing so, it offers something truly rare: a soul.
Hell is Us isn’t perfect, but it’s a highly enjoyable experience. While the story and characters don’t quite hit the mark, its rich mythology, striking world design, and varied combat make it easy to recommend. It’s not a Souls-like, but this adventure packs plenty of soul.
I haven't been able to stop thinking about the world of Hell is Us since I started playing it. Hadea's story is carefully crafted so it perfectly expresses the frustration we feel towards our own species and how easily we are infected by the virus of hatred. The flaws and frustrating elements it may have on the gameplay level—it is, in part, a soulslike game—can be easily ignored thanks to the freedom of exploration it offers and the many secrets it hides. If it doesn't become a hit, it will definitely become a cult classic.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Hell is Us reflects on violence and how its political use brings out the worst in people. As much as there are differences between these people, sometimes these differences are radicalized by political and economic interests. And although the game is filled with bizarre creatures that try to kill us all the time, it often asks us: who are the real monsters? What drives us to do things we never imagined we were capable of?
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Few games challenge the status quo as confidently as Hell is Us, and I found myself fully immersed in its vision and execution. In a time when so many games feel afraid to let players think for themselves, this one demands it. It takes bold swings in its design, its storytelling, and its philosophy, and remarkably, it lands every one of them. The satisfaction I felt solving its puzzles, discovering its secrets, and unravelling its story far surpassed what I’ve experienced in most modern games. It’s not often a perfect score is given, but Hell is Us earns it. For its brave design, for trusting the player, and for delivering one of the most memorable adventures I’ve played in years, it gets my highest recommendation.
An amazing immersive experience that has been lost with the art of hand-holding maps and quest markers. The game makes good use of puzzles, both easy and ones that get you thinking. However, the combat is extremely lacking, which stops it from reaching greater heights.
Hell is Us was a pleasant surprise, featuring a great story and robust gameplay. Despite low enemy variety and challenging puzzles for casual players, its positive aspects stand out. Rogue Factor outdid itself with this project, and I look forward to the studio's next games.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Quite possibly the sleeper hit of the year. With excellent gameplay mechanics, and a bold design choice in how it delivers the narrative to the player. Hell is Us proves to be one of the better releases of 2025 so far, and I hope more games take note of the unapologetic style it bases its foundations upon.
Developer Rogue Factor is to be commended for employing a Player-Flattering approach in a game like this, and it works perfectly for me, with the exception of the puzzles, which are too dull and sometimes unforgiving. Perhaps it even goes too far, as in Act II, the objectives become somewhat confusing. The gameplay may not be particularly special, and the combat often feels repetitive, but the exploration aspect of the game kept me engaged for hours, even bringing me back to various areas. The game offers dozens of hours of content, with exploration taking up a significant amount of time. As mentioned, it might be too much without a walkthrough guide. In total, I spent a whopping thirty hours playing the game before the end appeared, and then you can still complete all the sidequests, including the Good Deeds missions. As the game progresses, you can spend much more time finding the right combinations of characters, investigations, and locations, as the connections can become more complex due to the amount of data you collect. The action is perfectly playable for both beginners and experienced soulslike/action enthusiasts, but eventually the difficulty will increase, and some might find it a bit overwhelming. Ultimately, this is more of an action game than a soulslike, though. At the lower difficulty level, the game is easy for everyone. Hell is Us didn't include the word "hell" in its title for nothing. Are you up for a new, refreshing challenge, where the latter lies mainly in the puzzles? Then I'd love to put you to the test!
Review in Dutch | Read full review
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Review in German | Read full review
Rogue Factor have created something truly special in Hell is Us, combing head-scratching puzzles with fun, challenging combat. This is an unexpected treasure.
Hell is Us is a fantastic experience that I ended up loving, even though I am not generally a fan of this style of game. The lack of hand-holding can be a little frustrating, but it encourages exploration in a way that feels rewarding in terms of general gameplay and the fantastic story. Figuring out where to go and completing puzzles to progress or discover secret items is so satisfying and keeps me wanting more. The combat combines its slower-paced soulslike feel with more Action-focused progression in a great way, with an assortment of skills to equip that help make combat feel more engaging. There are some nuisances with camera angles, but it is generally in good spots. The game is also surprisingly playable on the Steam Deck. It does need compromises to the visuals and a 30 FPS lock to make sure it runs, but it's ultimately a great experience on the go, and it feels wonderful to enjoy wherever you are.
Hell Is Us makes bold choices: no hand-holding, no maps, no shortcuts. That design philosophy is both its biggest strength and its biggest frustration.
Hell is Us is equal parts intriguing and frustrating, with some impressive design choices that force you to think and plan your path through Hadea. The idea behind player-pattering is refreshing in a time where many games leave the sense of mystery out of their plans from the beginning, and the combat forces you to think about how to deal with wildly unpredictable enemies that feel and sound like they're from another world. In the nearly 50 hours you'll spend in this meticulously planned-out world, there's very little filler to worry about, with some often engaging stories dealing with a great mix of very real scenarios of civil war mixed with some impressive, ethereal, otherworldly dangers.
Hell is Us is a demanding, flawed yet strikingly original experience that rewards patient players with fun combat, clever puzzles, and a thematically rich world, even as its slow start, uneven presentation, and rigid design constantly test their resolve.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Hell is Us was a game that really captivated me. Even though it doesn't employ all the expected Souls-like mechanics, the plot and setting were more than enough to keep me glued to my seat throughout the entire game and, I might add, engaging with what was happening at every turn.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Hell Is Us is one of the most unique gaming experiences of the year, bringing some of the most intricate and memorable puzzles in recent memory, accompanied by superb exploration mechanics.