Hell Is Us Reviews
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
Although "Hell is Us" is in many ways more of an old-school game, the lack of excessive game aids and the integration of serious puzzles provide a pleasantly fresh breath of fresh air in the increasingly challenging everyday life of gamers.
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.
Hell Is Us excels in its atmosphere, story, and mystery-solving and puzzle-solving, although the repetitive enemies can make combat a bit tiresome. The story, combined with investigation and exploration, makes for an engaging experience. Hell Is Us isn't for everyone, and those seeking intense combat may be disappointed. Those seeking something different can find a good experience here.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
For all its shortcomings in the combat and enemy variety departments, Hell is Us is one of my favourite games of 2025, and is sure to be close to the top of my rankings when the time comes. Hands down the most refreshing experience I’ve had on console in quite some time, Hell is Us takes years of tropes and bad habits built up by the industry and discards them in favour of player agency. It’s a game that I hope finds its fans, as while I anticipate it being an incredibly polarizing experience, we need more experiences like this to stand alongside the AAA junk food that is undoubtedly satisfying, but frequently hollow. If you’re like me and want to reprogram your brain to not instinctively climb a wall or squeeze through a gap that might happen to have yellow paint splashed across it due to years of being indoctrinated by video games, then please take the time to sample the delight that is Hell is Us this summer.
I will long remember this beautifully designed and torn world, which offers so many facets and puzzles – despite the abrupt ending and some technical hiccups.
Review in German | Read full review
Hell is US is an Action RPG with light Souls-Like influences in the field of gameplay. The player has to solve the puzzles with minimal hints and little indication. It is not constantly said where to go and what should be done there. It is therefore up to the player to make the choice what has priority and this ensures a nice play experience.
Review in Dutch | Read full review