Hell is Us Review - Explore Depravity with Alternate History

Hell is Us is a strong narrative that explores an alternate history within the world of Hadea. Set in the 1990s, the country is besieged by strange creatures amidst a civil war. It's not a game for everyone, however, as the darker subject matter may be hard for some to play through. Read on for a full rundown in our Hell is Us review. 

Hell is Us Review | Aliens and Alt. History

You play as a man returning to the country of his birth, Hadea. While you search for the fate of your parents and why you were sent away, you encounter the Hollow Walkers, a strange enemy of unknown origin. These are the only enemies you'll battle in the title, with all their variations. 

Combat is one of the main mechanics in Hell is Us. Defeating Hollow Walkers and their linked Lymbic manifestations lets you rescue citizens, collect useful upgrade materials, and close the creatures' way into Hadea. You can wield two sets of weapons, each customized with different abilities, allowing you to adapt to different battles and your playstyle. 

There's a built-in health restoration mechanic for consecutive hits without being damaged. Get the timing down and you'll remain fighting fit through all your explorations. You can also dodge and parry, with additional effects for executing a perfect dodge. While I thought the default difficulty setting was fulfilling, you can switch the settings from the main menu to make it easier or harder, depending on your preference. 

Combat might be fulfilling, but learning how to Parry, when you can add Glyphs to your weapons, or getting a handle on the different weapons available, can be difficult. With the open world design, you can easily skip over relevant information or items that can help you excel in battle. Following the main investigations will ensure you learn all you need to know about the different game systems. 

As a way to explore the world without being extremely dialogue-heavy or dumping everything on you at once, there are multiple Good Deeds and Mysteries to complete. These act as the side quests, ensuring you explore the nine regions as thoroughly as possible. You'll earn upgraded combat items for finishing Good Deeds, adding a nice incentive and way to score higher-tier equipment early in the game. 

The highlight is the story, though the subject matter may turn some players' stomachs. Yes, Hell is Us is a mature game that gives a warning on the general triggers you may run into while playing. Those aren't extremely detailed. You will encounter discussions involving religious persecution, authoritarianism, genocide, war, and sexual assault. 

The references are found throughout the country of Hadea, from quests to dialogue with NPCs. It slaps you in the face, but it's also subtly interlaced into the world. 

Some parents may allow their teenagers to play mature games, but this title should receive a second glance. The material is heavy, and processing through it can be difficult for anyone. Just be prepared for tough scenes throughout the storyline, it's not just war violence and battles with strange creatures you'll experience. 

The Downfall of Hell is Us

Hell is Us is a strong narrative alternate history RPG. Its realistic environments, connection to actual events, and lore-centered items ground the story. With strong roots, there are few things the title does badly. 

The largest of these is the lack of jumping. You cannot jump at all in Hell is Us. This can, and does, lead to you having to go around small fences, take the long way up a cliff, or have to backtrack to their original point again. This includes getting over small rocks and other significant bumps on the path. 

Not being able to jump caused me to go around in circles time and time again after sliding down a small ledge, falling during combat, or when I took the wrong turn. It's a frustrating element that could have been addressed in a different manner to not feel so impactful.

Along with the lack of jumping, there are some instances where you can fall off a platform or a ridge and get stuck among environmental objects, like barrels or stones. Since you can't jump, you can't get out. Loading up the save from the main menu is the only way I got unstuck when this happened. 

Additionally, during long play sessions of Hell is Us, the title would slow down or freeze up completely. It was rare, but when it occurred, I had to hard shut down and lost whatever progress I had made. 

Hell is Us Review | Final Thoughts

Hell is Us is a deeply impactful RPG that focuses on the darker side of humanity. There's extensive lore, interesting tidbits to find in every location, and different ways to interact with Hadea. The environment is beautifully detailed, but some can be confusing to navigate. 

The mature subject matter gives Hell is Us its narrative strength, but it's also hard to digest at times. Be prepared for themes spanning multiple types of violence. It may not be to everyone's taste. 

Aside from the lack of jumping, which causes a lot of frustration, there are few glitches that impact it. Overall, this is a solid entry in the RPG genre.

Hell is Us was reviewed on PC with a code provided by Nacon over the course of 41 hours of gameplay - all screenshots were taken as part of the review.