Hell is Us Review – Monsters and Mysteries

Hell is Us Review

Back in “the day” — whatever that means, let’s say the 1990s — adventure and puzzle games trusted the player to figure things out. Myst didn’t have a glowing breadcrumb trail or a helpful companion character whispering hints. It could be argued that in the decades since, gamers have become more impatient and distracted, unable or unwilling to solve complex puzzles on their own. Hell is Us is a throwback. It forces the player to be observant. It’s the kind of game where you need paper and pencil always at the ready.

In terms of genre, Hell is Us is a third-person action-adventure game. It has combat obviously in the Soulslike lineage, but the main focus of the game is its narrative. Progress through the story and world is gated less by boss battles — though there are those, too, sort of (not really) — and more by solving puzzles. For patient gamers, Hell is Us is heaven.

Mysteries Wrapped in Enigmas

I won’t even try to describe the plot beyond the basics. To do so would definitely spoil the arc of discovery that propels the game forward. The short version is that you play Remi, who travels to a war-torn fictional European country to find and rescue his parents. In doing so, he finds his homeland ravaged by civil war, religious strife, and supernatural monsters. Maybe unsurprisingly, they’re all connected. Remi takes up the investigation started by his father. His particular hero’s journey is to discover the truth behind the monsters and his own mostly forgotten past.

Hell Is Us has a main quest that takes Remi through three lengthy chapters and regions across the map. It isn’t an open world, but within each story-related section of the map, there are numerous side quests and bits of the environment to explore. One of Hell Is Us’ strengths is that you can be sure that wherever you venture, you’ll find something of importance, either related to a quest or upgrading equipment.

As Remi pushes on through the story, he meets a handful of main NPCs that persist through the game, and dozens of other characters with side quests or bits of narrative information. Rarely are the side quests simply fetch or kill quests, and sometimes their payoff isn’t gear or items but a moment of connection. Overall, Hell Is Us has a rather dark, melancholic, and somber tone, with only occasional ironic humor.

Elation, Meet Frustration

As I said at the start, puzzles are central to Hell Is Us. The critical path is full of multi-part puzzles that require key items and close attention to environmental clues, documents, and dialogue. There is an overworld map, but aside from that, it’s up to the player to take notes and draw diagrams. Some of the larger dungeon areas are vast underground spaces with countless looping paths and shortcut doors to open.

Consistently, puzzle clues or even gateways to the next part of the quest are nested in NPC dialogue trees, making listening to every line a necessity. More than once, I was stuck because I either failed to give an NPC a specific item or listen to their explanation of something. Almost always, the inability to solve a puzzle can be traced back to impatience or lack of attention to detail. Talent for lateral thinking helps, too.

The developers’ insistence on a hands-off, clue-adverse approach is a two-edged sword. On one hand, solving a puzzle and moving forward is extremely satisfying. On the other hand, our time for gaming is usually limited. An optional, on-demand nudge in the right direction would definitely have been welcome in several places. Additionally, solving some of the puzzles in the larger dungeon areas requires a lot of tedious backtracking. Dead monsters don’t respawn, and their corpses remain to help players navigate where they’ve been.

Faceless and Fearsome Monsters

What the monsters are and where they come from is an important mystery in Hell is Us, but they basically come in two flavors: Hollow Walkers and Lymbic Entities. The Hollow Walkers have different forms — melee, ranged, tanks, and high damage dealers. Lymbic Entities look similar but carry swirling masses of status effects that separate them. While fighting the various types of Walkers and Entities is certainly challenging, the limited selection of enemies is ultimately disappointing. The world is also populated by massive collections of energy called Timeloops. Entering and destroying Timeloops is a key component of combat.

Overall, though, combat feels less polished and satisfying than other aspects of Hell is Us. The basic mechanics come from the Souls-lite playbook. There are heavy and light attacks, dodges, and parries. Stamina management plays a role as expected. There are no ranged weapons, but there’s a selection of swords, twin axes, great swords, and polearms. Weapons level up from use, which means that you’re likely to stick with one weapon type. The Lymbic Twin Axes carried me through the game. For a 30+ hour game, the lack of variety in weapons and enemies is an issue.

Remi has a drone that has multiple uses both in and out of combat. The drone scans and translates mysterious ancient texts. In combat, it can be programmed with up to four special attacks or support moves, like pulling enemy focus. Although the drone’s attacks are on cooldown timers, they can be enhanced by consumable items.

Layers of Depth

Combat is enhanced by a number of systems and mechanics, almost all of which are familiar to fans of ARPGs or adventure games. Weapons can be leveled at the blacksmith and buffed with various magical properties. Remi collects various Lymbic items that he uses to solve puzzles or open doors. What’s in short supply are healing items, because the game has a variation on the rally/regain system that recovers health if timed correctly in battle. Early on, Remi gains access to an APC, which he uses to teleport between locations on the map and which occasionally also houses an important story NPC.

For a game made by a small team, Hell is Us looks pretty good, if not amazing.  Environments are detailed, and the game’s lighting is effective. Although they’re a bit limited in variety, the game’s enemies and supernatural elements definitely add an extra layer of visual intrigue to the world. Some of the game’s less important NPCs aren’t very visually convincing, but the leads are nicely done. The narrative cutscenes are impressive. The soundtrack is electronic and generally subdued. It adds an appropriate element of tension, but it might not be engaging listening outside of the game.

A Lot to Consider

Outside of its fairly derivative, sometimes repetitive, and not quite finely-tuned combat, Hell is Us has a unique identity. Its emphatic insistence on patient and meticulous puzzle solving and careful exploration creates a satisfying experience, even if its obtuse execution can frustrate on occasion. The game’s narrative, characters, and setting feel darkly surreal. Its ultimate message about humanity caught in endlessly repeating tragic loops has some weight. For gamers willing to take on its challenges and solve its mysteries, Hell is Us has a lot to offer.

***PC code provided by the publisher for review***