Hell is Us Review – A Nightmarish and Divisive Journey Through War

Hell is Us, the latest project from Rogue Factor and published by Nacon, has arrived on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and its launch has immediately sparked divided opinions among players and critics. Set in the fictional country of Hadea, the game positions itself as an atmospheric meditation on the horrors of war, blending survival horror sensibilities with cryptic exploration and puzzle-driven dungeons. Its ambition and atmosphere have been praised, but equally, its frustrating design choices and shallow combat have left many feeling conflicted about the experience.

In his Eurogamer review, Ed Nightingale described Hell is Us as both “absorbing” and “tedious,” highlighting how its oppressive atmosphere and haunting sound design pull players in while its lack of guidance and clunky systems risk pushing them away. His review serves as a core perspective on the title, framing it as an experience that thrives on mood and theme while struggling to sustain engaging mechanics.

From its opening moments, Hell is Us makes clear its tonal ambitions. Strange electronic hums, unnerving screeches, and metallic echoes fill the air, creating a nightmarish soundscape designed by composer Stephane Primeau. Known for his work in heavy metal, Primeau layers droning synths and industrial tones that contribute heavily to the game’s foreboding atmosphere. The result is an oppressive sonic backdrop that Eurogamer’s review urges players to experience with headphones for maximum effect.

This atmosphere supports the narrative, which situates protagonist Remi in a country ravaged by both civil war and supernatural incursions. Inspired by real-world conflicts in Bosnia, Kosovo, Ukraine, and Gaza, Hadea is depicted as a place torn apart by religion, propaganda, and centuries of recurring violence. Ghostly apparitions haunt its battlefields, blending the horrors of the human world with otherworldly menace. Remi enters Hadea in search of his family but is quickly pulled into its broader mysteries, encountering zealots, soldiers, refugees, and civilians who each reveal different perspectives on the country’s fractured state.

The story positions war not as a conflict of clear winners and losers but as a cycle in which everyone suffers. Hell, as the title suggests, is found in humanity’s cruelty and its refusal to break the chain of violence. As one character remarks, the world suffers from a “constant campaign of dehumanising the other side,” a line that encapsulates the game’s thematic drive. Through this lens, the supernatural elements of Hell is Us become symbolic manifestations of generational trauma and endless bloodshed.

Remi himself, however, emerges as one of the weaker elements of the story. Despite being voiced by Deus Ex veteran Elias Toufexis, he offers little personality, functioning primarily as a blank avatar for the player rather than an engaged character. Critics, including Nightingale, note that this reduces the narrative’s impact, as the protagonist rarely comments or reflects on the horrors around him, leaving much of the game’s thematic weight to environmental storytelling and side characters.

Gameplay in Hell is Us further amplifies this divisiveness. Rogue Factor made the deliberate decision to exclude a map and traditional quest markers, forcing players to rely on environmental clues, dialogue, and careful observation. For some, this leads to deep immersion, drawing attention to every visual cue and sound, while for others it creates needless frustration. Exploring dungeons, which include crypts, temples, and abandoned facilities, evokes comparisons to The Legend of Zelda or Resident Evil’s Spencer Mansion, with puzzles and locked pathways demanding memory and persistence. Yet without a map system, backtracking can become confusing, and some players may find themselves wandering aimlessly rather than solving challenges.

This issue extends to side quests, referred to in the game as “Good Deeds.” Often triggered by incidental interactions or item collection, these quests are logged in menus with minimal information, sometimes tied to hidden timers that cause them to fail without warning. Nightingale notes that he unintentionally failed every failable quest during his playthrough, often by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The intention seems to be to encourage player reflection and organic storytelling, but the execution frequently leads to disengagement rather than curiosity.

Timeloops, shimmering domes that replay traumatic historical events, stand out as one of the game’s more inventive mechanics. These combine narrative and gameplay, requiring players to cleanse zones of enemies and use prism items to close the loops. While thematically powerful, the unclear acquisition of required items undermines the system, as players are often left searching randomly across vast areas with little guidance.

Combat, meanwhile, has been described as underwhelming. The game features four weapon types—sword, twin axes, polearm, and greatsword—each with distinct rhythms and a stamina-based system. A unique Healing Pulse mechanic allows players to restore health by timing attacks correctly, adding a twist reminiscent of Nioh or Bloodborne. However, the combat suffers from a lack of depth, with only a handful of enemy types recycled throughout the game and very few true boss encounters. Difficulty options exist, but they do little to disguise the repetitive nature of battles. Critics argue that the game’s rewards, often tied to combat upgrades, feel redundant in a system that never fully challenges or evolves.

Accessibility options do exist, including combat difficulty modes, subtitle customization, and visual/audio adjustments, but these improvements contrast sharply with the lack of basic navigational aids that many players consider essential. The absence of a functioning map or detailed quest log highlights Rogue Factor’s uncompromising design philosophy, one that values mystery and cryptic exploration over convenience, but risks alienating players expecting smoother usability.

Despite these frustrations, Hell is Us retains a strong sense of identity. Its visual presentation—ranging from ruined towns bathed in fog to luminous tombs filled with mystical secrets—captures a rare blend of horror and beauty. Environmental storytelling remains one of the game’s strengths, encouraging players to linger and absorb the details of Hadea’s devastated landscapes. Critics, including Nightingale, commend the game’s ability to immerse players deeply, even if the experience proves exhausting at times.

Check Hell is Us on Steam here.

Ultimately, Hell is Us emerges as a game willing to take risks, even at the cost of accessibility and player satisfaction. It channels the disturbing realities of modern conflict through allegory and supernatural horror, delivering moments of brilliance wrapped in layers of frustration. For some, this uncompromising design will make it a standout cult classic, rewarding patience and attention to detail. For others, it will remain a punishing, tedious journey that undermines its own artistic ambitions.

Hell is Us has launched into a market crowded with polished, mainstream experiences, but its willingness to embrace rough edges and provoke strong reactions sets it apart. As Eurogamer’s review suggests, this is a game that embodies its own title: a nightmare that reflects humanity’s darkest traits, daring players to confront the horrors we create for ourselves. Whether it becomes remembered as a bold experiment or a frustrating misstep will likely depend on how willing players are to endure its cryptic design in search of meaning.