Journey Through War-Torn Hadea

Hell is Us follows the story of Rémi, a former United Nations peacekeeper who returns to his homeland to find his parents. Along his journey home, however, he discovers nothing but the aftermath of a civil war between two warring nations in the fictional country of Hadea. As he marches through the war-torn battlefields, he encounters creatures known as Hollow Walkers that are now causing even more devastation.

Kojima-esque Atmosphere and Design

Right off the bat, I sense strong Hideo Kojima influences throughout the game. While the developers have cited other inspirations, Hell is Us carries that distinctive uncanny valley feeling in both its characters and environments. Early in the game, you’re interrogated by a man whose face seems unsettling—with loose skin around his chin and neck beneath an undertaker’s hat as he relentlessly bombards you with questions.

The game presents a fascinating blend of future technology, nature, and unknown horror all rolled into one cohesive experience. Whether it’s the shadowy characters, the oddly moving creatures, or the techno-horror soundtrack playing in the background, everything contributes to an atmosphere of unease. Even as you navigate without a map, you must rely on a compass while moving through dense forests, discovering ancient ruins, or stumbling across abandoned modern military equipment.

Exploration and Investigation

When playing as Rémi, you experience everything from a third-person perspective with minimal UI assistance. The developers take exploration seriously here—even when investigating your surroundings or conversing with other characters, you must pull out a compass to find your bearings. The world opens up for exploration, allowing you to uncover hidden secrets and solve mysteries involving strange items or enigmatic people you encounter.

The music stood out a lot to me, with its very techno and creepy Blade Runner-type sound design that perfectly meshes with the atmosphere. There’s also plenty of dialogue and information gathering, making investigation a core part of the experience.

Combat and Mechanics

In combat, you primarily wield melee weapons like swords and axes, supported by a drone that acts as your tactical companion. While the demo didn’t reveal all of the drone’s capabilities, it was used effectively to stun enemies during encounters.

The health and stamina systems offer an interesting twist compared to other action games. Your stamina bar can only fill up to your current health level, meaning that as you take damage, you have less stamina available for dodging or attacking enemies. You can restore health through items or by executing a special combat mechanic that requires precise timing after performing a combo attack.

Development Background

This marks Rogue Factor’s first original intellectual property, representing a significant departure from their previous work on licensed Warhammer games like Mordheim: City of the Damned and Necromunda: Underhive Wars. This shift in development focus is evident in the results—you can tell the team has been working incredibly hard to bring the distinct look and feel of Hell is Us to life.

Release Information

Hell is Us is set to release on September 4th, 2025, and will be available on all major consoles as well as PC.

You can play the demo here on Steam.