Hell is Us Review – A Dark, Puzzle-Heavy Souls‑Lite Adventure
I dove into Rogue Factor’s war-torn, uncanny world: no map, no markers, lots of mysteries. If you love exploration, dense lore and tricky puzzles (and can forgive wonky combat and a few design oddities), this indie gem is worth the trip.
Hell is Us stands out by forcing you to actually look around — no minimap, no compass, no waypoints. It smells a bit like a souls‑lite that decided to become a detective game: heavy on worldbuilding and puzzles, lighter on varied combat and boss set‑pieces.
I played as a lone returnee armed with old‑school blades and a hovering drone. The core loop is third‑person melee, exploration across semi‑open zones, and a steady diet of environmental puzzles and 'mysteries' to piece together. There’s a small arsenal — swords, spears, axes — plus weapon glyphs and upgrades, but no traditional XP leveling: progression is tied to gear and player knowledge. The drone adds utility and occasional narrative hooks, while the healing ‘pulse’ timing mechanic forces you to dance between offense and recovery. Expect deliberate level design: landmarks replace HUD wayfinding, so you’ll be taking notes or screenshots like a paranoid archaeologist. Enemies come in a handful of distinct varieties and scale into tougher variants rather than endless types; that keeps encounters focused but sometimes repetitive. Voice acting, sound design and cinematic set pieces are top notch, and the game’s writing often delivers real chills. A few rough edges persist — load/backtrack density, an unforgiving autosave design for some ‘good deeds’, and combat stiffness at times — but the puzzle-forward structure is the game’s personality, not a bug.
Hell is Us isn’t for everyone, but for curious players who love atmosphere, puzzles and storytelling it’s a memorable indie worth playing — flaws included. Bring patience, a controller and a notebook.
Pros
- Rich, mature writing and exceptional worldbuilding that rewards curiosity.
- Exploration and puzzles feel meaningful — discovering clues is genuinely satisfying.
- Stunning visuals, sound design and voice acting that create a haunting atmosphere.
Cons
- Combat can feel clunky and enemy variety is limited — fights sometimes repeat.
- Some puzzles/backtracking and the autosave/save design can be frustrating and unforgiving.
Player Opinion
Players praise the writing, atmosphere and the sense of reward when solving mysteries. Many enjoy the no‑handholding design and the way lore is uncovered through exploration and logs. Criticisms center on combat feeling undercooked, a small pool of enemy types, occasional technical hiccups and an ending that leaves unanswered questions for some. If you like methodical world exploration (think: puzzle‑led adventure with light souls‑lite combat), you’ll probably get hooked.