Hell is Us: Rogue Factor’s war-torn meditation divides critics with bold design and haunting atmosphere
Rogue Factor’s Hell is Us arrives on PC (Steam) on September 1, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S releases alongside. The game leans hard into mood and atmosphere, with a score by Stephane Primeau that critics say anchors a nightmarish, war-scarred world. The sound design—rumbling synths, wind chimes, distant screeches, and rain tapping against the DualSense—helps sell a sense of being surrounded by forces larger than the player.
Set in Hadea, a country fractured by civil war and haunted by supernatural presence, Hell is Us blends heavy imagery from modern conflicts with a layered, almost sci-fi vibe in its presentation. The land is split between two long-running faiths, the Sabinians and the Palomists, whose centuries of strife are punctuated by ghostly invaders and a relentless cycle of violence. Protagonist Remi’s stated goal is personal—find his family—but the narrative quickly digs into larger themes: how propaganda, media narratives, and political campaigns dehumanize “the other,” and how history tends to repeat its darkest chapters.
The game earns praise for its atmosphere and writing, aided by careful character conversations, notes, and audio recordings that slowly reveal Hadea’s past. Yet the story’s strength is tempered by a central flaw: Remi himself reads as a relatively dull vessel for the world’s ideas. Voiced by Elias Toufexis, Remi is sometimes too quiet to be a compelling guide through the world’s murk, which can be frustrating when the setting and themes are so compelling.
Design choices drive Hell is Us’ distinct feel—and they are also the source of its most divisive reception. Rogue Factor intentionally withholds information, does not provide a map, and relies on environmental cues and dialogue to advance. The result is a game that demands careful attention and a long memory for details, which many players will appreciate for the puzzle-solving tension, while others may find the experience punishingly opaque. The developer’s approach creates a powerful mood, but some players will find the lack of signposting and the maze-like layouts tiring over time.
Dungeons and exploration are a standout, often captivating experience. Underground crypts, ancient temples, and scientific facilities each carry a distinctive visual language that reinforces the world’s mood. The dungeons frequently feel like rewarding puzzles, though navigating them without a map can be disorienting. Timeloops—dome-like zones that replay traumatic events—are a clever narrative-meets-gameplay device, central to the story’s meditation on cyclical violence. Solving these requires finding and using prism items, of which there are three types; the game never makes clear which you’ll need until the moment you actually need it, adding to the sense of discovery but also potential frustration.
Good Deeds—side quests that appear through conversations or item collection—are a partial disappointment. They sit in a bare UI menu with minimal context and can be “failable” if performed out of time, which is easy to do given the game’s rigid progression and lack of map markers. The result is a well-meaning but tedious side activity loop that can sap momentum.
Combat is another mixed bag. Hell is Us features four weapon archetypes—sword, twin axes, polearm, and greatsword—and couples them with a Healing Pulse system that channels elements of Bloodborne and Nioh, rewarding aggressive timing and careful resource management. A drone adds extra utility as new abilities unlock, but overall combat never quite reaches the depth of the game’s strongest puzzle and narrative threads. Enemies are varied in appearance but scarce in number, and boss encounters are few and puzzle-like rather than traditional climaxes, which means combat occasionally feels repetitive between moments of tense atmosphere and curiosity-driven exploration.
Accessibility options exist, including multiple combat difficulties, subtitle customization, camera options, color blindness support, and directional audio. Yet the core experience remains intentioned more toward mood and mind-bending exploration than conventional progression, which will polarize players.
Despite its flaws, Hell is Us is a gripping, audacious journey that rewards patience. The game leans into a bleak, fatalistic worldview that resonates in today’s climate of ongoing global conflict and political rhetoric. For players who relish a world-building puzzle box that asks you to piece together a troubled nation’s history from scattered clues, Hell is Us offers a singular, immersive experience. For others, the cryptic UI, mapless design, and sometimes opaque objectives may prove too opaque to sustain long sessions.
Critical takeaway: Hell is Us is not a conventional action-adventure. It’s a bold artistic statement that foregrounds atmosphere, narrative interrogation, and environmental storytelling over traditional clarity and flow. If you approach it with an open, patient mindset—and are prepared to jot down notes by hand to track clues—it can be a memorable and rewarding voyage through a hellish landscape that mirrors the cycles of real-world conflict.
What this means for players: If you value mood, world-building, and thoughtful dialogue that probes war’s moral fog, Hell is Us is worth a try. If you prefer a tightly signposted map, smooth combat progression, and rapid rewards, you may find the experience frustrating. The game’s bold vision and potential cult-classic status are clear, and Rogue Factor’s commitment to a distinctive, uncompromising artistic direction is commendable.
Summary of key points:
– Developer: Rogue Factor; Publisher: Nacon
– Platforms: PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X/S; release window September 1
– Soundtrack and atmosphere anchored by Stephane Primeau
– A mapless, puzzle-forward exploration experience with heavy narrative focus
– Timeloops and prism-based mechanics central to progression
– Side quests can be failable and under-supported by UI
– Combat features four weapon classes, Healing Pulse, and a supporting drone
– Protagonist Remi is a vehicle for the world rather than a standout character
– The game aims to critique war, propaganda, and cyclical violence with a bold, divisive design
Additional value: For readers considering a purchase, approach Hell is Us like a study in game design as storytelling—prepare for long sessions with pen and paper nearby, and be ready to embrace a world that rewards curiosity over quick wins. If Rogue Factor continues refining this concept, future iterations could balance its bold approach with a more navigable interface and clearer progression, broadening its appeal while preserving its uncompromising atmosphere.