I can finally talk about Hell Is Us!

Hell Is Us is a game that seems to have gone largely under the radar. When it was revealed, it was written off as a generic soulslike. It got a bit more publicity when the creators talked about it having no maps and no quest markers. But the release was pretty quiet.

So let me be clear: Hell Is Us is one of the best games I’ve played this gen.

While there is a ton of combat, the game is more about exploration. There really is no mini map or quest markers guiding you where you need to go next. There are no hints for the numerous puzzles. You just have to talk to everyone and use context clues to find the right way to progress. That alone made it one of the most engaging gaming experiences I’ve had in years.

I don’t want to spoil any of the story, partially because it’s intentionally vague and partially because it’s so much more exciting to piece things together yourself.

As for the combat… it’s decent. You’re mainly swapping between two kinds of weapons at any given time hacking and slashing your way through enemies. It does feel somewhat similar to souls combat in that there’s dodges and parries (kind of) and a stamina bar, but more simplified (think: Jedi Fallen Order/Survivor). There are some buffs and AOE attacks thrown in as well. But you can honestly turn the combat difficulty down and just focus on exploring.

Where the game really shines is the atmosphere. You’re fighting through an isolated country in the middle of a civil war in the early 90s. And the game does not shy away from the horrors of war. These two groups despise each other. And there are real consequences for not helping NPCs in need. It’s brutal.

Anyway, TLDR: Play Hell Is Us. It’s a great AA semi-soulslike with amazing atmosphere.

how frustrating does it get when you're actually stuck on where to go?

Hell is Us upon release was not written off as a generic soulslike. Every reviewer of the game pointed out its strength and weakness and it got 7 out of 10 or 8 out of 10 from most of the review outlets. The combat and enemy variety were its biggest weakpoints.

I was pleasantly surprised by this game! The atmosphere and dialogue are fantastic, really brings me back to that This War of Mine feeling where I start feeling that war is unjustifiable under almost any circumstance. The hopelessness and helplessness of the average person is so well communicated.

I did end up changing enemy damage and health to minimum, because honestly the combat felt like a distraction by the time I was in the third area

This game isn't Myst or anything, more like a traditional action game, just without annoying shit in your face telling you what to do the entire time. there's also journal that keeps notes on where you're headed/what you're trying to do.

And I saw they added some new enemies recently in response to feedback.

Got the keys to the apc hoping the game would open up a little and show me something cool. Played for an hour after that and nope, same boring feel everywhere you go. I kike horror games but it didn't hit the spot and I also like souls games but the combat didn't scratch that either. I felt like I faced the same exact enemy for three hours. .

I saw enough and put it down. The game is OKAY and is a solid 7-10

I played for a couple of hours or so and it was an interesting world for sure. But the combat felt so clunky that I haven't had any real desire to pick it up again. Maybe I should just set the enemies to be really weak and try again.

I love Hell is Us, I found the combat to be okay but where the game reallu shines is the puzzles. We're talking old school, write things down in a notepad, kinda of puzzles.

That said, something OP missed here is the narrative experience. The playable character's story is pretty basic, but the world building, the lore, the devastation of war, the horror stories the npcs tell, the way how the environments are designed to tell a story (I'll never get over climbing up the Tower of Terror, that will live rent free in my brain forever)...it can be ALOT. The game deals with some heavy themes, so people with triggers (suicide, rape, mass geneocide) should be careful going into this game.

Otherwise, pretty awrsome game. I look forward to the next game by the devs (hopefully not with Nacon as their publisher).

Yeah you should avoid this game if the combat is your priority.

This game is a masterpiece of world building and explorative gameplay. You're rewarded not with anything that really changes your gameplay but with new juicy lore and story details, that unfold into one of the best Weird stories in gaming.

Correct. It was buried by the surprise release of the Hollow Knight Silksong.

Coming early October

I got through the apc, through