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Lately, modern open-world and semi-open-world games have stuck to the tiresome formula of “a gorgeous map riddled with icons.” Naturally, this removes all sense of exploration and makes the journey a bit mind-numbing and repetitive. While there have been a few exceptions, most developers prefer to hold our hands and lead us to every objective so we can reach the end without much effort. But then games like Hell Is Us arrive, challenging us to use our big old brains and move away from the icon-infested UIs we’ve seen in recent years. It is a bold formula, but one I can’t wait to experience fully.
Old-Fashioned Exploration
As soon as you fire up Hell Is Us, or at least its demo version, it welcomes you by saying there are no quest markers. You’ll never know where to go or who to talk to. A game without the usual UI clutter? Any modern gamer would be shaking in their boots at the sight of that. Yet, I found it refreshing.
The game begins with a short cutscene boasting stunning visuals and gives you a very brief look at the game’s setting. After that small introduction, you’re thrown into a war-torn land, and the game follows through with its disclaimer. There are no markers, yellow paint, or arrows pointing toward the next objective—nothing.
I won’t lie to you; it was strange at first but in a good way. I’ve grown used to looking at every single element in the HUD and often forget about the actual game area. But Hell Is Us reminded me that there’s more to opening your mini-map every few seconds.
I entered a basement and asked about the fastest way to reach another town. He told me to get an armored vehicle. Instead of marking the vehicle on the map, he told me to “follow the windchimes.” I stepped out of the basement and looked around the trees until I found a few with said objects. Lo and behold, I encountered the vehicle. Yet, the unguided exploration didn’t stop there. Soon after, I found a note. A few kids had hidden a treasure underneath a red boulder, and the key was below a blue one. I delved into the forest and looked for these large stones without a map and without a marker.
Hell Is Us puts the exploration aspect front and center and does so in a way that feels engaging. Since the map of the demo was semi-open-world-ish, it never felt tiresome to backtrack through it. At some points, the puzzles reminded me of the old Resident Evil games where you had to inspect items and memorize clues. It was highly refreshing to see a game putting this level of focus into the discovery aspect, and I just hope it pays off in the long run.
Souls-lite
However, exploration isn’t the only thing that appeared in the Hell Is Us demo. There was a bit of combat, and quite simple at that. It is very much a soulslike, or rather, souls-lite. You have normal and charged attacks. Enemies with erratic attack patterns. A stamina mechanic that is tied to your HP bar and the ability to swap weapons on the fly. As first impressions go, it wasn’t the greatest combat system, but one that will likely improve and work better in its full release.
The most significant addition to it is the ability to regenerate your HP after damaging enemies. Just like Bloodborne, it encourages you to play aggressively. A foe chipped your health away? Hit them fast and hard, and press the right button at the right time to recover your HP.
Apart from that, the demo had two weapons: a sword and dual axes. I used the former as it hit harder, and I liked the parry and executing animations more. I also discovered a few trinkets and upgrades, but I couldn’t see some of them in action since it was a demo. Yet, the gearing system seemed simple for newcomers without becoming a soulslike nightmare with people sweating over creating the perfect build.
A Bold Combination
Out of the two key parts of Hell Is Us, exploration is undoubtedly the highlight. This might change in the demo and become more balanced, but even if it doesn’t, delving into this game’s areas will be a unique experience thanks to how it approaches the discovery aspect.
On the other hand, Hell Is Us is taking a bold and uncharted route, and that’s right up my alley. Jumping into a beautiful, large map and seeing that half the screen is covered with icons can be quite deterring. But jumping into an eerie land full of creepy creatures without a clear direction is refreshing, alluring, and quite honestly unique in today’s gaming landscape. Let’s hope it pays off once the game launches later in September.
