As part of the September 2024 PlayStation State of Play, publisher Nacon and developer Rogue Factor staged a re-reveal of sorts for their upcoming gameHell is Us. This third-person action/adventure game was first announced in April 2022 with a 2023 release window, but it has returned looking significantly more fleshed-out with a 2025 window instead.Hell is Usfeatures former Eidos Montreal art director Jonathan Jacques-Belletete as creative director, and this title’s strong sense of style makes sense considering his history with the modernDeus Exgames.
Details are still scarce onHell is Us, but the new gameplay reveal trailer combined with a Playstation Blog post and an older Steam description paint a clear enough picture. The game is set in a war-torn country that also faces a supernatural incursion,giving seriousDeath Strandingvibesin the process. Armed with various warped melee weapons, a drone apparently related to them in some way, and magic powers to match the monsters, players need to make their way across this post-apocalyptic land. Further answers will need to be sought out in-game or from a YouTube presentation on September 30, but some already suspect that they may be looking at another Soulslike.
Hell is Us’ Comes On The Heels of a Souls Boom
Thanks to the Soulslike genre growing in popularity alongsideDark SoulsandElden Ring’s sales, recent years have seen many new titles in the genre.Lies of PandLords of the Fallenboth landed in 2023, and2024 has already seenEnotria: The Last Song,Deathbound, andAnother Crab’s Treasure, just to name a few. All of this coming on top of whatever genre pioneer FromSoftware is doing could reasonably spark some hesitation over embracing new titles in the genre, though the Souls formula does have more fans than ever, and a good game can stand on its own merits.
Differences Between Hell is Us and Most Soulslikes
Hell is Ushas distanced itself from the Soulslike label, preferring to be described in broader terms. There’s a case to be made that it isn’t one, as a couple aspects ofHell is Usseem opposed to typical Souls design principles. Enemy density is the largest strike against its Soulslike status, as the protagonist is seen cleaving through large hordes of basic foes, and occasionally facing groups of potentially stronger ones. This design isn’t unheard of in Soulslikes, but the genre typically plays to its 1v1 strength. It could be thatHiUis,likeEnotria, moving away from Soulslike staples.
Everything Hell is Us Has In Common With Soulslikes
While its efforts to stand apart are admirable, there’s a lot of evidence pointing toHell is Usultimately still being another Soulslike. Its over-the-shoulder camera is standard fare, and combat’s emphasis on dodging already looks familiar. The most damning comparison to otherSoulsgames, however, comes in the way Jonathan Jacques-Belletete describes it in the PlayStation Blog.Hell is Usavoids directing the player in any way, but aims to give them multiple paths toward progress regardless. This “old school” mentality has been the heart ofSoulslikes dating back to beforeDemon’s Souls, and if it’s realized here, then it doesn’t matter what other quirksHiUleaves out.
Souls Elements That Aren’t Confirmed In Hell is Us Yet
Speaking of which, there are a lot of common Souls isms thatHell is Ushasn’t shown yet. Bonfire checkpoints, dropping a currency on death, stat distribution, co-op, and Estus Flasks remain unconfirmed, and that’s not even getting into broader concepts like cryptic dialogue or sadistic level layouts that Soulslike games tend to produce.A poison swamp isn’t necessary for a Soulslike, but it bears one’s playful cruelty like little else can. Only time will tell ifHell is Ussends players back to that layer of Souls design, but at least it will feel comfortingly familiar if it does.
