Hell Is Us: Everything We Know

Esteemed creative director Jonathan Jacque-Belletête and the guys over at Rogue Factor have been striking the anvil rather hard lately, signalling the soon-to-be arrival of the upcoming melee-based horror, Hell is Us. But in case you missed the initial flow of the semi-open world IP, one can only really describe it as the culmination of various Soulslike titles meshing into a Civil War-themed vessel. And that's barely scratching the surface, to be fair.

So, having painted the general aesthetic of the IP, what more do you need to know about it ahead of its optimistic 2023 launch? Well, here's everything we've been able to collect on the matter since first hearing of it back in 2022. Hell is Us: just what is it, and how will it shake up a genre that has been in motion for well over a decade already?

What Is Hell is Us?

To make it slightly clearer, Hell is Us is a semi-open world third-person action-adventure game. The general consensus is that, given the themes it accommodates, it'll also wrangle in a certain degree of horror — a theme that'll center its universe around a civil war and the inhumane creatures that seemingly populate the region.

“Hell is Us is a 3rd-person action-adventure game that combines intense melee combat with the thrill of exploration,” the elevator pitch opens, rather mysteriously at that. “Explore a semi-open world to find answers to your questions and face mysterious creatures all along your journey.”

According to Rogue Factor, there'll be no map, no compass, and no quest markers to keep you in tact. More or less, the idea will be to hurl players directly towards the epicenter of a civil war — a feud that divides the country and leaves those in its wake in the arms of the supernatural creatures that pluck the bare bones of the fractured society. It'll be your role, as a sword-wielding heroine, to find your place in this forsaken realm. Or at least, that's what we've gathered, anyway.

Story

Hell is Us talks a lot about a world-changing event known as “The Calamity”—a horrifying disaster that has given rise to supernatural beings. Armed with a sword and drone from another age, you will embark on a quest to uncover the roots of their origin, as well as witness a civil war that has left the region divided and without a structure to adhere to. As for the types of events that will take place between remains unclear. However, given the fact that open exploration is a key feature, it's highly possible there'll be nothing particularly on-rails to unravel, so to speak.

Gameplay

This is where the trail goes slightly cold, as, rather frustratingly, Rogue Factor has yet to reveal any gameplay footage of Hell is Us. That said, from what the studio has mentioned since bringing it to the table, the game will focus on two things: melee-based combat, which will let you utilize swords, spears, and axes; and semi-open world exploration, which will let players explore vast regions without the traditional map, landmarks, or quest markers to course you towards any specific objective.

“Enjoy a unique experience that uses innovative writing and level design to let you make your own decisions and follow your instincts as you explore,” the description adds. “Your discoveries are yours alone.” Exciting stuff.

Development

To break it down, Hell is Us is being built in Unreal Engine 5, and by a network of industry titans, no less. As a product conceived by Jonathan Jacque-Belletête, an industry know-it-all who's worked on titles including Deux Ex: Human Revolution, Deux Ex: Mankind Divided, and Guardians of the Galaxy, the newest venture will supposedly break away from the triple-A formula and stand on its own two feet.

“This game that started with a blank page has been officially announced and had what I think [was] a pretty decent teaser trailer that has succeeded beyond my expectations for something that had no prior marketing,” Jacque-Belletête told True Achievements in a one-on-one interview. “It's a brand new IP, we're at 1 million views on IGN and 500k on the Sony PlayStation Network's YouTube thingy.” The esteemed developer then went on to say: “We're in production. We're definitely in production — the world is done being built and [we're done with] what it's all about, and all that stuff.” So, big things on the horizon, then!

Trailer

The good news is, Rogue Factor has already gone ahead and released some footage of Hell is Us. The bad news, on the other hand, is that it doesn't exactly give us a clear idea of what it'll be. And while it does paint the general aesthetic of the game surprisingly well, it certainly lacks the core gameplay features — so be sure to take it with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, you can see it for yourself in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Given the fact we haven't heard a great deal from Rogue Factor since 2022, it's hard to staple a definite release date on it. That said, the team has gone as far as to say it'll arrive on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam at some point in 2023. Cutting it a bit fine, there — yet Rogue Factor appears to be confident in its approach. Therefore, rest assured that, in spite of its shy nature, Hell is Us is certainly coming out at some stage this year.

Unfortunately, there is nothing that currently suggests Hell is Us will launch with any particular special editions. If anything of the sort does pop up, then it's bound to be revealed in tandem with the game's release date announcement.

If you're planning on staying in the loop ahead of the game's eventual release, then be sure to check in with Rogue Factor's official social handle for more updates here. We'll be sure to let you know just as soon as a release window comes about. Until then, you can go ahead and add the game to your wishlist on Steam here.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Hell is Us when it eventually releases? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.