Hell is Us Review – One of the Weirdest (and Best) Games of 2025

Hell is Us is going to be put into that basket of games that many describe as “ahead of its time”. It’s unusual, quote obtuse, and extremely ambitious; and while it might not be for everyone, and admittedly isn’t perfect, anyone looking for a unique experience that doesn’t hold your hand from start to finish, this is the one.

“What exactly is Hell is Us?” is one of the biggest questions around the title since its announcement. In essence, it’s a third-person, open-world action game with RPG mechanics. Sounds pretty simple, but the real allure of Hell is Us is the mystery surrounding its story and bizarre world, and the way the narrative plays out.

You see, Hell is Us takes a unique approach to a semi-open-world design by ditching the now-formulaic guidance, leaving you to explore, speak to characters, find your way around the world, and work out what you need to do. There are no quest markers, clear instructions, or lists to tick off — and while that might sound daunting to some, it’s the best bit about Hell is Us.

Once you stumble your way into some NPCs, you’ll get an idea of what you need to do, but then it’s all up to you to find the location by using clues, see what you require when you get there, and work out how to get it. The loop changes over time, sometimes requiring finding the right object or defeating certain enemies, but that’s essentially how it goes. It’s incredibly rewarding going from location to location, using conversation points or letters to hunt down a mysterious temple or area and solve a puzzle, as if you’re peeling a layer off of this world one at a time.

And that’s something Hell is Us is certainly not lacking: atmosphere. The world itself is incredibly captivating, with a lot of familiar elements, technology, and concepts, but there’s this weird blend of sci-fi and fantasy interwoven into everything that makes it unrelentingly interesting. Every location you visit has environmental snippets to flesh out what happened in the world, from dead bodies and destruction to temples and strange artefacts.

Of course, there are antagonists in this world called Hollow Walkers. Ghost-like creatures with bladed-limbs that you’ll fight throughout the adventure. They’re spooky and unsettling, but… this is where one of the shortcomings of the game creeps in – they’re all you fight. The enemy variety isn’t great, and while there are some Hollow Walkers that do slightly different things, they all look the same, so get used to essentially fighting the same thing over and over again.

And while you can get different weapons, each with its own perks and stats, the combat itself is pretty routine, given the fact that you fight the same enemies time and time again. There aren’t really any ‘heavies’ or other bad guys to mix up your strategy, which makes the combat feel a little too familiar after a couple of hours.

Ultimately, though, Hell is Us is one of the most interesting and bold games of 2025, mixing up the usual formula while still relying on some tried-and-tested gameplay mechanics to produce something that will become a cult classic. Not everything lands, but the exploration, sense of awe and mystery, and satisfaction players will get from unravelling its unique world is worth a play alone.

Hell is Us is available on PS5 and PC.