Hell is Us unveiled a new extended gameplay trailer with commentary from the game’s creative director, and he revealed that there’ll be no guides or quest markers—only pure exploration. Read on to find out more about this "player-plattering" approach.
Hell Is Us Features No Map, No Compass, No Quest Markers
Only Pure Combat And The Thrill Of Exploration
3rd person action-adventure game Hell is Us revealed a new extended gameplay trailer in the recently concluded Nacon Connect 2025. The 7-minute-long video showcased the game’s dystopian environment, its inhabitants, and how players will interact with the world around them, encouraging them to make use of investigation and observation skills.
"Hell is Us is a third-person action-adventure game that blends the old school thrill of exploration and discovery with a deeply satisfying melee combat system," Hell is Us creative director and industry veteran Jonathan Jacques-Belletête began. Players control protagonist Rémi who is returning to his country of birth, Hadia, in search of answers and the truth of his past. However, he quickly finds out that the land is torn apart by a vicious civil war, making his search all the more challenging. Rémi must then take matters into his own hands and investigate all that he can.
Sounds like your standard adventure-RPG—but developers Rogue Factor changes it up a little. Hell is Us will not rely on maps or quest markers or a guided path to lead the player to where they’re supposed to go. "There’s no magical compass pointing you in the right direction and there’s no quest all with—you know, the shopping list of everything that you need to do and in which order," said Jacques-Belletête. They instead emphasize the "player-plattering" approach, encouraging players to follow their own instincts and make use of their observation skills to discover clues organically and chart their own plans in their journey.
Based on the trailer, it seems as if this player-plattering style of game starts as early as the beginning, where Rémi is tasked to find a way to his hometown, Jova upon arriving at Hadia. There’s no quest marker or map or any sort to lead you there—players are on their own. He traverses across the map, fighting enemies and entering ruins of buildings in search of clues and people to interact with. A hermit named Ernest Caddell provides a clue as to where the village of Jova is—near the Acosa Marshes, and that it’s quite a ways away from their current location. And there is his next mission: find a way to get to the Acosa Marshes. This seems to be the core gameplay loop of Hell is Us, chock full of clues, mysteries, and people to encounter and solve.
Surviving In The Hostile World Of Hell Is Us
Hell Is Us is a game that has been anticipated by many since it was announced back in 2022, slated for a 2023 release date. Now, it is slated for release on September 4th, 2025 for PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Players will embark on a journey through a semi-open world where the country of Hadia is not only suffering from a civil war but also a mysterious calamity that has given birth to hostile supernatural creatures that no ordinary weapon can defeat. However, you, the protagonist Rémi, are blessed with a drone and sword from a different age, which will help you cut a path through the monster-infested lands and discover the truth of what plagues the land…and your own past.
To be up to date with the latest news on Hell Is Us, check out Game8’s article below!
Source:
Hell is Us - Investigation Trailer | PS5 Games
