After two years of silence, Hell is Us surprises at Sony's State of Play showcase

Jonathan Jacques-Belletete, art director of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, unveiled in April 2022 his new project: a third-person descent of awfulness called Hell is Us. The project is currently being developed at Mordheim City of the Damned's studio Rogue Factor. It was originally scheduled to release in 2023. That didn't happen, and not much has changed since then. Now it's back with a release date of 2025 and a new gameplay trailer, which was shown at today's State of Play showcase.

Hell is Us is a strange mix of third-person horror and ARPG set in a near-future world. It's plagued by two problems: a civil war that has torn apart an unnamed nation, and a mysterious "calamity", which has given rise to supernatural beings that are immune to modern weapons.

Steam's listing says that you will have a drone on your shoulder and a sword in hand, but "no map, no compass, and no quest markers." "Following instincts is a part of the adventure. Enjoy a unique adventure that lets you make your own choices and follow your instincts. Your discoveries are all yours."

Belletete wrote a new blog post on the PlayStation Blog entitled "With Hell is Us we decided to break from conventional norms in order to offer something radically unique." "Unlike many games today that provide players with detailed maps and quest markers, quest journal, and constant support, we've decided to eliminate all of these traditional aids.

"This bold choice aims to create an immersive gaming experience. You'll have to explore the entire world, pay attention even to the smallest clues and be creative to solve the investigation that lies before you. This approach, we believe, enhances immersion by allowing you to plunge into an adventure in which every discovery is the product of your own cognitive efforts. We want to bring the old-school joy of exploration and discovery back.

This approach extends to gameplay, too: Belletete said that investigations in Hell is Us will not be solved by "obvious clues" or "mechanical reminders," but instead will require players to "explore the world and interact with it proactively." The goal is to engage and challenge players, in a way that modern games often fail to do. Belletete said that he aims to create an experience that's "comparable to the ones that forged our passion for video games all the way back in the 1990s." It also "fits perfectly with the world we've built: a complex, unforgiving universe exploring deep themes such civil war, human brutality and violence, human emotions, family, within a context that blends reality and mysterious phenomenon."

Belletete wrote: "It was important that the gameplay reflects maturity of the themes discussed." "We didn't want the players to just follow a predefined route without understanding the reasoning behind it or the significance of the events. Instead, they will need to think critically to create their own journey.

Hell is Us won't be released until 2025.