Surreal Action-Adventure Title Hell Is Us Gets An Extended Gameplay Video Narrated By The Creative Director

Developer Rogue Factor has released a new extended look at gameplay for its upcoming action-adventure title Hell is Us.

After an April 2022 reveal with a teaser trailer promising a 2023 release, developer Rogue Factor went radio silent. That was until the most recent State of Play showcase, where Hell is Us reappeared with a first-look gameplay trailer and a re-evaluated 2025 release schedule. This short, two-minute trailer was more concerned with setting the tone, which is fair enough for a reintroduction, but a new extended gameplay video published today gives us a deeper look at the moment-to-moment action we can expect.

This new video, which is a healthy 15 minutes long, focuses on the two key elements that will make up Hell is Us: exploration and combat. Rogue Factor’s Creative Director and Art Director, Jonathan Jacques-Belletete, narrates the gameplay, explaining that the team wanted to avoid guiding the player toward objectives, something he referred to as “Silver-Plattering.”

Looking to harken back to the hands-off approach of ’90s game development, we see the player speak with an NPC who suggests they follow the wind chimes through the forest to the north. Without any visible HUD or waypoints, the player then makes their way through said forest, guided by the sight and sound of the aforementioned chimes.

Jacques-Belletete elaborates on this development choice on the PlayStation Blog: “In Hell is Us, you won’t have a magical map or compass revealing all points of interest surrounding you, no markers identifying your next quest objective, and no artificial or mechanical guides to orient you. Instead, we invite you to dive directly into the game’s universe and rely on your own observation, reasoning, and intuition to progress.”

Later in the video, we see protagonist Remy engage in melee combat with a range of Hollow Walkers, the otherworldly enemies with voids where their faces and stomachs should be. Confirmed by what we see on screen, Jacques-Belletete clarifies that Hell is Us isn’t a Soulslike, with combat being less punishing and more action-focused. Using swords and axes, we see the player employ a variety of abilities to dispatch regular Hollow Walkers, as well as Dual Entities that attack alongside a haze emitted from their bodies.

You can watch the Hell is Us extended gameplay here:

The visuals and overall feel of Hell is Us is intriguing. Jonathan Jacques-Belletete previously worked as the art director on Deus Ex: Human Revolution, so it’s no surprise that the character and world designs seen here are unique and interesting. The brief reveal during the recent State of Play got my attention, but this extended look hooked me entirely. I’ll be watching Hell is Us closely.

What are your thoughts on Hell is Us? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.