I've been kind of jazzed for Hell Is Us since it was announced in 2022, in large part because the project is being headed up by Jonathan Jacques-Belletête—I loved his work as art director on Deus Ex: Human Revolution. (Yes, I am an unrepentant fan of the piss filter.) But then it fell off the radar for a couple years and I forgot about it until a surprise appearance in Sony's 2024 State of Play showcase, with a 2025 release target. And now, thanks to the most recent State of Play, we have a full-on release date: Hell Is Us will be out on September 4.
As is the way of things, the release date announcement brings us a release date trailer, and if you think you recognize the narrator's voice, you are correct: That's Elias Toufexis, the voice of Adam Jensen in Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Mankind Divided (among a great many other things), who portrays the lead character Rémi in Hell Is Us.
"I'm delighted to join my friends on Hell Is Us," Toufexis said. "I wanted to take this role because Rémi is particularly interesting: While he may seem cold or reserved at first, we gradually discover the complexity of his character, and the events that have shaped his personality. The world of the game is so endlessly fascinating. I can't wait for people to play it!"
The trailer isn't super-clear on what exactly Hell Is Us is all about: Rémi is on a quest to discover his origins in a country torn apart by civil war. Perhaps more pressingly, "supernatural creatures reminiscent of ancient headstones and monuments" have also recently started popping up, and apparently they're not to make pals: The only way to deal with them is with weapons forged specifically for the job, which is presumably why Rémi is packing a mix of high-tech hardware and medieval head-crackers.
The announcement also reiterated what I think may be the most interesting aspect of Hell Is Us, at least out of the gate: A design approach that encourages players "to follow their instincts rather than markers" as they make their way through the world. Jon Jacques-Belletête said when the game was announced that developers wanted to "bring back true adventure and exploration," adding, "There's no need for a detailed quest log or precise waypoint on the map: We want players to feel the thrill of adventure, guided by their feelings and instinchttps://youtu.be/8iZbNIAM8eQ?si=lFLJCpTYu79upiyWts."
The release date announcement makes the same point, saying Hell Is Us "encourages reflection and observation by eliminating all forms of intrusive assistance." How that will work out in practice remains to be seen but at the very least I imagine it means we can expect an absence of yellow paint.
The State of Play showcase naturally focused on the PlayStation 5 edition of Hell Is Us, but yes, it is coming to PC too (and Xbox Series X/S, if that's what you're into) on the same date. It's available for pre-purchase now on Steam.
