Is Hell is Us a Soulslike Game?

As part of the September 2024 PlayStation State of Play, publisher Nacon and developer Rogue Factor staged a re-reveal of sorts for their upcoming game Hell is Us. This third-person action/adventure game was first announced in April 2022 with a 2023 release window, but it has returned looking significantly more fleshed-out with a 2025 window instead. Hell is Us features former Eidos Montreal art director Jonathan Jacques-Belletete as creative director, and this title’s strong sense of style makes sense considering his history with the modern Deus Ex games.

Details are still scarce on Hell is Us, but the new gameplay reveal trailer combined with a Playstation Blog post and an older Steam description paint a clear enough picture. The game is set in a war-torn country that also faces a supernatural incursion, giving serious Death Stranding vibes in the process. Armed with various warped melee weapons, a drone apparently related to them in some way, and magic powers to match the monsters, players need to make their way across this post-apocalyptic land. Further answers will need to be sought out in-game or from a YouTube presentation on September 30, but some already suspect that they may be looking at another Soulslike.

Hell is Us’ Comes On The Heels of a Souls Boom

Thanks to the Soulslike genre growing in popularity alongside Dark Souls and Elden Ring’s sales, recent years have seen many new titles in the genre. Lies of P and Lords of the Fallen both landed in 2023, and 2024 has already seen Enotria: The Last Song, Deathbound, and Another Crab’s Treasure, just to name a few. All of this coming on top of whatever genre pioneer FromSoftware is doing could reasonably spark some hesitation over embracing new titles in the genre, though the Souls formula does have more fans than ever, and a good game can stand on its own merits.

Differences Between Hell is Us and Most Soulslikes

Hell is Us has distanced itself from the Soulslike label, preferring to be described in broader terms. There’s a case to be made that it isn’t one, as a couple aspects of Hell is Us seem opposed to typical Souls design principles. Enemy density is the largest strike against its Soulslike status, as the protagonist is seen cleaving through large hordes of basic foes, and occasionally facing groups of potentially stronger ones. This design isn’t unheard of in Soulslikes, but the genre typically plays to its 1v1 strength. It could be that HiU is, like Enotria, moving away from Soulslike staples.

Everything Hell is Us Has In Common With Soulslikes

While its efforts to stand apart are admirable, there’s a lot of evidence pointing to Hell is Us ultimately still being another Soulslike. Its over-the-shoulder camera is standard fare, and combat’s emphasis on dodging already looks familiar. The most damning comparison to other Souls games, however, comes in the way Jonathan Jacques-Belletete describes it in the PlayStation Blog. Hell is Us avoids directing the player in any way, but aims to give them multiple paths toward progress regardless. This “old school” mentality has been the heart of Soulslikes dating back to before Demon’s Souls, and if it’s realized here, then it doesn’t matter what other quirks HiU leaves out.

Souls Elements That Aren’t Confirmed In Hell is Us Yet

Speaking of which, there are a lot of common Souls isms that Hell is Us hasn’t shown yet. Bonfire checkpoints, dropping a currency on death, stat distribution, co-op, and Estus Flasks remain unconfirmed, and that’s not even getting into broader concepts like cryptic dialogue or sadistic level layouts that Soulslike games tend to produce. A poison swamp isn’t necessary for a Soulslike, but it bears one’s playful cruelty like little else can. Only time will tell if Hell is Us sends players back to that layer of Souls design, but at least it will feel comfortingly familiar if it does.