There are so many soulslikes on the market now that one would be fair to think the genre has become a little overcrowded. It feels like a recent boom, largely thanks to the immense popularity of Dark Souls 3. Still, even in the past five years, we’ve gotten countless games that either fit directly into the soulslike category or loosely take inspiration from it, including some of the most transformative and industry-defining titles like Elden Ring. We have, naturally, also gotten a lot of rather lackluster soulslikes, and that has soured many, myself included, on the genre.

Fortunately, there are a handful of titles that are keen on doing the genre justice, or are taking some of its best and most interesting ideas to improve their own gameplay loop. One such game, releasing later this year, received a free and rather generous demo on Steam, allowing players to sink several hours into its opening section. Not only was this demo truly incredible, but it also proved that this lesser-known soulslike title is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated games of 2025, and should absolutely be on everyone’s radar.

Hell Is Us Could Be My GOTY

It Is Like Nothing I’ve Played Before

It may sound a little hyperbolic to state that Hell Is Us, a game that I’ve only played for a handful of hours, will be my game of the year, yet here we are. There is something really special about Hell Is Us, evident in its rather large demo that’s available until June 16th, 2025, on Steam. I’ve had my eye on it since its initial announcement, but I suspect this easily-missed soulslike will fly under many people’s radar, if only because of its brooding aesthetic, strange monster design, and its developer’s bold claims of a lack of handholding.

Many may see a lack of handholding as inaccessible, but Hell Is Us is just doing its best to fix one of gaming’s worst trends by removing tropes like the protagonist talking aloud to help with puzzles, abundant map markers, or even a mini-map to guide you. Hell Is Us is all about taking your eyes away from the countless distractions that plague modern-day UIs and focusing on the journey and adventure before you. In this, at least from this demo, it absolutely succeeds; its HUD lacks any distracting markers unless you actively bring up certain UI elements.

Whether that lack of handholding works in context is up for discussion, but through the numerous hours I spent playing Hell Is Us, I found it greatly elevated the exploration, which is driven by aesthetics, varied level design, and rewarding secrets. Those secrets are tied to multistaged puzzles that require you to use your intuition to solve them. Each open-area region has its own list of secrets to solve, and they all unlock lore entries and useful tools. Essentially, I found each and every one worth pursuing, as they always resulted in a genuinely captivating reward.

Hell Is Us Blends Death Stranding And Dark Souls

The Atmosphere Of Death Stranding And The Combat Of Dark Souls

One would assume that this lack of handholding would result in Hell Is Us being one of the hardest PS5 games ever made, but thankfully, that isn’t the case. Exploration is largely linear, although environments feel vast and lived in thanks to some phenomenal art direction and level design. In this respect, with its interconnected levels, focus on environmental storytelling, surprise enemy placement, hidden passageways, and somber world design, it is comparable to the Dark Souls series. However, its combat also feels soulslike, as much as I hate the all-encompassing nature of that term.

There’s a parry mechanic, a stamina bar, the ability to dodge, and a focus on learning enemy patterns, which gives the illusion you’re playing a soulslike. However, the fact that enemies don’t respawn, even after you die, coupled with the more frenetic pace of combat, veers it more into action RPG territory than pure soulslike. You won’t find any bonfires here, that’s for sure. Combat is extremely challenging, however, thanks to your health being tied to your stamina. Any time you lose health, you also lose that much stamina, meaning the more injured you are, the quicker you get tired.

It makes sense logically, but in practice, it can make combat extremely punishing. Fortunately, if, like me, you explore every nook and cranny of this gorgeously designed world, then you’ll find plenty of medkits. Of course, it’s also hard not to compare it to Death Stranding. It exudes a very Kojima-esque form of storytelling with phenomenal voice acting, complicated and often obscure plot points, and cinematic cutscenes. It is also bordering on the absurd and creepy, much like Death Stranding’s world, and is imbued with its delightfully dark sense of hopelessness.

To be clear, the developers of Hell Is Us, Rogue Factor, have stated that it does not consider it to be a soulslike. However, as that term has become synonymous with certain gameplay mechanics, typically to do with combat, many of which Hell Is Us shares, it does fall under its rather broad umbrella.

Ultimately, this means that those who find soulslikes a tad too punishing will find the perfect starting soulslike for them, and those who love Death Stranding for its vibes and otherworldly horror can embrace the melancholic and almost Cronenbergian atmosphere of Hell Is Us. However, as much as I did absolutely adore practically everything about Hell Is Us, there is still plenty of room for improvement, especially when it comes to that aforementioned lack of handholding the marketing is so extremely proud of.

Hell Is Us Needs A Few Improvements

Its Exploration Is At Odds With Its Gameplay Loop

By far, Hell Is Us’ greatest flaw is its approach to exploration. That may sound a tad confusing, especially as I was gushing over it a mere few paragraphs before, but this specifically pertains to how the game breaks its own rules surrounding exploration. Essentially, the way Hell Is Us circumvents the need for handholding is by giving you clues as to where you need to go. An early example is a labyrinthine forest with wind chimes marking a specific path. Talking to a nearby NPC lets you know that by following those wind chimes, you’ll reach your destination.

Hell Is Us sets up the rule that by following the clues, which you went out of your way to uncover, you’ll be able to locate the correct path. However, its many secrets and all-important loot are found on the other paths, the ones you’re ostensibly told to avoid. The game punishes you for following its rules by hiding its best content off the correct path. It’s an approach that may make more sense over a longer playthrough, but it more or less encourages players to simply explore every path, forgoing the need for clues in the first place.

Fortunately, this is not one of gaming’s greatest open-world RPGs, as each environment is either predominantly linear or open-area. This means that you don’t lose much time by exploring every nook and cranny and thus uncovering every secret. However, this contradiction, at least how I came to understand it, means that Hell Is Us makes you feel simultaneously clever and robbed of content, something that doesn’t really work for an exploration-focused experience.

However, that aside, Hell Is Us is shaping up to be a phenomenal experience. I am personally incredibly excited for it, and I hope more people check it out, either by playing the demo or watching the countless marketing materials. Hell Is Us feels like it could be a genre-defining title with its unique approach to exploration and level design, and thus, could, much like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, change things for the better. I’m not sure how the full version of Hell Is Us will turn out, but I strongly suspect it will be a GOTY contender for many.