It’s incredibly difficult to make combat-orientated third-person character action games stand out in this day and age, but by hook and by crook, Hell Is Us has our attention.

The game, which has been showcased at multiple State of Plays now, promises a semi-open sandbox in a hostile world. It blends dark fantasy with contemporary technology, so you’ll be armed with both a drone and a sword from a different timeline. You’ll need to use both to defeat the phantoms that roam the land.

But this latest trailer doesn’t focus on the combat, and instead looks at the exploration and investigation gameplay. Developer Rogue Factor is promising no quests and no waypoints, so you’ll need to follow your own instincts to progress.

YouTube Video
Subscribe to Push Square on YouTube155k
Watch on YouTube

The idea here is that you have to pay attention to the clues and things people say to move forward. The studio stresses it’s not trying to frustrate – it wants to prove that a well-designed game doesn’t need a complicated UI filled with compasses and map markers to see you through.

Honestly, we reckon this is looking really good – in some scenes it reminds us of Death Stranding, in others Dark Souls, and in others still Fallout. That’s a really interesting and inspiring mix. The game’s due out on 4th September.

[source youtube.com]