15 minute Hell is Us gameplay video explains lack of maps and quest markers

thesixthaxis.com:

Rogue Factor has shared an extended look at Hell is Us, their upcoming open world Souls-y action adventure. Jonathan Jacques-Belletete – Creative Director and Art Director – guides us through around 15 minutes of gameplay of the game, coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2025.

Set in the country of Hadea, a nation gripped by civil war, it’s a grim, wartorn setting that you’ll have to navigate with melee weapons and a nifty drone to try and defend yourself with from some seriously creepy monsters. There’s definitely some Soulslike vibes to this, but Rogue Factor shy away from that genre moniker.

One of the main things that Jonathan describes at the top of the video is their design ethos, aiming to get back to more freeform 90s game design without reliance on game design crutches like waypoints and detailed maps filled with quest markers. In fact, there aren’t any in the game, forcing you to explore and figure the world out more organically, listening to NPCs as much as possible. You’re also not inundated with player character dialogue for puzzle hints. You do have a tablet, though, which will collect hints and details for missions that you might want to follow.

We’ll have to wait and see how that pans out for the game, as waypoints are often quite necessary (if often used a bit too liberally). At the same time, this marker-less design pemeates the Soulslike genre.

There’s also plenty of combat shown in the game, which aims to be “midcore” and a bit lighter than a Soulslike – a bit more third person action RPG. The drone is your main sidekick to help with crowd management and lending you a variety of tech abilities like distracting an enemy, alongside limbic skills that are leant to you by the magical melee weapon in hand.

It’s an intriguing blend of themes and ideas. Keep an eye out for more details as we head into 2025.