Hell Is Us has arrived, though it’s had the misfortune of launching on the same day as Hollow: Knight Silksong, one of the most heavily anticipated video games of all time. Thankfully, this hasn’t turned out to be a death sentence for Rogue Factor’s comparatively humble release, as Hell Is Us has been reviewed positively, for the most part.
While criticisms have been leveled against Hell Is Us‘ bland combat and repetitive quest design, something that most reviewers and players agree on is the success of its unfettered mechanics. Hell Is Us is the quintessential “doesn’t hold your hand” sort of game, in the sense that there are no map markers, on-screen compasses, waypoints, or traditional quest journals. Instead, players are encouraged to use their own intellectual powers to progress and reap rewards. In this way, Hell Is Us bucks contemporary AAA open-world trends, but it’s far from the first game to have done so.
The eerie beauty of games like Elden Ring owe Shadow of the Colossus a great debt of gratitude; Team Ico’s 2005 action-adventure game laid the groundwork for all manner of dark, mature, sophisticated open-world titles. Set in a surreal world filled with powerful, ancient creatures, Shadow of the Colossus sees players tracking down and killing the titular Colossi in an effort to revive a deceased woman named Mono. That’s about as explicit as the story gets: there are no exposition-laden speeches, no text logs expounding lore or offering hints, and no firm guidance of any kind. This is reflected in the quest and world design, which is far from well-defined. It’s not too difficult to figure out, but it’s still remarkably minimal by modern standards, and well worth checking out for those who enjoy Hell Is Us‘ arms-length design.
October 18, 2005
T For Teen // Blood, Fantasy Violence
Sony Computer Entertainment
1
What can one say about Elden Ring that hasn’t already been said? Hailed as FromSoftware’s magnum opus by countless fans, Elden Ring takes the open-ended exploration of the studio’s previous Soulslikes and expands it by several orders of magnitude. It does have a map that can be accessed at any time, and a compass that can point in the direction of manually-placed waypoints, but Elden Ring‘s level design ensures that these elements never make exploration too easy. For a truly no-holds-barred, dense, and unpredictable open-world experience, it’s hard to do better than Elden Ring, that’s for sure.
10/10
February 25, 2022
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Proprietary
Hell Is Us‘ combat and action-RPG elements have been among its more commonly criticized elements, while exploration and environmental puzzle-solving are consistently praised. For those who resonate with this stance, Outer Wilds is perhaps the best alternative. Regularly called one of the greatest games ever made, Outer Wilds is all about freeform exploration and piecing together a complex narrative puzzle. There’s no combat or extra bells and whistles, just a hard-hitting, emotional story, told in a way that only a video game can deliver.
May 28, 2019
E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference
Mobius Digital
Unity
Another combat-free, narrative-focused project, Disco Elysium is a strong candidate for one of the best-written video games of all time. Simultaneously a tale of personal redemption, substance abuse, and the failures of capitalism, ZA/UM’s first and only release is a truly avant-garde entry in the medium, one that isn’t afraid to make its audience uncomfortable. There’s never any clear indication that a given choice is the “right” one, nor is there one single order in which to experience the events of its narrative. Thus, Disco Elysium‘s storytelling power is placed firmly in the hands of the player themselves, making for a uniquely unnerving, hilarious, absurd, and thought-provoking story that never lets up.
9/10
October 15, 2019
M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
ZA/UM
ZA/UM
Unity
