Hell Is Us: the Game Pass sleeper worth exploring

2025 delivered an unusually strong mix of major releases, inventive indies and ambitious mid-budget games. Among the titles that deserved more attention was Hell Is Us, a Rogue Factor action adventure that is finding a wider audience through Xbox Game Pass and its Nintendo Switch 2 release.

For Australian players looking beyond the biggest franchises, it is a particularly interesting discovery: a combat-focused adventure that expects curiosity rather than constant waypoint following.

A Soulslike built around investigation

Hell Is Us launched on 4 September 2025, an unfortunate release date that placed it in the shadow of another highly anticipated game. A year later, its addition to Game Pass in July helped it reach the top three on the service in late summer. Microsoft has not published additional figures for Game Pass downloads or streams, but the developer announced in August that one million people had played the game.

Its premise follows a peacekeeper returning to his homeland to search for his parents. The familiar rescue setup soon gives way to something stranger: the country has been overtaken by supernatural horrors, leaving the protagonist to investigate a fractured and dangerous landscape.

No maps, no quest markers, no easy answers

The game takes inspiration from the Soulslike tradition, including deliberate combat and a strong emphasis on parries. Its more distinctive idea is the near absence of conventional interface guidance. Hell Is Us begins by telling players that there are no maps, quest markers or similar navigation aids.

Instead, missions emerge from observation, exploration and working out how the world fits together. That design will not suit every player, but it makes the environment feel like a place to understand rather than a checklist to clear.

Strong atmosphere, with some repetition

Reception has been positive overall but not unanimous. Hell Is Us holds a 77 metascore from 60 reviews on Metacritic. Its measured mission structure and exploration focus have earned praise, while enemy variety has been criticised for becoming repetitive.

The game is also connected to a notable piece of design history. It was directed by Jonathan Jacques-Belletete, who previously worked as art director on Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. That background helps explain the blend of brooding atmosphere, environmental storytelling and science-fiction-flavoured world-building.

Hell Is Us is less interested in copying every Soulslike convention than in using tense combat to support a larger exploration mystery.

Where to play Hell Is Us

Hell Is Us is available on Xbox Series X as part of the Game Pass library. It is also playable on PlayStation 5 and Windows PC. The game launched on Nintendo Switch 2 a few weeks before the supplied article’s October 2026 publication date, with a physical release planned for 27 October.

If you enjoy games that reward patience, careful observation and learning a world without constant prompts, this is an excellent candidate for your next Game Pass download. For more gaming and hardware coverage, browse the RETROCADE Arcade Blog, compare options in the Arcade Machine Buying Guide, or explore the latest arcade machines for a dedicated games room.