2025's most underplayed and challenging adventure game just hit its lowest price, so now's your chance to play Hell Is Us

Launching between two industry behemoths, Metal Gear Solid Delta and Borderlands 4, while also releasing on the same day as Hollow Knight Silksong, 2025’s Hell Is Us didn’t stand a fair chance. With an 86% Positive rating on Steam with just under 2,000 reviews, this double-A gem came and went without enough attention, but with a major discount right now, there’s no excuse to pass on it anymore.

Hell Is Us may be one of the best action-adventure games of last year, but while there are a few elements of combat to enjoy, the true emphasis is on exploration. Taking you to the war-torn country of Hadea, you play as Rémi, who deserts his position in the Organized Nations as a Peacekeeper in order to find his parents, only to discover his home is not only in a very bad state, but it’s also infested with supernatural beings, which might make finding your parents a little harder.

What makes Hell Is Us ascend from a janky action game into a brilliant experience is the way the game drops you into the world without any direction. There are no map markers commanding you to go to a spot for further missions, there’s no compass directing you the right way – the writing, level design, and your own instincts are your guiding path, and while this might be off-putting to some, many players like me loved it for that very reason.

It recreates that uncanny but childlike sense of being lost, whether that’s in real life or in a videogame from years before. Having no pop-up telling you what to do and needing to rely on your own experiences makes it extremely interesting, and while the combat leaves much to be desired, that sense of exploration helps the game ascend into being one of my favorites from 2025, and it’s a real shame that not enough people have played it.

In our Hell Is Us review, Paul brings up plenty of negative points against the game, and many of them are correct. But how much that affects your own opinion of Hell Is Us depends on your feelings towards repetitive combat and a somewhat dysfunctional narrative. The unique exploration is what drives Hell Is Us, and if you’re looking to lose yourself in a new, refreshing world, this is one you can’t miss.

If you’ve been waiting to give Hell Is Us a chance, you can grab the game for just $19.99 / £17.99 at Fanatical, a 60% discount and the lowest price yet. Even at retail price, it’s fairly cheap compared to most triple-A experiences, but under $20, it’s well worth giving a try.

So, if you’ve finished Resident Evil Requiem or you’re waiting for Crimson Desert like me, give Hell Is Us a shot. You won’t be disappointed if you’re looking to play a game that allows you to feel smart.