HELL IS US (I)

Impressions at this point, maybe a quarter(?) through the game: a flawed masterpiece. Loathe the combat as it's the least interesting part of the game: this is the first time I've lowered a difficulty level to the easiest because it was getting in the way of the interesting part: uncovering and revealing the world.

Note: doing this is my first recommendation to anyone considering playing HELL IS US. That being said, "Lenient" is a bit too easy and repetitive; the midway, "Balanced," is anything but. A middle ground between the two would be most welcome if future updates don't tweak the combat. In a future replay, I might bump it to balanced since I won't be as occupied with learning the ins and outs of the world.

And it's a game definitely screaming replay: I love its mapless, goal-less, open enough world. My heartbreaking failure to get around to good deeds in time. Best level design I've seen in ages: Hadea has soul to it - not surprising, considering the main reason I bought the game new was that it's the creative director debut of DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION / MANKIND DIVIDED's art director, Jonathan Jacques-Belletete.

It may not be perfect but it is, so far, something special and new.

/202509161355

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An acceptance that I will never be good with or at the influencer (when, out of curiosity, did "thought leader" wane? I hated that term too - but at least it had a little less of a manipulative bent - but I'm curious as to its erasure from the lexicon) video / TikTok-itization of the internet and am, as such, content to be an internet dinosaur talking to and with himself and his past selves and the two other people who might imbibe his blogs and newsletters and such.