Hell is Us – WHY It is SO Compelling (Behind The Scenes)

On this FextraLife video, I’ve one thing particular for you. I’ll be displaying you an interview I did with Jonathan Jacques-Belletête, the artistic director and artwork director on Hell is Us.

Hell is Us Particular Interview with Jonathan Jacques-Belletête

This interview passed off a number of months in the past at Rogue Manufacturing facility Studio in Montreal, and Jonathan is actually an unimaginable man. I spent a variety of time with him outdoors of the interview speaking about Hell is Us.

Regardless of our assessment, Hell is Us is a type of video games I used to be pulling for the entire method by way of, and I nonetheless am. I had tons of enjoyable with it, even when it fell quick in some key areas.

I imagine this studio goes to do huge issues sooner or later and really deserves the help of players for attempting one thing daring and totally different.

They’re not simply churning out sequels of protected, predictable video games. They’re pushing new concepts. And although execution wasn’t excellent, they nailed components most studios normally fail on. That’s why I needed to share this interview, as a result of Jonathan has some very attention-grabbing insights concerning the business and about Hell is Us.

Remy’s Look

I kicked issues off with a lighter query:

Did you imply for Remy to seem like Todd Howard?

Jonathan laughed and stated no, that wasn’t intentional however as soon as folks pointed it out, he may positively see why.

He defined the coiffure selection, evaluating it to Strong Snake’s mullet in early Steel Gear Strong. Again then, it was mocked as a “joke haircut,” but over time turned iconic.

“Discover a most important character in any recreation that has this bloody ball of curled bone hair. There’s none. Ours don’t seem like the remainder.”

With Remy, they needed one thing that stood out, even polarizing one thing the place simply his silhouette may immediately be acknowledged.

Jonathan admitted it “attracts a line within the sand” the place gamers both adore it or hate it, and he’s high quality with that.

Defining the Recreation

When requested to explain Hell is Us, Jonathan stated it’s merely an journey recreation.

“Actually, it’s simply an journey recreation.”

He needed to seize that old-school feeling the place you begin one thing with out totally realizing what it’s, discovering the “taste” as you play.

Again then, every recreation tried to carve out its personal id, one thing that’s uncommon at present.

So for him, Hell is Us is about fight, puzzles, exploration, conversations, and discovery a “good outdated journey.”

What Units It Aside

Some of the attention-grabbing ideas Jonathan launched was what he calls “participant plattering.”

He defined how most fashionable video games overload you with quest markers, mini-maps, journals, and compasses that act like a sixth sense. Gamers are guided from level A to B with out ever actually exploring.

“You’re within the theme of exploration, however you’re not truly doing it—it’s been given to you on a silver platter.”

So as a substitute, they flipped the system. No markers main you on to Bob on the inn. No glowing icons hovering over NPCs. Gamers have to hearken to conversations, observe the atmosphere, and make their very own psychological map. He in contrast it to outdated instructions earlier than GPS:

“Drive to exit 63, flip left on the fuel station, search for the loopy man with birdhouses, then the crimson boulder it labored. That’s how we used to orient ourselves.”

That’s the philosophy of Hell is Us: exploration by deduction, not handholding.

Inspirations for Horror Components

When speaking concerning the tone, Jonathan emphasised that Hell is Us naturally fell right into a cosmic horror vibe.

Not Lovecraftian, however within the sense of forces which might be terrifying as a result of they’re actual but past our comprehension,like radioactivity in Chernobyl.

He defined that enemies are designed because the bodily manifestation of human feelings.

Feelings can’t stroll on their very own, they want a human anchor. That’s why the Hole Walkers have unusual, fractal, geometric designs. They’re tethered, virtually umbilically, to what spawned them.

“It hopefully tastes a bit totally different. It’s good to course of it while you first see it.”

The Function of Music

Music was a core a part of the environment.

In contrast to many studios that outsource composers, Hell is Us had an in-house composer as a part of the workforce, together with a powerful audio director. This allowed the sound design to evolve with the sport.

“The sport is all about temper, man. You possibly can reduce it with a knife. The music needed to be completely a part of that.”

Impressed partly by the movie Annihilation, the soundtrack blends horror tones with unusual, moody sounds. Jonathan emphasised that the sport is all about temper and the music makes that temper tangible, generally even shocking gamers with sudden twists within the soundscape.

Fight Design

Lastly, we talked about fight. Jonathan admitted that at the beginning they aimed for one thing extra hardcore, however ultimately settled on a midcore steadiness. Nonetheless, it was unimaginable to disregard the improvements FromSoftware dropped at the style.

However as a substitute of copying Souls-like mechanics outright, they added their very own twist.

For instance, in Hell is Us, well being is linked to stamina. Taking injury reduces each, which might create a vicious cycle until you employ instruments just like the Limbic Pulse.

It’s a system that respects acquainted mechanics whereas nonetheless carving out one thing unique.

Closing Ideas

Speaking with Jonathan Jacques-Belletête made one factor clear: Hell is Us won’t have landed completely, however its imaginative and prescient, philosophy, and creative ambition are simple.

This isn’t a studio enjoying it protected. It’s a studio attempting to reimagine how we discover, how we combat, and even how we interpret human feelings by way of gameplay.

And that, in itself, is price listening to.