Hell is Us is due to receive a free demo for Xbox and PlayStation gamers ahead of its early September release. Set in a bleak sci-fi world, Hell is Us is a third-person action adventure game led by the art director of the two most recent Deus Ex games, Jonathan Jaques-Belletete, who has stated that the upcoming game's dark and moody sci-fi atmosphere is inspired in part by Alex Garland's 2018 film Annihilation.
Hell is Us was first announced back in 2022 and was initially stamped with a 2023 release window, which failed to hit its mark. Earlier this summer, the game showed up at Steam Next Fest with a lengthy demo. While this showcased a lot of Hell is Us' gritty and spooky world, it only remained available for two weeks. Still, it was one of the most-played demos of June 2025's Steam Next Fest and generated a lot of buzz and anticipation around what's sure to be one of the more unique games 2025 has to offer.
Hell is Us Reveals PC System Requirements
With a few months remaining for launch, Hell is Us shares the PC specifications players will need to run the game on their preferred preset.
Hell is Us Getting a Console Demo on August 12
With PC players having already had their chance to get hands-on with Hell is Us in June, it's now console players' turn to give the game a try. On Twitter, the official Hell is Us account announced that the game will be receiving a demo on Xbox and PlayStation next week, on August 12. The post didn't mention whether PC gamers will also get the demo, considering the Steam Next Fest demo is no longer available.
It's unknown whether this new console demo will be the same one PC gamers played as part of Steam Next Fest. If it is, gamers on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S have a solid 1-2-hour chunk of Hell is Us to look forward to next week. As a game that has publicly flaunted its non-hand-holdy design, Hell is Us puts a big emphasis on natural exploration without having players lean on waypoint markers or quest logs to get around the world. As such, it's important that gamers will be able to get a feel for the flow of the game's organic exploration before committing to the full $60 price once the title releases. Hopefully, the demo also comes to PC, as there are undoubtedly many gamers on the platform who missed out on the Steam Next Fest demo.
Hell is Us is releasing at an incredibly busy time. It'll follow an absolutely packed tail end of August that houses major releases like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Lost Soul Aside, Gears of War: Reloaded, and the Xbox releases of Helldivers 2 and Black Myth: Wukong. On the other side of Hell is Us, Borderlands 4 will be released just a week later on September 12, with horror games like Dying Light: The Beast and Silent Hill F also following later in September. Hopefully, as a new IP, Hell is Us will be able to make its mark and stand out with its unique exploration and spooky sci-fi horror setting, and this new demo just might help.
Hell Is Us
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 78 /100 Critics Rec: 79%
- Released
- September 4, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Rogue Factor
- Publisher(s)
- Nacon
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
