Hell let Loose is a tactical WW2 First person shooter that uses realism and strategy features to make it stand out from all the triple-A war shooters. If you’re into World War and as the history of it, this game might just be for you! Let’s dive in!
Hell Let Loose will put you in the role of a rookie officer that needs to defend his homeland from invaders. Bringing you the most realistic World War 2 experience to your desktop is the goal the developers are striving for. In Hell Let Loose, there’s a minimum of HUD elements that’ll keep the players on their toes during the whole battle. You will see no hit markers and running from the barricade to barricade is something you’ll be getting used to soon enough. Standing out in the open in the middle of a war is a bad thing and Hell Let Loose gameplay will remind you of this. As a player, it’s up to you and your team to conquer different areas and drive the opponent’s back. The key to victory is all about team communication and playing the game like your life depends on it. Listening to your commander and building barricades where needed, will heighten your chance of survival. Truly think like a soldier from the 20th century: don’t spray and shoot, take cover behind friendly tanks, communicate with your team members, and leave no one behind! Teamwork is essential.
“The game’s title is the perfect presentation of what a person could expect when he’s dropped behind enemy lines.”
The game puts 50 players against 50 players on scorched lands filled with ruins of a former village. A match will end in 90 minutes. There are also different modes: Warfare and Offensive mode. Offensive mode is all about taking action and conquer different locations on the map, while the other team defends. Warfare is about scoring points by conquering different sections on the map. This game isn’t your ordinary shooter game. It takes the whole first-person mechanic to a whole other level. Not knowing where the bombs could drop or where the bullets might fly, this is the realism you’ve been waiting for. Keep an eye on your surroundings and dispatch the right people to the right target without losing a sense of your surroundings. Don’t forget, the enemies are lurking around you and are well hidden that will allow them to take you out from afar without ever bringing some awareness of their position. Coming from run-and-gun shooters like COD or Apex Legends, I saw the respawn menu a lot more than I did my time on the battlefield. Playing this game myself, made my realize that World Wars aren’t your walk in the park. The game’s title is the perfect presentation of what a person could expect when he’s dropped behind enemy lines.
The game is set in the World War area and they take you to different important areas that had their fair share in the war: Stalingrad, Koersk, Sainte-Mère- église, … There are about 11 maps to play on and just like the mechanics, the developers made sure it was the best representation of that area during that time. Like I said before, a truly realistic experience is what they’re going for. Realistic gunplay and the use of tanks during these battlefields only heightens the experience more.
“I truly like the realism of this shooter but this direction can also give some frustration about things that we’re used to.”
The game allows you to play the game with a character that suits your playstyle best. On the starting screen, you’re able to go to the barracks and choose an outfit for your character. All outfits can be unlocked by just playing the game and since there’s no item shop, I definitely recommended seeing this through. It’ll take some time but it’s amazing to see this sort of customization in a realistic WW shooter. The other option is to “enlist for the army” which brings up the server list to join a war of your choosing. It took me a really long time to join a game but the moment you’re accepted to the war, it’s a thrilling experience to be a part of.
Even though I like the fact that the game pushes you to learn the game by playing, it’s not good for your enthusiasm “not to be crushed”. Players expect results in these types of games and some players just can’t accept that there are players who still need to learn the game. It would have been amazing to have a tutorial that could help you on your feet. There’s a slight learning curve before you truly get into the game and learn how the different weapons shoot. Because if you enlist for a War, you need to pick out a role that has a certain set of equipment that needs to be used that can help you score the win, however, there’s no tutorial to try out a certain class before you truly bind yourself to this role and become better at it. Of course, this is a feature that could be added later on.
“This game will be liked and disliked but it will always depend on how much time you’ll put into it.”
I truly like the realism of this shooter but this direction can also give some frustration about things that we’re used to. For example, you don’t know if you’ve killed your opponent unless you have visual confirmation. You also won’t be able to learn from your mistakes when you realize that there’s no Killcam that shows you a bit of information about how you died exactly. If you want to be good at a game, you need these bits of information to grow. However, this is not the game’s fault, it’s just a mindset that players need to change before they’re able to become better! Don’t forget, the game offers you 14 different roles without a tutorial. It’s recommended to begin with a Rifleman/ Assault to get the hang of the core mechanics.
Just like any other Battlefield game, you’ll be able to respawn on the map. There will be different spawn points across the map: HQ and Garrisons. HQ is your standard base and Garrisons are placed by the commanders. You are also able to see dots on your old-school Spawn map that can help you with your spawn point choice.
Conclusion:
Hell Let Loose is the perfect mixture between basic First-person mechanics and the most realistic experience of a World War shooter. This game will be liked and disliked but it will always depend on how much time you’ll put into it. The game is focused on hardcore players that have decent perseverance. This is because of the minimal use of HUD elements that can help a player out. The game offers you thrilling battles in a large-scale environment that’s set in the World War era. The game allows you to choose between different countries and different roles which is a big plus. If you like realism and hardcore team battles, this game is definitely for you! Give it a shot, if you haven’t already!
8/10
tested on PC
