Hell Is Us is built around stamina management, not button mashing. Attacks, dodges, blocks and parries draw from the same resource, and taking a hit can temporarily lower your maximum stamina. The safest general rhythm is to watch an enemy’s wind-up, keep enough stamina for an escape, punish its recovery, and end the combo before the bar is empty.
There is no verified universal chart that says one emotional color always deals extra damage. The dependable weakness pattern is mechanical: Haze entities can shield a host, so remove the linked Haze threat before expecting reliable damage. Weapon families then let you choose speed, reach or impact, while glyphs, relics, drone modules and Lymbic abilities add control and burst options.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Hell is Us – PlayStation 5 | $45.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Returnal - PlayStation 5 | $35.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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The Diofield Chronicle - PlayStation 5 | $22.77 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Sonic X Shadow Generations - PlayStation 5 | $19.93 | Buy on Amazon |
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What matters most in every fight
- Protect stamina. The same bar pays for offense and defense. A long combo that empties it can leave you unable to dodge the next hit.
- Read the wind-up. Attack animations, rather than a memorized weakness chart, tell you when to evade, guard or attempt a parry.
- Break Haze protection first. A bright, linked Haze offshoot can shield its host. Killing the host without dealing with that link is often inefficient.
- Use the whole kit. The drone, glyph-powered Lymbic abilities and relics can create space, interrupt a wind-up or finish a target without remaining in melee range.
- Choose a weapon for the encounter. Dual axes favor speed, greatswords favor impact, swords are balanced and polearms or spears give you reach. Damage alone is not enough to judge a loadout.
How the stamina combat system works
One resource pays for offense and defense
Rémi’s melee attacks, dodges, blocks and parries all compete for stamina. That makes every attack a defensive decision: if you spend the last part of the bar on a combo, you may not have enough left to escape. Incoming hits can also temporarily reduce the available stamina ceiling, so trading blows makes the next defensive action harder even when the visible bar has not been emptied.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →A practical loop is to begin an exchange with a reserve, land a short string, and stop while you still have enough for at least one dodge. Against a single enemy, you can extend the attack when its recovery is obvious. Against several enemies, preserve a larger reserve because an unseen second attack may require two movement actions.
#1 Best Overall
- A HOSTILE WORLD: In addition to the civil war dividing the country, the region is suffering from a mysterious calamity, which has given rise to supernatural creatures that no modern weapon can defeat. Your drone and sword from a different age are your faithful allies as you cut a path through lands infested with terrifying chimeras and try to unravel the mystery of their appearance.
- A UNIQUE EXPLORATION SYSTEM: No map, no compass, no quest markers. Following your instincts is part of the adventure. Enjoy a unique experience that uses innovative writing and level design to let you make your own decisions and follow your instincts as you explore. Your discoveries are yours alone.
- COMBAT AGAINST ORIGINAL CREATURES: Swords, spears and axes. A wide range of weapons forged specially for fighting these supernatural creatures is available. You must learn how to fight these monsters and use your drone wisely to stay alive.
- 'The central theme of Hell is Us is that human violence is a perpetual cycle fueled by human emotions and passions.'' – Jonathan Jacques-Belletête, Creative Director
Use the healing pulse as a reward for control
When Rémi deals damage, particles can form a ring around him. Activating that short-window pulse restores some health, according to TechRadar’s combat coverage. The pulse is not a reason to mash attacks until stamina is gone. Create the opening with a measured punish, trigger the heal promptly, then reposition before the next wind-up.
Recognize the parry telegraph
Red attack pulses are reported as parry telegraphs. A parry performed immediately before impact can negate damage and create a punish window. Missing the timing costs health and tempo, so treat the technique as an efficiency option rather than the foundation of survival.
Enemy weaknesses: what is confirmed and what is not
The reliable weakness is Haze protection
Hell Is Us does not currently have an authoritative, complete table of enemy-by-enemy damage multipliers. Do not assume that a red, blue or other emotional color always means a particular weapon will deal bonus damage. The documented pattern is structural: Haze-linked entities can protect a host from dependable damage.
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How the Haze split works
The official PlayStation Blog describes a specific progression. After a host is killed, Haze splits; the final Haze enters a Protector, and that Protector must then be defeated. In practical terms:
- Identify which enemy is being shielded and locate its linked Haze entity.
- Clear the linked Haze threat while preserving enough stamina to avoid the host’s attack.
- Return to the host and deal damage during its recovery windows.
- After the host dies, scan for the split Haze entities instead of assuming the encounter is over.
- Follow the final Haze into the Protector and defeat that form to complete the sequence.
GamesRadar describes the same bright, linked offshoots as a protection mechanic. If your strikes appear to do little or no dependable damage, check for that link before changing weapons.
Rank #2
- The procedural world of returnal invites you to dust yourself Off in the face of defeat and take on new, evolving challenges with every Rebirth.
- After crash-landing on a shape-shifting world, selene must search through the barren landscape of an ancient civilization for her Escape.
- Isolated and alone, she finds herself fighting tooth and nail for survival. Again and again, she's defeated - forced to restart her journey every time she dies.
Emotional colors are categories, not a published chart
Grief, Rage, Terror and Elation appear in weapon imbuements, glyphs, items and enemy presentation. The available descriptions establish them as thematic and build categories, but not as a universal rock-paper-scissors system. Compare a color-based option by its control effect, range, stamina demand and interaction with the Haze behavior in the current encounter. A build that interrupts or spaces enemies may outperform a theoretically stronger hit when the arena is crowded.
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The official PlayStation Blog says, “So that gives us 27 enemies in the game.” A separate HellIsUs.org review describes five Entity types with three tiers each, or 15 variants. Those figures describe different ways of counting the roster; neither source supplies a complete damage-multiplier chart for every form.
Dodging, guarding and parrying
Dodging is the universal baseline
Every documented enemy can be handled with spacing and dodging, so evasion is the safest starting skill. Keep the camera and directional input aligned with the route you want to take. Dodging toward an open side is usually more useful than rolling blindly away, because it keeps the enemy in view and can place you beside it during recovery.
Against groups, preserve enough stamina for a second escape. One dodge may avoid the first swing while another enemy is already entering its attack animation. If the camera is crowded, move to the edge of the group before committing to a long attack.
Guard when an attack is difficult to evade
Guarding is a practical alternative when an attack has an awkward hitbox or the arena gives you no clean escape route. The basic combat guidance recommends checking each weapon’s guard-protection rating. A weapon with stronger guard protection can make a defensive, close-range build more forgiving; a low-protection weapon asks you to rely more heavily on movement and timing.
Parry for efficiency, not permission to survive
Press parry immediately before the strike connects, not when the enemy first begins its animation. A successful timing negates damage and opens a punish. However, GamesRadar reports that no documented enemy requires parry mastery. Learn to survive with dodges and occasional blocks first, then add parries against attacks whose timing you recognize. This approach avoids turning every missed experiment into a health loss.
Rank #3
- New Strategy RPG by Square Enix - An all-new Strategy RPG that chronicles an epic tale of war and honor; Featuring a unique and beautiful world that blends fantasy, medieval and modern-day influences, and a deep yet innovative real-time battle system
- Deep, strategic, real-time tactical battles – Make real-time assessment of battlefield conditions and decisive orders that take advantage of your troops strengths and weaknesses; Make use of skills, classes and equipment to complete your mission
- Realistic diorama style battle scenes - Richly detailed depictions of the environments of the island of DioField combined with unique "diorama" style visuals as you command your forces like a general
A simple defensive decision rule
- If the attack path is clear and you have stamina, dodge and take position for the recovery.
- If the hitbox is broad or your escape route is blocked, guard and prepare to disengage.
- If you have learned the exact impact timing and the red pulse is visible, attempt a parry.
- If more than one enemy is active, favor the option that preserves stamina for the next threat rather than the option with the highest immediate damage.
Weapon families and what they trade
The official product description names swords, spears and axes. Reviews describe a practical set that also includes dual axes, greatswords and polearms. Every family can be upgraded, and glyphs can add active or passive effects. Use the following comparison as a decision guide rather than a fixed tier list.
| Weapon family | Main advantage | Main trade-off | Good fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dual axes | Fast attacks and repeated pressure | Lower impact and less room for error if stamina is spent on continuous offense | Players who can stay close, stop combos early and exploit short recovery windows |
| Greatswords | High impact per committed swing | Slower startup and recovery, making missed attacks more costly | Single-target punish windows, especially when a relic or drone module helps create space |
| Swords | Balanced speed, reach and handling | No extreme specialty; it will not match dual axes for speed or polearms for reach | Learning encounters and switching between offense, guard and dodge without rebuilding your approach |
| Polearms and spears | Safer reach and better control of distance | Can be less convenient when an enemy gets inside the weapon’s preferred range | Spacing, corridor fights and encounters where staying outside a swing matters more than burst |
Do not rank weapons by damage alone
Compare four things together: startup and recovery speed, reach and crowd coverage, stamina cost and defensive safety, and synergy with your glyphs, relics and drone. A slower weapon may win an encounter if it ends exchanges quickly, while a faster weapon may be safer when repeated dodges and healing-pulse opportunities matter more than one large hit.
Glyphs, relics, drone and Lymbic combat
Glyphs turn a weapon into a toolkit
PC Gamer identifies three combat channels: combo and parry melee, drone combat and Lymbic combat. Lymbic powers are accessed through glyphs attached to weapons. That means a weapon choice is also a choice about which active or passive effects you can bring into an encounter. Use a control-oriented glyph with a slow weapon if you need an interruption before the next swing; use a range or burst effect when closing distance is dangerous.
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Use the two relic slots to cover a weakness
Rémi can equip one passive relic and one active relic. Build around the problem your weapon creates rather than stacking effects that all do the same job. A fast, aggressive weapon may benefit from stamina or defensive support. A slow greatsword may need crowd control or a way to create a safe opening. A reach-focused polearm can pair with distraction or burst for enemies that refuse to stay at distance.
Turn the drone into a tempo tool
The drone begins as a distraction device and can later gain modules that stun or damage enemies. Send it out to interrupt a dangerous wind-up, separate one target from a group or create the brief space needed to activate the healing pulse. The drone is most valuable when it changes the timing of an exchange; firing it after you have already lost stamina is less useful than deploying it before the attack lands.
A repeatable encounter procedure
- Survey the arena. Identify the host, linked Haze entities, nearby adds and the safest direction for a retreat.
- Select a reserve. Decide how much stamina must remain for one dodge, or two if several enemies can attack at once.
- Bait a wind-up. Stay at the edge of the weapon’s effective range and watch for the attack animation or red pulse.
- Choose defense. Dodge when the path is open, guard when the hitbox is awkward, and parry only when the timing is familiar.
- Confirm protection status. If a host is shielded, target the linked Haze threat before spending a long combo on the host.
- Punish recovery briefly. Use the weapon’s appropriate number of attacks, then stop with stamina in reserve.
- Convert damage into healing. When the particle ring forms, activate the pulse quickly and move away from the next attack.
- Reassess after a kill. Watch for Haze splitting and the Protector phase instead of lowering your guard.
Matching a build to the encounter
| Encounter problem | Prioritize | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A protected host takes little dependable damage | Haze detection, mobility and a weapon you can use without exhausting stamina | The linked Haze threat must be cleared before the host becomes a reliable damage target |
| Several enemies overlap in melee range | Reach, crowd coverage, drone distraction and a stamina reserve for repeated dodges | Surviving the second attack is more important than maximizing the first combo |
| A single enemy gives clear recovery windows | High-impact weapon, active relic or parry practice | A controlled punish can justify slower startup and recovery |
| You are still learning attack timings | Sword or another balanced family, guard support and defensive relic effects | A forgiving moveset lets you practice spacing before specializing |
| You cannot safely close distance | Polearm or spear reach, drone interruption and Lymbic burst | Range and temporary control reduce the time spent inside an enemy’s threat zone |
Common failure modes and fixes
“I run out of stamina before the enemy dies.”
Shorten the combo and stop attacking while enough stamina remains for an escape. Incoming damage can temporarily lower your stamina ceiling, so disengage after a hit instead of trying to recover by trading another blow. Add a defensive or stamina-supporting relic if the problem persists.
Rank #4
- Past meets present in SONIC GENERATIONS! Modern and Classic Sonic team up to defeat Dr. Eggman and the Time Eater to restore their timeline to normal!
- Spin dash through a greatest-hits collection of 3D and 2D versions of iconic stages from past Sonic games, now with updated visuals and reworked cinematics
- In this new standalone campaign, Black Doom has reemerged and threatens to take over the world. Shadow must journey into his past, confront his memories, and unlock new dark powers to save the world.
- Harness Shadow's new Doom Powers to battle hordes of enemies and tackle platforming challenges like never before. Surf on water, fly over obstacles, and stop time with the return of Chaos Control!
- Rescue Chao hiding in every level, rack up the highest pinball score in the Casino Nights zone, and check out the museum for behind-the-scenes art, music, and more!
“The host barely takes damage.”
Look for a bright, linked Haze entity or other protection indicator. Clear that threat first, then return to the host. After the host falls, expect the Haze split and Protector phase described by the PlayStation Blog.
“My parries keep failing.”
You are probably reacting to the start of the animation rather than the impact. Use dodges and guard until you can identify the red pulse and the exact moment before contact. No documented enemy forces a parry-only solution.
“The healing ring appears, but I lose it.”
The pulse is short-windowed. Trigger it as soon as the particles form, ideally after a punish that leaves the enemy recovering. Do not continue a greedy combo while waiting for a safer moment.
“I am surrounded before the drone helps.”
Deploy the drone before the group’s attack cycle begins. Use distraction or a stun module to split the formation, move toward open space and reserve stamina for the next dodge. Lymbic area or burst effects can finish a threat without requiring another close-range exchange.
What the published information does not establish
No authoritative source currently provides a universal stamina formula, frame data, exact guard values for every weapon, damage multipliers or a complete enemy weakness chart. Those numbers should not be treated as confirmed unless they are shown by a current in-game test or an official table. The dependable principles are therefore behavioral: preserve stamina, read the attack, remove Haze protection, and select weapons and tools according to the space and timing an encounter gives you.
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