Hell Let Loose launched on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X at the start of October, giving console owners the opportunity to experience the game's terrifying depiction of World War II. Hell Let Loose differs drastically from console shooter staples such as Call of Duty and Battlefield, placing focus on teamwork and tactics over fast-paced run-and-gun gameplay. Players can take on the quantity of unique and important roles over the game's many maps, which offer vast, authentic depictions of real-life WWII battlefields. This degree of authenticity manifests across both its gameplay and presentation, as players need to contend with minimal HUD elements, significant recoil, with no aim-assist. It only takes as little as one bullet to kill, with respect to the weapon, making each and every confrontation in Hell Let Loose a truly terrifying prospect.
The need for each firefight in Hell Let Loose is hammered home further by the game's spawn system. If players are placed in a team that isn't coordinating, they are able to quickly find themselves kept in a spiral of long, dull walks towards the frontline every time they be a casualty. The game's maps are truly gargantuan, and it is right down to those playing as Hell Let Loose's infantry officers, supports, and commanders to make sure that the time of downtime in between engagements is minimal, through creating garrison and outpost spawn points for their teammates to make use of and obtain towards the action faster.
It can make to have an intimidating experience, but it's a welcome change of pace using their company WWII titles. Think Rainbow Six Siege but on the larger scale; each death might not be permanent, but Hell Let Loose requires an identical degree of cooperation and communication to be able to succeed. What dials up the tension even more though is the bare-bones nature from the game's gunplay. While newer WWII shooters have divested from history and made the guns of the era much more modular than they were in real life, Hell Let Loose strives for authenticity. Players need to make use iron sights (unless they are a sniper) and, given most of Hell Let Loose's firefights occur at some range, it's unlikely they'll be tearing up the battlefield like a 1940s-era John Wick – particularly if they're using a controller.
Hell Let Loose Is A really Unique WWII Shooter
The decision to commit to the WWII setting and prioritize historical authenticity over customization undoubtedly works to Hell Let Loose's benefit, distinguishing it further in the more dominant shooters like Call of Duty: Vanguard and Battlefield 2042. Kill an enemy soldier, and players won't be greeted with big flashy text and an instant boost of XP. They may hear a thud or perhaps a clink to point a body or headshot, but at greater distances, they've got to depend on visual confirmation or perhaps a callout from the teammate to find out if they got their guy. Dead enemies will usually fall to the ground, but when the bullets are flying and artillery is originating down, it may be hard to tell whether someone has been removed from the battle, or maybe they just ducked for canopy.
The upcoming Call of Duty: Vanguard goes difficult on customization, but the decision to complete the precise opposite with Hell Let Loose makes it far more compelling compared to competition. Lots of shooters are guilty of over-equipping players, however in Hell Let Loose, each player includes a specific job to do. Some units are more versatile than the others, however in practice, each player needs to rely on their teammates to do their job most effectively, which contrasts greatly using the go-it-alone approach of Call of Duty.
There are lots of systems players will need to navigate in order to thrive on the battlefield, but the more that they put in, the greater that they'll get out of the knowledge. Nothing beats successfully navigating a difficult firefight in Hell Let Loose, or even the sense of fear and adrenaline that accompany it.
