Hell Let Loose

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Hell Let Loose
Hell Let Loose cover art.jpg
Developer(s) Expression Games (2023–present)
Cover 6 Studios (2023–present) [1]
Black Matter (2018–2023) [2]
Publisher(s) Team17 [2]
Director(s) Maximilian Rea [3]
Programmer(s) Roman Kramar, James Baxter, German Danilov [3]
Artist(s) John Martin, Rick Echler, Danny Ivan Flu, Tyson Gundersen, Hugo Ducrocq, Samuel Metivier, Fran G Castiglioni, Grytzen Jetze Veenstra, Dmitry Bezrodniy, Anton Tereshkin, Olga Tischenko, Andrew "Theel" Lett, Adam Whitehead, Marnick Lammers, Sam Rhodes, Brent Payne, Dave Schunior, Will Bullen, Stefan Engdahl, Tom Guo, Mikhail Fomenko, Lucas Roman, David Williams, Michael Kinsey, Jacob Andersson, Nikolaos Karatasakis, Ricardo Camara, Matthew Diks, Troy Irving, Noah Li, Bart Kaminski, Danyal Davies, Zac Daniels, Brad Durham, Chris Hasegawa, Eddie Green, Matthew Grough, Austin Tran, Stanislav Ostrikov, Olga Tishchenko, Tom Harle [3]
Engine Unreal Engine 4 [4]
Platform(s)
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
  • WW: July 27, 2021
PS5, Xbox Series X/S
  • WW: October 5, 2021
Genre(s) Tactical shooter, first-person shooter
Mode(s) Multiplayer

Hell Let Loose is a 2019 multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video game [5] developed by Expression Games and Cover 6 Studios and published by Team17. [6] [7] Players fight in iconic battles of the Western, North African and Eastern Fronts of World War II at the platoon level. [8]

Contents

The game was originally created and developed by Australian studio Black Matter [9] who first announced it via a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2017, [2] where it had raised US$220,000. [4] It was initially released for Microsoft Windows as an early access title on 6 June 2019, [10] and fully released in July 2021. It was later released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on 5 October 2021. [11] In January 2022, the ex-developer Black Matter sold the game to its publisher Team17, [12] with the company founding Cover 6 Studios to take over development in the beginning of 2023. [13]

Gameplay

Matches are 50 vs. 50 combined arms battles between two teams of either Germans, Americans, [14] Soviets, British [15] or the German Afrika Korps and British 8th Army subfactions. Each faction consists of multiple smaller rifle squads of six soldiers, armoured squads of three tank crewmen, or recon squads of two soldiers. [5] As of November 2023, two game modes exist in the game: Warfare and Offensive. In both modes, the map is divided into sectors that each team seeks to capture and control. In the Warfare mode, the game is won by either controlling all sectors, or by controlling a majority of them when the timer runs out. In the Offensive mode, a defending team is in control of all sectors at the beginning of the match, and the objective for the opposing side is then to capture all of them before the timer runs out. [16]

Communication is intended as a central gameplay aspect by the developers. [17] Each unit may be led by a single officer, who can communicate with other officers and the commander through a "leadership" voice channel. Similarly, there are unit-only, proximity and party voice channels as well. As an alternative to voice communication, there is also access to team-wide and unit level text chat which is only featured on the PC version of the game.

Hell Let Loose also features an RTS-inspired resource-based strategic meta-game. [8] Each of the two factions fighting will also be assigned a commander, and the commander is in charge of not only the team and squads, but vehicle deployments, air strikes, and supply drops, however these orders do cost resources. Resource nodes can be built using supplies by engineers to bolster resource production, which allows for the commander to deploy more tanks, air strikes and other orders to help the team fighting on the battlefield. These nodes can be taken down if found and dismantled by the enemy team as well.

Development

Hell Let Loose is developed on Unreal Engine 4. [4] After about two years of initial development and testing following the launch of its Kickstarter campaign, [18] the game released on Steam as an early-access title on June 6, 2019 — the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings, [10] which was then followed by a full release in July 2021. The game was also released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on 5 October 2021. The last update for the game in 2022, Update 13, was claimed to have brought the console version of the game up to parity with the PC version, according to the ex-developer, Black Matter. [19]

Map design

External image
Map design
Searchtool.svg A developer example illustrating map design based on street level images of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Manche.
Source: Kickstarter campaign. [20]

The playable maps in the game are all based on historical WWII battles [21] by combining satellite imagery, archival aerial photography and street-level recreation. [20] [22] The new developers have also recently stated that they are working on implementing historically accurate loadouts and vehicles for each map.

Reception

Hell Let Loose received "generally favorable" reviews for Microsoft Windows and Xbox Series X and "mixed or average" reviews for PlayStation 5, according to review aggregator Metacritic. The game holds a "Very Positive" review score on Steam.

PCGamesN has praised the use of teamwork in the game, writing that "A well-led assault on an enemy strongpoint involves covering the approach with a smokescreen... Taking part in such an assault is a uniquely exhilarating experience that’s like nothing else I’ve felt in a shooter." [30] On the other hand, PC Gamer , while enjoying the changes that made Hell Let Loose more lethal, still felt that the sound wasn't up to par, saying "My main nitpick is with sound... When everything is tuned correctly, a gun should be so loud that I can't hear my teammate over the radio. This is where Hell Let Loose kinda falls flat. No matter how much I mess with audio sliders, the game never gets loud enough for my liking." [31]

In July 2023, Team17 released a since-deleted trailer for the game's next update, "Devotion to Duty". [32] Upon the release of the trailer, it was met with poor reception by the community due to multiple graphical and animation glitches. [33] The game became the subject of review bombing on Steam. [34] As a result of the criticism, Cover 6 Studios and Team17 issued a joint apology, [35] [36] and announced plans to continue to improve the game on Reddit. [37]

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References

  1. ↑ "Team17 opens Cover 6 Studios to co-develop Hell Let Loose". gamesindustry.biz. 12 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Tarason, Dominic (28 November 2018). "Team 17 to publish 50 vs 50 WW2 shooter, Hell Let Loose". Rock Paper Shotgun . Archived from the original on 29 October 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 "PRESS KIT". Presskit. Hell Let Loose. 30 October 2019. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Phillips, Tom (28 November 2018). "There's another WW2 shooter in development". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on 29 October 2019.
  5. 1 2 Hossam, Mostafa (11 June 2019). "Hell Let Loose Preview (Early Access)". The Indie Game Website. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019.
  6. ↑ "Team17 Launches Cover 6 Studios to Co-Develop Hell Let Loose". 80.lv. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  7. ↑ Newman, Lucy (12 April 2023). "Team17 Partners with Expression Games for Hell Let Loose Co-Development". Team17 Digital LTD – The Spirit Of Independent Games. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Press Kit". hell-let-loose. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  9. ↑ "Black Matter". LinkedIn . Retrieved 2 November 2019.[ permanent dead link ]
  10. 1 2 Tarason, Dominic (7 June 2019). "Hell Let Loose dives into the hundred-player trenches of early access". Rock Paper Shotgun . Archived from the original on 29 October 2019.
  11. ↑ "Hardcore WW2 shooter Hell Let Loose hits PS5 and Xbox Series X and S in October". Eurogamer. 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  12. ↑ Grimshaw, Jack (7 January 2022). "Team17 acquires 'Hell Let Loose' IP for £46 million". NME. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  13. ↑ "Hell Let Loose dev leaves WW2 game for "next project", but don't panic". PCGamesN. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  14. ↑ Black Matter (28 November 2018). "This is Hell Let Loose!". Steam Community . Archived from the original on 31 October 2019.
  15. ↑ Lyons, Ben (26 May 2023). "The British Forces have debuted in Hell Let Loose". Gamereactor UK. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  16. ↑ Black Matter (4 October 2019). "Developer Briefing #43 - Introducing the Offensive Gamemode!". Steam Community . Archived from the original on 31 October 2019.
  17. ↑ "Hell Let Loose". Team17 . Archived from the original on 3 November 2019.
  18. ↑ Smith, Chris (28 May 2019). "Driving a tank in 'Hell Let Loose' is the most fun I've ever had playing a first-person shooter". Boy Genius Report (BGR). Archived from the original on 3 November 2019.
  19. ↑ "Hell Let Loose - Developer Briefing #173 - Update 13, Console Parity, Commonwealth Timeline - Steam News". store.steampowered.com. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  20. 1 2 "Hell Let Loose". Kickstarter . Archived from the original on 30 October 2019.
  21. ↑ "Hell Let Loose: A tour of all iconic maps". YouTube .
  22. ↑ "Hell Let Loose Maps Are To-Scale With Real Locations". ScreenRant. 18 October 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  23. ↑ "Hell Let Loose for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  24. ↑ "Hell Let Loose for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  25. ↑ "Hell Let Loose for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  26. ↑ "Hell Let Loose". OpenCritic . 6 June 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  27. ↑ Goroff, Michael (5 October 2021). "Hell Let Loose (console version) review". Electronic Gaming Monthly . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  28. ↑ Park, Morgan (9 September 2021). "Hell Let Loose review". PC Gamer . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  29. ↑ Ian, Boudreau (18 October 2021). "Hell Let Loose review – battle hardened". PCGamesN . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  30. ↑ Boudreau, Ian (27 July 2021). "Hell Let Loose review – battle hardened". PCGamesN. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  31. ↑ Park, Morgan (9 September 2021). "Hell Let Loose review". pcgamer. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  32. ↑ Hell Let Loose - Devotion to Duty Update Announcement | PC Gaming Show 2023 , retrieved 31 July 2023
  33. ↑ ""Embarrassing" Hell Let Loose trailer has floating arms and A-posing". PCGamesN. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  34. ↑ "Hell Let Loose is being review bombed on Steam after glitchy trailer". PCGamesN. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  35. ↑ "Hell Let Loose devs "deeply apologize" after glitch-filled trailer". PCGamesN. 14 June 2023.
  36. ↑ "Hell Let Loose - A Message to The Community - Steam News". store.steampowered.com. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  37. ↑ Wombat_Medic (27 July 2023). "Developer Briefing #192 - Answering Your Questions!". r/HellLetLoose. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
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