Highlights
- Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller offers a unique take on the concept of Hell, presenting it as a virtual reality computer program in a dystopian society.
- Minecraft's The Nether dimension provides a terrifying experience for players, especially when they lose their portal and become trapped in this hostile environment.
- Saints Row: Gat Out Of Hell offers a humorous and rewarding depiction of Hell, with a final fight against Satan himself, in a major departure from the original game's setting.
As abstract as the concept itself, Hell in video games can take many different forms. As a location, it is affected by genre and story, as well as the overarching ties to mythology - it can be a hell rooted in fantasy or in science.
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Many games have tried to definitively and accurately portray the fiery dimension, with varying degrees of success, often complicated with delicate maneuvering through religious contexts. Some games, however, disregard all of this and instead choose to create a personal hell more terrifying than any recorded depiction.
10 Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller
Metascore: N/A
Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- 1994-12-00
- Developer(s)
- Take-Two Interactive
- Genre(s)
- Point-and-click , Adventure
One of the first games from the well-known developer Take-Two Interactive, Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller is a point-and-click adventure game detailing the oppressive regime of the Hand of God, a fascist theocracy with the ability to banish criminals and delinquents to Hell.
What seems fantastical at first is gradually revealed to be more science-fiction, as 'hell' is in actuality a virtual reality computer program designed to keep the population in check. The plot and gameplay might seem dated, especially with the coincidental Matrix similarities, but it does offer a unique take on the hellish dimension.
9 Minecraft
Metascore: 82
Whilst Mojang's smash hit Minecraft isn't technically set in Hell, the lack of pressured direction allows players to spend their entire game session in The Nether, Minecraft's red, flaming dimension of sinister creatures and cavernous structures.
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It can become even more terrifying when players lose track of their portal, or accidentally have it destroyed, trapping them in The Nether where everything is potentially hostile. The pixilated, blocky environment shouldn't fool the average miner into thinking it is a low-stakes experience, because it is not.
8 Saints Row: Gat Out Of Hell
Metascore: 64
Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One , PlayStation 4 , Linux , Microsoft Windows , PlayStation 3 , Xbox 360
- Released
- January 20, 2015
- Developer(s)
- Deep Silver , Volition
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell was the final piece of Saints Row content prior to the reboot, and could not be further from where the original game started if it tried. As an example, the amalgamated American city of Stillwater was replaced with the domain of Satan, Hell.
The campaign consists of a humorous take on the devil and his minions, occupying a corporation-heavy Hell from where Johnny Gat recruits a team of allies. Like any good adventure into Hell, the game's climax contains a fight with Satan himself, allowing Gat out of Hell to be one of the more rewarding depictions of the underworld.
7 Grim Fandango
Metascore: 94
Shadowy, artistic in both visual and sound design, and lacking the traditional fires of Hell, Grim Fandango's underworld is far more nuanced, taking heavy inspiration from both the noir films of the 20th-century and Aztec culture. Controlling Manny Calavera, players attempt to aid a noble individual mistakenly believed to be a sinner on their journey to paradise.
As an adventure game, the despair and damnation of Hell are more subtle; players are presented with more implied hardships than actual scenes of punishment or horror. These features make Grim Fandango one of the more relaxing versions of Hell ever depicted.
6 God Of War 3
Metascore: 92
In a campaign of bloodshed against the Greek Pantheon, it was inevitable that God-killing protagonist Kratos would eventually end Hades once and for all; teased since the first game, God of War 3 features the impressive showdown between the vengeful Spartan and the King of The Underworld.
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Although it is not the only location visited in the game, The Underworld is featured prominently, brought to the forefront as Kratos' vengeance against the gods reaches its conclusion. Adopting an eye-catching purple color scheme, the Hell of God of War 3 is a newly-skinned revisit to the infamous location.
5 Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Metascore: 81
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
- Platform(s)
- PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Switch , PC
- Released
- August 16, 2017
- Developer(s)
- Ninja Theory
- Genre(s)
- Action , Adventure
For the titular character of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, Hell is a state of mind more than a physical location. Haunted by the death of her lover and determined to reclaim his soul, Senua undergoes intense physical and mental torment as she attempts to face the god Hela in combat.
Senua's psychosis, a groundbreaking depiction of mental health and its historical culture and impressions, effectively self-punishes herself with the guilt of her lover's death in a way a physical realm of fire could not. It takes arduous effort for Senua to shed this mindset, but accompanied by the player, it becomes a rewarding journey of discovery.
4 Shadows Of The Damned
Metascore: 76
Shadows of the Damned
- Developer(s)
- Grasshopper Manufacture
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Genre(s)
- Action , Third-Person Shooter
A punk rock take on the demon-hunting formula, Shadows of the Damned follows Garcia Hotspur as he travels to The Underworld to rescue his girlfriend from The Lord of Demons, Fleming. Mixing shooter elements with role-playing, Shadows of the Damnedgives the player more power than other games do when depositing them in the hellish realm.
The game also inverts certain character elements when it comes to the demonic underworld, such as the bold inclusion of demons as allies, or the final fate of Fleming. As would be expected from the creator of Resident Evil, Shadows of the Damned is an excellent combination of horror and action.
3 Doom (2016)
Metascore: 79
DOOM (2016)
More science-fiction than mysticism, the Doom franchise, beginning with the 1993 original, often revolves around the exploits of an unnamed soldier sent to kill hordes of demons that threaten the safety of Earth.
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2016's reboot focuses more on Hell as a location than previous installments, sending Doomguy into the fiery landscape after first bringing his brand of violence to Mars. The reboot pits players against many iconic enemies from the franchise, including the infamous Cyberdemon, showing that the forces of Hell will appear no matter where Doomguy is.
2 Diablo
Metascore: 94
It may only be the final act of the original 1997 Diablo that sends the player character into Hell to defeat the titular Lord of the Underworld, but the rest of the game doesn't shy away from the gradual descent into this realm.
Diablo is responsible for many features common to video games in the modern era, such as colored loot tables and popular fantasy themes. Combined with the rich lore, which establishes the mortal world's place between the High Heavens and Burning Hells, Diablo's hell becomes one of the most iconic iterations in video game history.
1 Dante's Inferno
Metascore: 73
It may be an inaccurate adaption of the 14th-century epic, but Dante's Inferno, developed by the creators of Dead Space, is nevertheless a triumph. Re-imagining the poet as a member of The Knights Templar, Dante travels through the nine circles of Hell, hacking and slashing along the way, in order to find his lost love.
The Hell of Dante's Inferno is researched and intricate, with great care being given to differentiate each canton and give it a distinctive visualization to the varied Circles of Hell, from the purple shades of Lust to the arena format of Fraud. Dante's Inferno is one of the best depictions of Hell around. Rooted in historical fact, it was always going to have a strong design for the underworld.
