Your Complete Guide to the PBA Schedule for the Upcoming Season

As I sit down to map out my gaming calendar for the upcoming season, one title that keeps popping up is Hell is Us. Having spent considerable time with its mechanics and enemy encounters, I feel compelled to share my complete guide to what players can expect from its PBA (Procedural Battle Algorithm) schedule. Let me tell you right off the bat—this game has some genuinely brilliant moments buried beneath frustrating design choices that become more apparent as you progress.

From my experience, the early hours feel surprisingly polished. You’ll notice right away that enemy abilities and types are somewhat limited, but the game tries to compensate by scaling up damage numbers and introducing new attack patterns as you level up. It’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, it keeps you on your toes; on the other, it highlights the lack of variety. I’ve counted roughly eight core enemy types in the first 10 hours, which isn’t terrible, but by hour 20, you’ll wish for more. The inclusion of "husks"—those brightly colored, tethered foes—adds a tactical layer that I absolutely loved. Picture this: you’re in a dimly lit ruin, facing four armored knights, and a single glowing husk is linked to all of them, shielding the entire group. Taking down that husk becomes a rhythmic dance—disable it once, slash one knight, then repeat as the husk respawns. In moments like these, Hell is Us shines.

But here’s where things start to unravel. Around the midpoint of the campaign, the game leans heavily on throwing more enemies at you instead of crafting smarter encounters. I remember one particular section in these gloomy underground corridors—a cramped space swarming with 15-plus foes. The lock-on system, which worked fine in one-on-one fights, went completely haywire. I’d try to target a husk, but the camera would snap to some random grunt behind me, leading to cheap deaths that felt unfair. And it happened not once, but multiple times across three different playthroughs. I’d estimate that about 40% of my deaths in the latter half were due to these technical issues rather than a lack of skill. It’s a shame because the art direction in those underground areas is stunning—moody, atmospheric, and richly detailed—but the frustration often overshadowed the immersion.

What’s interesting is how the PBA seems to prioritize quantity over quality as you advance. Instead of introducing enemies with evolving mechanics, the algorithm just spawns more of them, sometimes in combinations that feel downright tedious. I once faced a wave with six husks tied to eight different hosts—sounds exciting on paper, but in practice, it became a messy, chaotic slog. The camera struggles to keep up when you’re surrounded, and the lock-on system fails to prioritize threats intelligently. If I had to guess, I’d say the PBA’s scaling is tuned to maintain difficulty through sheer numbers, which might work in some games but falls flat here due to the finicky controls.

Personally, I think the developers missed a huge opportunity. The husk mechanic is innovative—it reminds me of puzzle-like combat in games like Shadow of the Colossus, where you have to think before you swing your sword. But when you’re swarmed by 20 enemies in a poorly lit area, that strategic element evaporates. I found myself relying on cheap tactics, like luring enemies into choke points, just to avoid the camera and lock-on issues. It’s a workaround, not a solution. And while I appreciate the attempt to keep difficulty high, there are better ways to do it—smarter AI, environmental hazards, or timed objectives—rather than just inflating enemy counts.

By the time I reached the final chapters, my initial excitement had waned. The campaign, which I completed in about 25 hours, started to feel repetitive around the 15-hour mark. Don’t get me wrong—there are flashes of brilliance. Some of the set-piece battles with husks are among the most memorable I’ve played this year. But these are overshadowed by the grind and technical shortcomings. If you’re planning to dive into Hell is Us this season, my advice is to brace yourself for a mixed experience. Enjoy the highs, but be prepared for moments that’ll make you want to put the controller down. Based on my playtime, I’d rate the PBA’s execution a 6 out of 10—innovative ideas hampered by inconsistent execution. Here’s hoping future patches or sequels refine this promising foundation.