Hell is Us Collectible Walkthrough - Act 2 (Part 1)

Act 2 covers the majority of the game, unlocking almost all remaining locations and occuring up until you place the second, third, and fourth Keystones in the Lymbic Forge. This includes the final missable interactions which must be done before specific events, and the final one done before placing the Keystones in the Lymbic Forge.

Act 2 – Part 1

Part 1 of Act 2 covers up until you receive the Keystone of Terror.

Investigation #3 – Searching for the Keystone of Terror

Go back to the APC and talk to Tania about Symbol of the Screaming Face. This gives you the new location Talju.

Before heading there, there are some Good Deeds to clean up now that you have completed Act 1 of the story. Go back to Acasa Marshes to turn in the book to Victor, which allows you to upgrade Defensive Gear to grade 3, Weapons to grade 5, and make mid-level Lymbic Consumables.

Good Deed #10: Man’s Best Friend – Some of the soldiers have left Jova, so you can now deal with the dog that you might have spotted earlier on the west side of town, northwest of the house Rebecca was in. Interact with it to free it and receive the Dog Collar, starting this good deed.

Travel to Vyssa Hills, and DO NOT SPEAK WITH ATTICUS YET. You must complete Good Deed #10 first. From where you enter with the APC follow the path north all the way to the camp with the refugees you interacted with the first time you were in the area. Speak with the man on the right and trade him the Dog Collar to complete this good deed. Rewards Glyph #19: Eager Embrace.

Good Deed #8: Heart of Gold – Go back to the APC and this time climb up the ladder to the west to reach Atticus in the same spot as you met him before. Trade him the Keys – ON Vehicle to complete the good deed. You must do this last after the other two good deeds for the people in the camp, or they can not be completed due to the people leaving. Rewards Defensive Gear: Brooch of Rage – Bathe in Blood.

You can now travel to the new location Talju.

Talju

This area includes a Good Deed that you MUST complete before defeating a certain enemy in this area. This will be prioritized before completing all story events.

NPC #11: Boro Juven – From the APC follow the path north to a dead end area where there is a garage. Go inside and speak with the man. He’ll give you the Map of Talju which you can use to mind you way around.

Mystery #15: Supply Chain – Go back to the APC look to the south where there are some stairs leading up to the top of the bridge. Go north along it to the second station platform where you can pick up Diary – Crazy Week from the ground, starting this mystery.

Research Item: Ballot – Keep walking to the end of the tracks and then go left onto the path between the two houses. Turn to the right and look down the stairs where this is sitting on a body.

Drone Module: Forward Charge – Elite – Continue west and drop off the ledge toward the two enemies. On the ground to the right you can pick up this Drone Module. This doesn’t count as a unique one toward the trophy/achievement, as it’s an upgraded version of Forward Charge. Make sure to switch it out if you’ve been using the first version.

Good Deed #11 – 14: A Light in the Dark – This good deed is in 4 parts, and is what you need to finish in this area before continuing the story events. Go back to the APC and then make your way to the Town Hall (labelled 1 on the map). Out front by the door you can pick up 4 x Signal Flare. You are going to be giving these to people around the town to rescue them.

NPC #12: Caspian Fran – Go inside the town hall and speak with the first man sitting on the chair, who is the person Caspian that you are looking for. While speaking to him he’ll give you the Walkie-Talkie that he wants you to give to his son when you find him.

Research Item: Pamphlet – Go south from the entrance of the town hall and into the stone walls on the left toward the burned house. In the corner of the walls you can pick this up off a body.

Research Item: Worn Journal – Continue walking east around the two houses where there is a ramp in front of the second one that allows you to reach a ladder (and a gate you can open back to the street). Go up the ladder and pick this up from the drawer, along with the note Agatha’s Journal.

Mystery #17: The Hideout – In the same room look up to the top right where there is a safe. Enter the code 34911 to open it and receive Recording – Agatha’s Diary and Defensive Gear: Idol of Rage – Contempt completing the mystery.

Good Deed #11: A Light in the Dark – In the hallway of the house you can find a woman, trade her one of the Signal Flares.

Good Deed #12: A Light in the Dark – Go back to the garage where Boro Juven is located and trade him one of the Signal Flares.

Mystery #18: History Lesson – Go back to the town hall and keep following the paths west to a playground area. Near the swing you can pick up Key – Talju House along with Ethnic ID Card – Lukhan that starts this mystery.

Turn around from the swings and go up the stairs toward the big tree. On a body on the railing you can pick up Keys – Pharmacy. These let you get into the Pharmacy building later.

Zoom Lens – Go back to the east around the Pharmacy building, then west between the burning church and the parking lot past the row of people hanging in the middle of the street. On the building on the left you can pick up the Zoom Lens which is required for Mystery #5. This building is 5 on the map.

Good Deed #13: A Light in the Dark – Continue west to Vanderlyn Trust building (3 on the map) and go around the back, through the unlockable gate and up the stairs inside. Kill the three Hollows, then open the door and trade the woman a Signal Flare.

Good Deed #15: Forlorn Fate – In the next room you can pick up the Symbol – Flame off the ground along with Map – Senedra Mountains which starts this good deed.

Good Deed #14: A Light in the Dark – Keep going west to the edge of the map where there is a barn (visible at the top of the map) and climb the ladder to the upper floor. You can find a man sitting on the window, trade him a Signal Flare. This is the final person required for the good deeds, but they aren’t considered complete until you finish the story events here.

Baseball Cap – Veteran – Go around the back of the barn and up the other ladder inside. Pick up this cap from the chest.

NPC #13: Lukhan Fran – Now that you’ve dealt with the survivors who need flares, you can go to the School on the northwest side of the map, then go north around the back. There is a small room you can enter where you can find Caspian’s son Lukhan sitting inside. Trade him the Walkie-Talkie you received earlier from Caspian.

Go back to the town hall and speak with Caspian Fran, asking about the Symbol of the Screaming Face. He’ll give you the Key – Parking Lot. Go around the other side of the Pharmacy building again where you can see the large gate leading into the parking lot where there is an enemy inside. Open the gate with the key you just received, then interact with the computer and open the gate. Enter and defeat the enemy inside.

Go back to the Town Hall and speak with Caspian one more time, asking about the Screaming Face again. This unlocks the new area Marastan, but there’s a couple things to clean up in this area first. After you speak with Caspian the survivors leave on the truck, which also complete the four A Light in the Dark good deeds. Rewards for completing all 4 are:

• Glyph #20: Interrupt – Enhanced
• Defensive Gear: Idol of Grief – Anger
• 3 x Tuning Stone – Strong
• Sword of Terror
• Relic #5: Knell of Ebbing Ecstasy

Good Deed #16: Waylaid – Now that the truck is moved from the parking lot, you can access the back door to the Pharmacy where you can open the door with the Key – Pharmacy. Go into the side room with the bed to pick up Pill Bottle – Metformin which starts this good deed.

Mystery #15: Supply Chain – Interact with the computer on the pharmacy desk and enter the code 91012 to access it. Read the single entry to complete the mystery.

Now head back to the north of town where the circled house is on the map. Go around the back where there is a stairwell down with a door. Use the Key – Talju House to open it and enter. In the room you can pick up three items: Lymbic Rod – Rage, Z which starts Mystery #17: Lymbic Door – Senedra, Underground, Letter – Library Safe, which is related to  Mystery #17, and Recording – Caspian’s New Research. You can also read some notes on the computer in the room but this isn’t required.

Head back to the APC and you can turn in new Research Items, which will unlock Vault of the Knoll in Vyssa Hills. It can’t be accessed yet as you need another item first.

Mystery #5: The Hermit – You can travel to Acasa Marshes and give the hermit the Zoom Lens you picked up. Go to the east side of the area to the hut and trade it to him. The completion of this mystery will occur later.

You can now go back to the APC and head to the new location Marastan.

Marastan

Mystery #18: Locked Down – From the APC, take the path right with the sign pointing to “Hanging Coffins Touristic Site”. Take the next two rights to find some stone ruins where you can pick up Newspaper – Sports Results.

Go back to the APC and go east down the road to the end where there is a security booth. Interact with the computer and enter the code 4132 to unlock it. Read the entry “First Day” to complete the mystery.

Research Item: Lymbic Core – Go back to the path into the forest and this time go left across the bridge and up the stairs. Go northwest toward the enemies, then northeast to where a single Hollow is standing by a cliff. Look down and you can drop to the cliff slightly below you. Go to the end of the tunnel where you can pick up Research Item: Lymbic Core  and a Polearm of Terror.

Good Deed #17: Samo’s Keys – Go back to the end of the cave and drop off the right to reach the stairs again. Go back to the top and go left down the road this time to reach Samo’s General Store. Go behind the counter to pick up Keys – Samo’s Spare which starts this good deed.

Mystery #11: Lost Keys – Go into the back of the store where there is a chest on the floor. Interact with it and use Keys – Algae to receive Baseball Cap – Terror, completing the mystery.

Good Deed #17: Samo’s Keys – Go back out of the store and west on the lower level of the road to the end where you can reach Grisibel’s Auto Repair. Go around the back and climb the ladder to reach the roof where there are two people. Trade the man Key’s – Samo’s Spare to complete the good deed. Rewards Glyph #21: Berserk – Enhanced.

Good Deed #18: Insult to Injury – Go back to the APC and follow the road leading southwest until you reach a barn on the left where you can hear crying inside. Go behind the barn and follow the path to the right where you can pick up Key – Antenna off a body that starts this good deed.

Drone Module: Death from Above – Elite – Go back to the road and take the dirt path left where the road toward the large statue behind the locked fence. Behind the house on the right you can pick this up on the ground. This doesn’t count as a unique one toward the trophy/achievement, as it’s an upgraded version of Death from Above. Make sure to switch it out if you’ve been using the first version.

Good Deed #19: Power to the People – Go back to the road and this time follow it up the hill toward the church. Go southwest past it into the village area, then to the house with an open door on the south side. Go inside where you can find a man, then pick these up 3 x Fuse to start this good deed.

Good Deed #20: Family Feud – Go back outside the house and look at the one directly north where there is a ladder at the back leading onto the garage. Walk across it and go in the door on the balcony, then you can go into the upstairs room to pick up an Urn and Letter – Getting Out which starts this good deed.

Good Deed #19: Power to the People – Go behind the house directly west where you can find a fuse box on the back wall. Open it and insert one of the Fuses.

NPC #14: Talis – Go back to the road and go north one building where there is a man calling to you from the balcony. Defeat all the nearby enemies, then go up the ladder on the north side of the building to speak with him. He’ll give you Key – Statue which you need to continue the story events.

Good Deed #19: Power to the People – Directly north of the building where Talis is located it another house with a fuse box, insert another Fuse.

Research Item: Citizen’s File – Continue north down the road to the house past the intersection. In the covered garage you can find this research item.

Good Deed #19: Power to the People – Go west down the road to the house at the end with an open door. Drop into the basement then go around the back of the house to find the final fuse box, inserting the final Fuse to complete the good deed. After doing this, go back into the house and interact with the radio on the table to hear from the crying woman in the barn you passed earlier. Rewards Glyph #22: Chromatic Shield – Enhanced.

Mystery #19: Ill-Gotten Gains – Go back into the backyard and follow the path up the hill until you can drop down into a cave. Go left of the save point to find Key – Marastan Church and Note – Tithe, starting this mystery.

Research Item: Children’s Book – Follow the other path through the tunnel, turning to the right when you reach the lights (the other path is from the gate by the house where you picked up the fuses, but you have to use the key from the other side to come that way). When you reach the spot in the cave with the next enemy look left where there is a side path. By the ledge you can pick up this Research Item, along with Lymbic Rod – Rage, Y and Recording – Caspian’s Stalled Research.

Good Deed #18: Insult to Injury – Drop off the ledge and go right (you can go left first and defeat some enemies and open a gate back to the earlier part of the cave if you want) and you’ll come back outside to an area above the radio tower. Interact with the box at the bottom and use Key – Antenna to open it, then interact again to turn it off, completing this good deed. Rewards Glyph #23: Fury – Elite.

NPC #15: Father Bramante – Unlock the gate and go into the area with the soldiers. Speak with the priest standing in front of them.

Good Deed #21: The Depths of Hell – From the priest go southwest down the small hill to the dock where you can pick up a Gas Canister, starting this good deed.

Go back to the APC from the nearby save point and then go to the blue house across the river to the right where there is now a man sitting at the dock. Trade him the Gas Canister to complete the good deed. Rewards Relic #6: Knell of Fading Terror

Now to continue the main objective, go back up to the church graveyard area where you may have spotted some interactable statues. There are six in total on the cemetary area, and you need to rotate them so that they area all facing EAST. When done correctly one of the tombs in the center of the area will open with a new path leading down.

This area has a bunch of items to pick up to progress, so pay attention to directions. From the center room with the enemy, go down the hallway to the north taking the next two rights where you can pick up Tablet Fragment – Square from a chest.

Mystery #19: Ill-Gotten Gains – From the chest go west to find a doorway, use the Key – Marastan Church to open it, completing the mystery.

Research Item: Horse Figure – Defeat the enemies in the room to clear a Timeloop Guardian, then on the right side of the room you can pick up this Research Item, and on the left side you can pick up Defensive Gear: Bracelet of Grief – Depression

Go back into the hallway and keep moving West. You’ll come into a dead end room where you can pick up Tablet Fragment – Oblique. You can pull a lever in the hallway directly opposite the chest to open a door back to the main room.

Mystery #20: Lymbic Chest – Marastan, Ruins – Go south into the last hallway, then walk east to the end of the path where you can pick up Lymbic Rod – Terror, V from the alcove, starting this mystery.

Go down the last hallway leading south where you can pick up Tablet Fragment – Angled from a chest.

Mystery #20: Lymbic Chest – Marastan, Ruins – Travel back to the APC from the save point at the start of the catacombs. Go west and then south back past the barn, then toward the ruins on the left. Go around the back where there is a wooden bridge leading to a small island, with a tunnel at the back. Go through the tunnel (there is a Vault of Forbidden Knowledge door here you should remember for later) then on the other side you are in the ruins. Go up the nearby stairs and drop into the open center of the ruins with the two enemies. In the southeast corner is another set of stairs that leads up the walls, which you can follow to a second set leading to the area where you can find the chest. Insert the Lymbic Rod – Terror, V to open the chest, completing the mystery and obtaining an Amine Prism – Theta.

Amine Prism – Theta – Drop off the wall back outside and retrace your path back inside the ruins to the first wooden staircase. This time you need to drop off onto the wall on the northwest side, which will allow you to walk around the edge toward the ranged enemy that is in the corner. Drop into the lower area with the enemy and you can pick this up from the chest nearby.

Timeloop: Marastan Woods – With the Theta prisms you can close the Timeloops in this area. If you hadn’t defeated all guardians while exploring do so now using the Guardian Detector to find them, the timeloop is located directly north of the ruins. Enter and interact with the drone, selecting the Amine Prism – Theta to close the Timeloop. Rewards Glyph #24: Recoil- Elite, Glyph #25: Overwhelm – Elite, Relic #7: The Eternal Sands

Now to finish the story events in the area, return to the APC and go north, then east through the woods. You come to a big door with a square on the ground you can interact with. Place the three Tablet Fragments: Square on the top right, Angled on the left, and Oblique on the bottom right. If you’ve completed all puzzles as laid out by the guide you’ll earn  Keymaster for completing 25 puzzles that require items.

After slotting the tablets four pillars will appear out of the ground. You need to rotate the pillars so that the same symbol is facing the symbols on the tablet on the ground. From the northeast pillar and moving clockwise the symbols should be Pickaxe, Horn, Plant, Eye.

Defeat the enemy that appears, then head into the new area. Defeat all the Hollows inside, then interact with the dials in front of the coffin. Switch them to the order as conveyed in the murals around the room: Sword, Crown, Eye, Tower. Pick up the item that appears to acquire Sword of the Blood Queen and Scroll – Queen’s Eulogy.

Head back to the APC, and we’ll now be going to the Tower in Senedra Forest that you went by early in the game. In the APC you can speak with Tania for information, then make your way there.

Senedra Forest – Arcas Spire

Good Deed #15: Forlorn Fate – Follow the path north around the ruins, then into the trench area. On the east side near a Rage enemy is a stairway leading down. Go inside where you can find a doorway with a spot beside it where you can place the Symbol – Flame.

Go inside and you can find two people. Trade the woman Map – Senedra Forest to complete the good deed. Rewards Defensive Gear: Signet Ring of Rage – Red Tide and an Amine Prism – Theta

Research Item: Cufflinks – Behind the woman under the table you can pick up this Research Item.

Mystery #18: Lymbic Door – Senedra, Underground – Also in the same room you can find a Lymbic Door. Insert the Lymbic Rods Rage, Y and Rage, Z to open it, completing the mystery.

Glyph #26: Rage Spike – Enhanced – Inside the room you can pick up this Glyph, along with a Sword of Ecstasy.

Go back out to the trenches and this time follow the path leading east tower Arcas Spire. Once you reach the tower, go up the steps and on the right and interact with the pedestal, placing the Sword of the Blood Queen to open the door.

Mystery #21: Emergency Stash – Follow the path through the area until you reach the third save point on the wooden scaffolding. Instead of continuing down, go left into a cave and through the right side until you reach a ladder back up. At the top you can pick up Key – Rusted which starts this mystery.

Glyph #27: Eager Embrace – Enhanced – Go back to the third save point and keep following the path down to the lowest level. When you reach the first platform with a ranged enemy above you can follow the path around to the right onto the platform, then to the end where there is a second ranged enemy on top of this glyph.

Research Item: Jewelled Dagger – Keep following the path but instead of going up the ramp toward the elevator, go to the right where there is a ladder leading to an upper platform. Drop down onto the middle platform where you can pick this up off a barrel.

Mystery #21: Emergency Stash – Climb up the ladder again but this time follow the path around the pillar, then down the cliff to the right past the enemy. At the end you can find a chest where you can use the Key – Rusted, completely the mystery and obtaining 5 x Tuning Stone – Steady.

Go back toward the elevator but you can’t use it yet. Drop off behind and follow the path to some enemies you might have spotted earlier, where you can pick up Gear – Spire off the ground.

Go back to the elevator and there is a room underneath. Interact with the mechanism and place Gear – Spire to allow the elevator to be used, then ride it up.

Research Item: Faded Parchment – At the top turn left at the save point to enter some side rooms. In the eastern one you can pick up this from the shelf full of scrolls on the right.

Mystery #21: Righteous Protection – Keep following the main path until you drop off some scaffolding to a large stairway covered in corpses. A short distance up you there is a hole in the stairway where there are enemies below. Drop down and defeat them, then pick up the Key – Brass to start this mystery.

Continue into the next room where there are the six cages on the lower level with switches inside. The puzzle here involves stepping on pressure plates that damage you and raise the cages, then making it back in time to pull the lever. Make sure you have healing items equipped and keep your health near full before stepping on plates, as they’ll deal around half your health in damage unlike the one required to enter this room. You’ll eventually pull all levers, so don’t worry if you do them out of order accidentally. Note the cells in the area also open based on the plates you step on: plates number 4 open all cells in that section, while other plates open the two cells beside them, so watch for enemies that come out of the cells while you go through the area. You will want to make sure you open all cells and kill all enemies so that you can deal with the Timeloop and not have them respawn.

Greatsword of Terror – Go up the first set of stairs, then up the set to the left. Step on the plate C1, then run back downstairs and pull the Moon lever to open the door on the left of the lower level. Inside you can pick up this weapon.

Go up the central stairs and then to the right. On the left of the next stairwell step on plate B2, then run back down and pull the Skull lever.

Research Item: Marked Map of Hadea – Go back up the stairs and up the set on the right to the next level. At the front of the room step on plate D4, then run back and pull the Fire lever. This opens the room at the top of the central stairs where you can pick up this item.

Glyph #28: Nightfade – Enhanced – Go back up to the same level where D4 was, then go through the cells on the left to reach the C section. Step on plate C4 then run back down (you might have to drop through the hole in the floor to reach it in time) and pull the Eye lever to open the door on the right of the room. Inside you can pick this up on the left.

Go up the central stairs and then to the left. Beside the A2 you can go into the cell and walk to the left, where you can reach the A1 plate. Step on it, then run back and pull the Tower lever.

Go up both sets of stairs on the top level to reach the F section, and stand on plate F4. Drop down to the next level left from the plate, then run down to pull the Snake lever which opens the door out of the area. There’s one more item to obtain before leaving though.

Defensive Gear: Signet Ring of Terror – Confidence – Go back up to the second level with the right stairs, then through the cell to the C section on the left. On the right of C3 you can enter the cell to find a ladder. Climb up and pick this up off a skeleton.

Now go back around to the other side of the top level and progress through the large door. At the top of the stairs you can pick up the book Advanced Lymbic Forging which allows Victor to upgrade Defensive Gear to Grade 4, along with an Amine Prism – Theta, an Amine Prisom – Rho, and Scroll – General Aarlon’s Note.

Timeloop: Arcas Spire –  Outside you see a Timeloop in front of you, which you need to close to progress the story. There are 3 Timeloops Guardians to defeat around the area. Once they’re dealt with, enter the Timeloop and use Amine Prism – Theta to close it. Rewards Glyph #29: Shriek of Terror – Elite, Glyph #30: Interrupt – Elite, Relic #8: The Dream Aculeus

After the Timeloop is closed, interact with the item on the ground to be transported to a boss fight arena. In this arena you will be fighting a Hazes of Terror, so you can equip the consumables to reduce Terror damage if you are having a hard time. The goal is to run toward the screaming that you can hear which is coming from a lit up pillar in the room. After chasing it down a few times it will spawn a Tier 3 Terror Haze, which you need to attack that drops the health bar on the top of the screen. After you deal a third of the total boss health, it will disappear and you need to find the screaming pillar in the room again. From now on some of the pillars will start spawning walls that spin around and damage you that you need to avoid. Chase it down twice more to deplete its health and win the fight. Afterward interact with the spot on the ground again to receive Key – Rusted and the Keystone of Terror.

Research Item: Crown of Bones – Behind the Timeloop opposite where you entered is a building you can open doors to go inside (and how you leave the area). Upstairs on the balcony you can pick up this item.

Mystery #21: Righteous Protection – Use the Key – Rusted on the door in the building to reach a room with an elevator. Before going down the elevator, interact with the chest and use Key – Brass to open the chest and receive Defensive Item: Bracelet of Terror – Shadowstep, completing the mystery.

Take the elevator down and you’ll be back in the entrance area of the Spire. Travel back to the APC from the save point. You can turn in all current Research Items which will unlock Vault of the Mere in Lake Cynon. You should then ask Tania about the Symbol of the Two-Headed Snake. You’ll now be heading back to Acasa Marshes to now investigate Pathem Abbey.

NEXT: Act 2 (Part 2)