Acts of Blood Story Explained: Hendra's Revenge and The Raid Inspiration

Acts of Blood follows Hendra, an Indonesian law student who turns to violence after his family is murdered and the justice system fails him. His search for the people responsible leads him into Bandapa, a fictional city shaped by corruption, criminal networks, and the atmosphere of Indonesian action cinema. The game is a revenge story, but it is also an attempt to put the force of films such as The Raid and The Night Comes for Us into the player’s hands.

The premise is simple by design: Hendra has lost his family, the people behind the killings remain protected, and he intends to find them himself. What gives the story its character is the world around him—and the way each confrontation brings him closer to the group behind the crime.

Hendra: a Law Student Who No Longer Trusts the Law

Before the events of Acts of Blood, Hendra is studying law. That detail makes his situation particularly bitter. He knows what the legal system is supposed to do, but when his family is killed, the system offers him no meaningful protection or justice.

The Steam story synopsis ties the murders to a corrupt official whom Hendra’s father was investigating. It also makes clear that a powerful group stands behind the attack. Hendra stops waiting for an institution to act and begins pursuing the people connected to the killings, one confrontation at a time. That decision drives the game’s structure: dangerous locations, groups of enemies, and major bosses stand between him and his targets.

One promotional trailer captures his state of mind in a few words: “They left me with nothing. No justice. No peace. Just names on the wall.” The names are no longer people he expects a court to prosecute; they are people he intends to confront.

What Happens in the Acts of Blood Demo?

The free Steam demo gives players a first look at Hendra’s pursuit. Its story mission takes place in a hidden, illegal factory, where Hendra fights through armed criminals to reach Jagal, a man implicated in his family’s murder.

Jagal is more than a boss placed at the end of a combat level. His presence connects the fighting to Hendra’s larger purpose: these enemies are part of the network he is trying to uncover. The factory establishes the kind of places his investigation will take him—violent operations where the people involved have little reason to cooperate.

Steam presents the mission as a demo-exclusive story arc, so it should not be treated as an exact copy of a chapter from the finished campaign. It does introduce the revenge plot in playable form: Hendra follows a lead, enters hostile territory, and confronts someone connected to the attack.

The demo also has Arena Mode, but that is a separate score-focused combat challenge rather than another chapter of Hendra’s story. For ranks and achievements, read the Acts of Blood Arena Mode guide.

Bandapa: a Fictional City Inspired by Bandung, Indonesia

Acts of Blood takes place in Bandapa, a fictional Indonesian city. Its visual identity draws on the urban atmosphere associated with Bandung, where developer Fajrul Fallah is based, rather than placing its action in a generic international city.

That setting matters to the story. Hendra is pursuing people who operate between public authority and criminal violence, and Bandapa puts him among the streets, buildings, and industrial spaces where those worlds meet. The city is more than a backdrop for fights; it gives Hendra’s revenge a recognisably Indonesian identity.

The specific geography and full history of Bandapa have not been published as a city guide. The game instead uses its places—the apartment, the factory, enclosed arenas, and city streets—to establish the mood of Hendra’s pursuit.

The Indonesian Movies That Inspired Acts of Blood

The clearest cinematic influence is The Raid (2011), the Indonesian martial-arts action film directed by Gareth Evans and starring Iko Uwais. Its tension comes from close-quarters combat, enclosed spaces, and the physical effort of surviving the next encounter.

That influence is easy to recognise in Acts of Blood. Hendra often fights outnumbered, using punches, kicks, counters, and whatever weapons or objects are available nearby. The camera stays close to the action, and the hits are designed to feel heavy rather than weightless.

Another major reference is The Night Comes for Us (2018), directed by Timo Tjahjanto. The film follows a former criminal enforcer who turns against a syndicate, setting off a relentless series of confrontations. Eksil Team has named both films as inspirations, alongside games including Sleeping Dogs and Sifu.

These are influences on tone and action, not sources for an identical plot. Hendra is not a character from either movie, and Acts of Blood is not an adaptation of The Raid. Its story of a law student’s revenge is its own premise, told with a similarly uncompromising Indonesian-action style.

Together, those influences explain why the game feels less like a conventional military shooter and more like an interactive martial-arts film. For the mechanics that support that style, see the combat and combo system guide.

Why the Story Is Built Around Revenge

For all the attention paid to combat, Hendra’s background supplies a reason for the violence. He is studying law when the system fails the people closest to him. His choice to seek revenge puts him in direct conflict with the idea of justice he once expected the law to deliver.

The story’s directness serves the game’s action. Each boss and hostile location is not simply another combat test; it is a step along Hendra’s pursuit of the people who destroyed his family. That does not make revenge and justice the same thing. The premise creates that tension without revealing how Hendra’s full journey will resolve.

How Much of the Full Story Is Known?

The broad setup is public: Hendra’s family has been murdered, influential people are involved, the legal system will not help him, and his pursuit takes him through Bandapa. The demo introduces Jagal and an illegal factory tied to the case.

The complete list of people responsible, the full chain of events behind the murders, and the ending of Hendra’s story have not been shown in the demo or public story materials. The demo and trailers provide the opening of the revenge story, not a full plot summary.

For players drawn to Acts of Blood by its combat, the story explains why Hendra keeps fighting. For players drawn to it by The Raid, the setting and film influences explain why those fights look and feel the way they do.