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[Madserb2023]

Hellblade 2 is good for what it is but it's not much of a game. I remember playing or more accurately experiencing Dear Ester, which is just walking and enjoying that for what it was. I even thought the Order 1886 was pretty decent at the time. The strange thing about Hellblade 2 is that it has less interactivity than the first game and that really surprised me.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Something to point out regarding this game when we're talking about how long Ninja Theory worked on it, is that people quote Dom Matthews, the studio head, when he says they only started work on it in 2020.

He also said this:



https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/01/18/senuas-saga-hellblade-2-developer-direct-2024/

So, many not the best idea to take on face value what he's saying. I'm starting to think something went very wrong with the production of this game at some point, for it to be only 5 hours long. Hopefully we might get some reasons why down the line, once the launch has been and gone.

Man, it's fucking zany the hoops some of you are jumping through to hate on this game. The time it takes someone to play a game is mostly going to vary. So when a dev says a game is around the same length as another, it's not like you can narrow it down to a mathematical certainty for some stupid gotcha.

It took me just a hair over five hours to 100% the first Hellblade, if my Xbox stat count is correct. I am already longer than that into the second game and I'm going to have to go back and play some of the chapters to 100% it. So did the dude lie?

Give me a break. Or don't, keep this amazing thread going

 

[Topher]

 

[Topher]

 

[Mortisfacio]

I just love the journos that gave the 1st an 80-90, praising it for its cinematic style and immersion, yet trashing the 2nd for doing the same thing.

The whole is trending the same average, but the outliers definitely have some questionable bias.

 

[FunkMiller]

Man, it's fucking zany the hoops some of you are jumping through to hate on this game. The time it takes someone to play a game is mostly going to vary. So when a dev says a game is around the same length as another, it's not like you can narrow it down to a mathematical certainty for some stupid gotcha.

It took me just a hair over five hours to 100% the first Hellblade, if my Xbox stat count is correct. I am already longer than that into the second game and I'm going to have to go back and play some of the chapters to 100% it. So did the dude lie?

Give me a break. Or don't, keep this amazing thread going

Are you fucking dim? I already replied to adamsapple about this, acknowledging the valid point about comparing run times. Mine was greater for the first game. But objectively, my position was wrong.

You need to stop with the console war nonsense before a mod bans you for it. Not everyone making a point (correct or otherwise) cares about which box a game is on.

 

[Topher]

I just love the journos that gave the 1st an 80-90, praising it for its cinematic style and immersion, yet trashing the 2nd for doing the same thing.

The whole is trending the same average, but the outliers definitely have some questionable bias.

Like who specifically?

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Like who specifically?

Could be me. I'll need to see if I made a comment and edit it real quick

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Nah we safe carry on

 

[adamsapple]

Keep up Topher, Xbox tax is so April 2024, the new hotness is Hardcore Xbox Fanboys buying the game on Steam just to leave positive reviews.

Those HXF's.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I just love the journos that gave the 1st an 80-90, praising it for its cinematic style and immersion, yet trashing the 2nd for doing the same thing.

Because it's regression?

The gameplay and combat are significantly worse in the sequel

 

[Topher]

Keep up Topher, Xbox tax is so April 2024, the new hotness is Hardcore Xbox Fanboys buying the game on Steam just to leave positive reviews.

Those HXF's.

Oh that ain't new hotness. Xbox fans (some, not all obviously) were claiming PlayStation fans were review bombing Starfield last year. Same hotness, different warriors.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

the new hotness is Hardcore Xbox Fanboys buying the game on Steam

Hint: they're the only ones buying the game

 

[yazenov]

Because it's regression?

The gameplay and combat are significantly worse in the sequel

I just love the journos that gave the 1st an 80-90, praising it for its cinematic style and immersion, yet trashing the 2nd for doing the same thing.

The whole is trending the same average, but the outliers definitely have some questionable bias.

This. Hellblade 1 was released in 2017.

It's 2024 and the bar has been raised by many other games. Today's standards have changed. And the "gameplay" seems worse than the 1st game.

It's not enough to release the same game 7 years later with better graphics and expect better critical reception of the game.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

This. Hellblade 1 was released in 2017.

It's 2024 and the bar has been raised by many other games. Today's standards have changed. And the "gameplay" seems worse than the 1st game.

It's not enough to release the same game 7 years later with better graphics and expect better critical reception of the game.

It blows my mind that Shift Up, a small Korean studio created a new IP like Stellar Blade with far more content and gameplay in less time than HB2 took to make

 

[Mortisfacio]

Like who specifically?

Es el mayor portento gráfico de la generación, pero no da la talla en lo jugable: análisis de Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

Análisis y opinión de Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, la secuela para Xbox Series X|S y PC del aclamado juego de Ninja Theory. ¿Merece la pena esta nueva aventura?

www.hobbyconsolas.com

For starters. a 91 for the first, a 70 for the 2nd. One critique is the puzzles, for example. The puzzles weren't good in the first, they're the same in the 2nd (go to points A, B and C and focus to match a shape to unlock a gate).

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Es el mayor portento gráfico de la generación, pero no da la talla en lo jugable: análisis de Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

Análisis y opinión de Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, la secuela para Xbox Series X|S y PC del aclamado juego de Ninja Theory. ¿Merece la pena esta nueva aventura?

www.hobbyconsolas.com

For starters. a 91 for the first, a 70 for the 2nd. One critique is the puzzles, for example. The puzzles weren't good in the first, they're the same in the 2nd (go to points A, B and C and focus to match a shape to unlock a gate).

Watch the video I just posted

There are many people that liked HB1 only to be massively disappointed with HB2

 

[adamsapple]

Watch the video I just posted

There are many people that liked HB1 only to be massively disappointed with HB2

And there are many people who like HB2 just the same, if not more, hence the two games having roughly identical aggregate scores.

Not sure what's the problem there?

 

[Mortisfacio]

Watch the video I just posted

There are many people that liked HB1 only to be massively disappointed with HB2

There is 34 pages of you jumping through mental hoops to try and justify why The Order is a good game and Hellblade sucks. Until you actually play the game, I don't really care about your made up opinion from watching youtube videos.

 

[Topher]

Es el mayor portento gráfico de la generación, pero no da la talla en lo jugable: análisis de Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

Análisis y opinión de Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, la secuela para Xbox Series X|S y PC del aclamado juego de Ninja Theory. ¿Merece la pena esta nueva aventura?

www.hobbyconsolas.com

For starters. a 91 for the first, a 70 for the 2nd. One critique is the puzzles, for example. The puzzles weren't good in the first, they're the same in the 2nd (go to points A, B and C and focus to match a shape to unlock a gate).

Yeah, but is that the same reviewer? The review of the first game doesn't name the author.

Análisis de Hellblade Senua´s Sacrifice en PS4 y PC

Hellblade Sena´s Sacrifice es una aventura de Team Ninja que explora la psicosis con un desarrollo de combates, puzles y exploración y una estupenda ambientación.

www.hobbyconsolas.com

 

[Klayzer]

Are you fucking dim? I already replied to adamsapple about this, acknowledging the valid point about comparing run times. Mine was greater for the first game. But objectively, my position was wrong.

You need to stop with the console war nonsense before a mod bans you for it. Not everyone making a point (correct or otherwise) cares about which box a game is on.

Dude will see an enemy of Xbox around every corner. It's a facinating look at someone who's so far in, that he's unable to tell the differences between criticism and warrior shit. To him, any negativity towards Xbox is unwaranted.

 

[Negotiator101]

It blows my mind that Shift Up, a small Korean studio created a new IP like Stellar Blade with far more content and gameplay in less time than HB2 took to make

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Es el mayor portento gráfico de la generación, pero no da la talla en lo jugable: análisis de Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

Análisis y opinión de Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, la secuela para Xbox Series X|S y PC del aclamado juego de Ninja Theory. ¿Merece la pena esta nueva aventura?

www.hobbyconsolas.com

For starters. a 91 for the first, a 70 for the 2nd. One critique is the puzzles, for example. The puzzles weren't good in the first, they're the same in the 2nd (go to points A, B and C and focus to match a shape to unlock a gate).

Lol we still doin this dumb shit

 

[yazenov]

And there are many people who like HB2 just the same, if not more, hence the two games having roughly identical aggregate scores.

Not sure what's the problem there?

The problem is the Metacritic score for the 1st game isn't inflated by the fansite like the 2nd game

 

[FunkMiller]

I've said this in the OT thread: but they fucked up big time with the marketing for this game.

Sell it as an interactive experience. Push how it can be played on XCloud on a massive TV. Pull in non gamers. Lean into what this is, and avoid talking about as what it isn't.

This isn't a game. This isn't a movie. It's something 'new'. There's your USP pitch. Broaden your audience by talking about how many ways you can experience it. How easy it is for people who don't game. Make it feel more like a season drop of Game Of Thrones than a game like God Of War.

This feels like it was sent out to die marketing-wise because nobody at Xbox can think outside the box (pun not intended).

 

[Topher]

That guy looks like he is yawning and has to sneeze at the same time.

 

[adamsapple]

The problem is the Metacritic score for the 1st game isn't inflated by the fansite like the 2nd game

No, just sites like Playstation Lifestyle, Play station Universe, PSX Extreme, LaPS4 etc etc

But I'm sure when those sites were reviewing the first game 9's, that was OK.

At least he moved on from The Order to Stellar Blade.

Give it till the evening and we'll have comparisons with Spider Man 2.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

There is 34 pages of you jumping through mental hoops to try and justify why The Order is a good game and Hellblade sucks. Until you actually play the game, I don't really care about your made up opinion from watching youtube videos.

34 pages of you not being able to read

The Order sucks and deserves its 6/10 scores. HB2 is around the same but even worse, probably deserves 5/10 at best

I have played both games. Have you?

 

[Mortisfacio]

No, just sites like Playstation Lifestyle, Play station Universe, PSX Extreme, LaPS4 etc etc

But I'm sure when those sites were reviewing the first game 9's, that was OK.





At least he moved on from The Order to Stellar Blade.

Give it till the evening and we'll have comparisons with Spider Man 2.

Would love to compare it to spiderman. Because as boring as some parts of Hellblade gameplay can be (such as running around to focus an angle to match a floating shape to some sticks) that's still not as bad as the Mary Jane parts of Spiderman.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

That guy looks like he is yawning and has to sneeze at the same time.

He's playing hellblade 2 and needs to take a nap but also wants to cry at the same time for how bad it is

 

[yazenov]

No, just sites like Playstation Lifestyle, Play station Universe, PSX Extreme, LaPS4 etc etc

But I'm sure when those sites were reviewing the first game 9's, that was OK.

Pro tip, when you're cheating, try not to get attention by getting a perfect score.

At lease try not to be too obvious. There is a different between a 9 score and a perfect 10.

 

[YOU PC BRO?!]

It may be the sexist in me but witnessing Senua frequently overpowering men far larger and stronger than herself comes across as absurd and completely ridiculous. It normally doesn't bother me all that much but the game has a rather realistic tone in so far as the basic rules of the universe. I'm also not a fan of the modern 'tell don't show' type of storytelling. As such these games have never really appealed to me. I find the mental health angle cringe as fuck and quite frankly depressing. I really wish Ninja Theory had made an Enslaved: Odyssey to the West remake or a new IP... perhaps a survival horror game in the vein of RE. That would be a much better fit and would have way more mass market appeal. Let's face it, this game is pretty niche and falls into the 'Oscar bait' category for games.

 

[Topher]

Would love to compare it to spiderman. Because as boring as some parts of Hellblade gameplay can be (such as running around to focus an angle to match a floating shape to some sticks) that's still not as bad as the Mary Jane parts of Spiderman.

Ugh.....I actually prefer the Hellblade puzzles to playing as Mary Jane.

 

[Mortisfacio]

34 pages of you not being able to read

The Order sucks and deserves its 6/10 scores. HB2 is around the same but even worse, probably deserves 5/10 at best

I have played both games. Have you?

I've played the Order after playing Bloodborne. Part of why I have extra hate towards it. It was an awful experience coming off one of the best games I've played this last decade.

I also played Hellblade 100% high on an edible and am currently playing the 2nd (no edible). Your words were you've only held the analog stick forward for 2 hours. If that's all you did, as you stated yourself, you'd be stuck at the shore you wash up on. So you're either being intentionally ignorant and lying or you've never played it.

 

[adamsapple]

Pro tip, when you're cheating, try not to get attention by getting a perfect score.

At lease try not to be too obvious. There is a different between a 9 score and a perfect 10.

That's a terrible protip, as both 9's and 10's are higher than either games current aggregate and can service to increase it.

However, you probably know (or not) that not all website scores are weighed the same when aggregates are considered. A 9 from Xbox Era is not gonna have the same weight in changing the aggregate as a 9 from IGN, for example.

Ugh.....I actually prefer the Hellblade puzzles to playing as Mary Jane.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Would love to compare it to spiderman

Yeah lets not go there bruh lol. As shit as the small Mary Jane segments are, they're still small segments. Hellblade is boring from A to B

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Your words were you've only held the analog stick forward for 2 hours. If that's all you did,

Dude it was a joke but mostly accurate characterization

you are not doing much more then holding up on the analog stick for 2 hours. You do simple puzzles and QTE combat sparsely and mostly just slog through the environment

This game is terrible. Anyone who hates the order should hate this as well if not more.

 

[adamsapple]

This game is terrible. Anyone who hates the order should hate this as well if not more.

That is a bizarre take, just because two things operate similarly doesn't mean they need to be judged similarly either.

By your logic, every open world game with collectibles and free roaming should be hated or loved the same.

It just doesn't work like that.

 

[yazenov]

That's a terrible protip, as both 9's and 10's are higher than either games current aggregate and can service to increase it.

However, you probably know (or not) that not all website scores are weighed the same when aggregates are considered. A 9 from Xbox Era is not gonna have the same weight in changing the aggregate as a 9 from IGN, for example.

What? you do know that 9s are closer to the average of 8 than a 10? Is basic math.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

That is a bizarre take, just because two things operate similarly doesn't mean they need to be judged similarly either.

By your logic, every open world game with collectibles and free roaming should be hated or loved the same.

It just doesn't work like that.

We're not really talking about vastly different games, like BOTW vs Elden Ring both being open world games

There's hardly anything to actually do in either of these titles.

If you don't like playing games that have no gameplay, you shouldn't like either of them

 

[adamsapple]

What? , you do know that 9s are closer to the average of 8s than a 10? Is basic math.

Sure, but the way you're saying it, any score from a named-website that is higher than the aggregate is serving to increase it and should be disqualified.

There's multiple cans of worms and I don't think either of us want to get into list warz finding these named-websites which have reviewed platform exclusive games favorably.

I'm just gonna drop this point.

We're not really talking about vastly different games, like BOTW vs Elden Ring both being open world games

There's hardly anything to actually do in either of these titles.

If you don't like playing games that have no gameplay, you shouldn't like either of them

Again, I respectfully disagree. There's plenty of games I like, where the act of PLAYING them is the worst part. eg my favorite go-to example, Deadly Premonition. It plays like shit but that's the last thing that enticed me towards the game.

Similarly, Hellblade 2 has a more interesting premise, cast, obviously top-tier audio/visual presentation, sense of exploration in a strange world etc etc that are appealing. No one expected HB2 to play like Bayonetta and it doesn't.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Are you fucking dim? I already replied to adamsapple about this, acknowledging the valid point about comparing run times. Mine was greater for the first game. But objectively, my position was wrong.

You need to stop with the console war nonsense before a mod bans you for it. Not everyone making a point (correct or otherwise) cares about which box a game is on.

I didn't say anything about consoles.

Edit, actually I did say "warrior gotcha" because I assumed your post was just another mindless attempt at hating on the game because quite honestly it read like it. But I edited that out right afterwards because I don't know you and you're right, not everyone is a warrior.

 

[Jigsaah]

The game is disappointing so far for what I expected. I was looking for some kind of evolution of the first game.

I wanted Deeper combat, maybe a bit more freedom, better puzzles. The only thing that was upgraded was the graphics and the sound. Which I understand, these are the selling points. It's a beautiful game, no doubting that. The sound is amazing. There were some of the sequences where I couldn't tell if I was in-game or a cutscene.

But so far as I've gotten, there isn't much more to the actual game than the first one. A sequel is supposed to evolve the gameplay. This sequel is not doing that. You got some climbing, some walking, some fighting which (sometimes annoyingly) transitions for enemy to enemy in one on one battles with a few different enemy types, none of which are particularly interesting. You deal with all the enemies in pretty much the same way.

The game is great, in a vacuum. But we've done this song and dance before. The novelty is largely lost even this long after the first game. I found the voices to be annoying and ever-present, giving me clues to solve VERY EASY puzzles. It took away any agency I had to explore because these broads are constantly telling me whether I'm on the right path, or if something "must be done". It's pissing me off just typing about it here. Constantly narrating every fucking thought. In the first game, the voices were novel...they were intrusive and debilitating. Now, they are mostly....helpful? WTF MAN.

7/10 so far. I'm hoping the rest of the game is better, but I'm starting to lose hope on this one.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Similarly, Hellblade 2 has a more interesting premise, cast, obviously top-tier audio/visual presentation, sense of exploration in a strange world etc etc that are appealing. No one expected HB2 to play like Bayonetta and it doesn't.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

 

[adamsapple]

Thank you for proving my earlier point, James.

I don't have to tell you what's good, anything I say, you'll just disagree with, just like how you've disagreed with the majority of the critical consensus because it doesn't fit your personal narrative

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Thank you for proving my earlier point, James.

Did you play the Order, Adam?

Since you think HB2 is a masterpiece you'd probably love it!

*if it were on Xbox and GamePass

 

[adamsapple]

Did you play the Order, Adam?

Yes, I literally posted a screenshot of my completion trophy for it on the last page.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Yes, I literally posted a screenshot of my completion trophy for it on the last page.

Cool so the only thing I can conclude is you didn't like it because it wasn't on Xbox