Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

So I’ve been wearing glasses for quite a while now… some of you might need to buy yourselves a pair. LOL.
 
The visuals look like how I remember the first game, but I bet if I went back and played it I would be a little let down lol. Hellblade 2 looks fantastic, looks like they're using hardware lumen at least in the a good portion of the scenes shown (might be custom integrated full RT, but I doubt it), even if it is disabled, hardware should be able to be manually enabled in the engine.ini. Some scenes do look like RT was disabled for it though, particularly the one where she is kneeling holding the skull. If it's not RT. The reflections make it obvious it is hardware RT, but a few of them did look like it could be SSR, they did avoid moving the camera too much so it is hard to tell, and there were no off-screen reflections other than when she looked into the water.
 
Is this game going to be our new GPU benchmark game - as in, “I just bought the most powerful graphics card on the face of the planet and even though I don’t actually love this game I desperately want to see how my new GPU runs it? Maybe that reverse mortgage I took out to finance the card will actually be worth it?” Or, if you’re Armenius: “Maybe selling myself to the night was actually worth it.” Just kidding, Armenius. :)
 
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I really need to get around to plaything through the first game at some point, especially as this seems like it could be really good.
 
The more I see how Microsoft acts as a publisher, the more I'm waiting for this game to be unfinished and terribly optimised, vapid and uninspiring.

Which is a shame because the first one was such a nice departure from the norm.
 
KazeoHin said:
The more I see how Microsoft acts as a publisher, the more I'm waiting for this game to be unfinished and terribly optimised, vapid and uninspiring.

Which is a shame because the first one was such a nice departure from the norm.
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It will probably be a master piece
But not sell too much because available for free in game pass

So Microsoft will close this studio
 
I'm going to pick this game up the only other games I bought this year were Dark Forces and Dragons Dogma plus Wartales dlc. I know the audio will be great with my Vzr headphones.
Oh yeah also picked up No Rest for the wicked but that game isn't out.
 
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I didn't like the first game in terms of gameplay but this looks like an improvement...should be a technical masterpiece in terms of graphics and audio (character models and facial animation look best in class)...either way I'm going to wait for a sale as $50 is a bit steep for an 8 hour single player campaign (plus the fact that I didn't like the first game as much as a lot of other people)...they did a great job depicting mental illness and framing the game around that (the audio in particular was top notch) but I felt the combat and overall gameplay was boring

I'm hoping with a bigger budget and more time they improved on those aspects
 
polonyc2 said:
I didn't like the first game in terms of gameplay but this looks like an improvement...should be a technical masterpiece in terms of graphics and audio (character models and facial animation look best in class)...either way I'm going to wait for a sale as $50 is a bit steep for an 8 hour single player campaign (plus the fact that I didn't like the first game as much as a lot of other people)...they did a great job depicting mental illness and framing the game around that (the audio in particular was top notch) but I felt the combat and overall gameplay was boring

I'm hoping with a bigger budget and more time they improved on those aspects
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Get Gamepass?
 
Marees said:
It will probably be a master piece
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I fear it will be just more of the same as the first game. A tedious walking sim occasionally interrupted by somehow even more tedious repetitive combat sequences. The game was less than 10 hours long but it felt like 100+. At best a 7/10, more likely to be a 5 or 6. Which is not to say it will be bad, but very far from a masterpiece.
 
Though the combat was simplistic I didn't mind it, my problem with it was the puzzles, particularly the ones where you have to walk around trying to find an outline of something in trees and buildings or whatever, hated those.
 
w35t said:
where you have to walk around trying to find an outline of something in trees and buildings or whatever, hated those.
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Especially because only one solution was accepted by the game, I was stuck on a level because I found a "wrong" solution, that worked equally well as the intended one.
 
https://twitter.com/NinjaTheory/status/1790788258286166211

Hellblade II.png
 
Comixbooks said:
I wonder if those are Xbox times usually Steam launches at Noon but at least I have off that day. Called in this week one day could call One day next week but rather use it for emergency. I need a new job called unemployment.
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global release so it'll unlock at the same time
 
Surprised this game isn't leaked anywhere. Pretty tight lipped my biggest fear the combat will be just like the last game. Which is ok but it's structured combat.
 
Two days away and nothing yet except for IGN and Gamespot who played the game and don't show anything. Usually the whole game is leaked for any other title.
 
M76 said:
Especially because only one solution was accepted by the game, I was stuck on a level because I found a "wrong" solution, that worked equally well as the intended one.
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At the start of the game, as soon as it gives you control, turn around and try going into the "wrong" direction. You'll be blown away.
 
WarriorX said:
I don't think we play this game for the combat. We play it for the in your ear whispering.
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Games are complex interconnected systems, if one aspect of it is bad it drags down the entire experience. You can't just ignore the bad part and focus on the good only.

And that's just another form of saying "enjoy it for what it is". What if it is a turd, then I enjoy it for being a turd?
 
emphy said:
At the start of the game, as soon as it gives you control, turn around and try going into the "wrong" direction. You'll be blown away.
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I vaguely recall trying that, but I don't remember what happens.
 
once again the binaural audio and visuals are the highlights along with the depiction of mental illness...

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Review

Hellblade 2 serves up another satisfyingly brutal and consistently enthralling heroine's journey, even if its streamlined sword fighting favors cinematic spectacle over substantial gameplay depth...Hellblade 2 meets the high bar set by its predecessor even if it never really manages to clear it...


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKWTioa8BcY
 
battles look superb. Senua will get smacked to the floor by some mace-wielding brute, roll to avoid an overarm deathblow, rise up to thrust her sword through his chest, before being stumbled into by another enemy who becomes the next focus in the fight. It's impressively seamless,

The disadvantage is that, even in these moments, the game constantly pulls away control, to the point where it's often unclear whether you're playing or not. ... The result is an experience that makes you feel hemmed in by its cinematic aspiration

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/senuas-saga-hellblade-2-review
 
Hellblade 2 is a superb game from a team that clearly knows what made the first one special. To say that the core experience is familiar, is not to say that it is simply more of the same - rather, it has both refined and expanded on the original on all fronts, creating a sequel that is nothing short of stunning.

For one thing, Hellblade 2 is absolutely gorgeous. The environments are rich, detailed and exquisitely lit - I genuinely struggle to think of another game in which the lighting is such a prominent and active part of the storytelling process. The character animations are smooth and believable, while the facial capture helps bring commanding performances from the likes of Melina Juergens, Chris O'Reilly and Aldís Amah Hamilton to life. I've also never felt compelled to mention lichen in a review before, but the moss and lichen studded throughout the game are both absolutely top notch.

Second, the combat is superb. It's responsive, allowing for feint attacks that throw off your enemies, and the animations absolutely shine throughout. Previously, groups of adversaries used to surround Senua and patiently wait their turn, which was functional if not necessarily exciting. Now, previously unseen combatants crash into view to replace the one you just dispatched - sometimes fleeing NPCs come with, getting cut down or tackling somebody out of the way. The camera responds to crushing blows and shifting tides with real weight, providing a sense of heft to battle that rivals even the best that God of War has to offer. In doing so, it wrests a good deal of camera control away from the player and, arguably, puts each set piece firmly on rails, but the payoff is electric.

https://www.eurogamer.net/senuas-saga-hellblade-2-review
 
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