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[IlGialloMondadori]

Wow, this review is some high quality writing

"You're never allowed to wonder about what a line might mean, or the significance of a particular facial expression or gesture, because the voices are there to talk all over it like YouTubers making a Let's Play. At their worst, they make a game trying to be intelligent and artful feel like it has no respect for the audience's intelligence, explaining the most basic of plot points multiple times in a row and offering a jumble of advice for overcoming simple obstacles. "

Brutal, and a very tiresome trend in modern games to simply assume their audiences to be brain dead.

Yeah its a really good review. Very clear what the writer's issues are.

 

[YOU PC BRO?!]

Unfortunately, this is a rather niche game. The kind of game designed to win awards but not intended to be fun or to provide much in the way of gameplay. Personally, I found the first game to be a weird, awkward and dull experience. I don't say that to be mean spirited but I just never understood what the point was except as a visual experience. A game focused upon someone's mental health issues doesn't really have much mass market appeal - its simply depressing.

With 7 years in development this game has become rather expensive. Personally, I consider that to be a complete waste of resource. Ninja Theory are a capable studio and I would much rather see them working on an Enslaved: Odyssey of the West remake | sequel or even a new IP with more mass market appeal... perhaps a survival horror game in the vein of RE would be a good fit for them.

 

[Darsxx82]

WTF, someone already finished it and posted the full walkthrough on YT. So this confirms that it's a 5-hour game then.

?? There are people who have had a copy for a week... LoL

 

[Ribi]

it would have engaging gameplay too

X to doubt

 

[Matt_Fox]

Not true. If the graphics are amazing and the gameplay/game itself sucks, then 5/10 could even be generous.
The Order, Ryse, Perfect Dark Zero, Killzone Shadows Fall, lots of games have had top notch graphics that I never want to play again. Not saying that's hellblade 2, but graphics != gameplay. If it's primarily a narrative experience, more traditional adventure game kind of thing, then the writing and puzzles if they're part of it better be awesome.

Not sure that the 300 devs working on the graphics would say that their contribution was worth that much less than the 3 people working on the narrative...

Like it or not video games are a product of technology and I stand by my point if the graphics are literally the best ever seen in history then that deserves more recognition than a 5/10.

In the 'old days' of video game mags they'd often have a breakdown in the marking system (you'd have a little bar chart with separate scores for graphics, gameplay, music, etc).

 

[n111ck]

Seems like perfect game pass fodder.

 

[Porticus]

Not sure that the 300 devs working on the graphics would say that their contribution was worth that much less than the 3 people working on the narrative...

Like it or not video games are a product of technology and I stand by my point if the graphics are literally the best ever seen in history then that deserves more recognition than a 5/10.

In the 'old days' of video game mags they'd often have a breakdown in the marking system (you'd have a little bar chart with separate scores for graphics, gameplay, music, etc).

Dude please, we are playing a videogame not watching a movie.

 

[rhodesianshepard]

I kind of partially do... but I don't understand how a game developer can spend seven years working on a game that is apparently no better, bigger or more advanced than the first one, other than the pretty stuff, that is irrelevant to how it plays as a game.

I don't think Ninja Theory had much say on the scope of the game. I believe Microsoft gave them a bunch of money to develop the best looking game imaginable so they could sell Xbox Series consoles when it launched. There really isn't much more too it. I'm not sure how creative you can be when you are told to make a glorified Tech Demo

And it was only 5 years, plus NT released a game in 2020 and Covid delayed Mo-cap for a long time. I do still question how good of a studio they are though. Outside of their industry leading Mo-cap, I don't see them excel at anything else

 

[FunkMiller]

Not sure that the 300 devs working on the graphics would say that their contribution was worth that much less than the 3 people working on the narrative...

Like it or not video games are a product of technology and I stand by my point if the graphics are literally the best ever seen in history then that deserves more recognition than a 5/10.

In the 'old days' of video game mags they'd often have a breakdown in the marking system (you'd have a little bar chart with separate scores for graphics, gameplay, music, etc).

A photorealistic Unreal 5 engine dog turd would still be a dog turd.

The GAMEplay in a video GAME is the most important thing.

5 hours of very shallow gameplay feels like something a person could mark as 5/10.

 

[Self_Destructive]

 

[Darsxx82]

Metacritic 81 with 71 reviews

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without...

www.metacritic.com

Opencritic 83

https://opencritic.com/game/16475/senuas-saga-hellblade-ii

 

[IlGialloMondadori]

Not sure that the 300 devs working on the graphics would say that their contribution was worth that much less than the 3 people working on the narrative...

Like it or not video games are a product of technology and I stand by my point if the graphics are literally the best ever seen in history then that deserves more recognition than a 5/10.

In the 'old days' of video game mags they'd often have a breakdown in the marking system (you'd have a little bar chart with separate scores for graphics, gameplay, music, etc).

Unfortunately, as it was said before, games are a marriage of things. Graphics, IMO, are not that important. I just replayed Fallout 2, and it looks like someone took a shit on the screen and is clunky, but it's also more engaging than anything I've played in quite a while. It didn't look good on launch. There's a reason it's a classic, however.

Think about films. Look at The Phantom Menace. That had groundbreaking production and special effects. Is it a great film? No, it's pretty terrible. Hundreds of people worked on the effects and art of that thing. It's a 5/10. You can have the best artists and effects people in the world, and a rubbish script, and you'll get a rubbish film. That's how it works.

There's a reason people still play Ultima VII, Fallout 1 and 2, Chrono Trigger. There's a reason people do not still play Perfect Dark Zero.

If it's just graphics, I'd rather watch The Northman again.

 

[Vroadstar]

?? There are people who have had a copy for a week... LoL

Well, he played from start to end, and took 5 hours, which confirms what FunkMiller said. I was reacting to the posted YT video.

 

[KloetenQuetsche]

Ryse comes into mind...

 

[winjer]

So editing the ini files does nothing. And UUU just crashes the game.
This means there is no way to disable chromatic aberration or film grain. Worst yet, no option to disable motion blur.
So this makes the game almost unplayable for me.
The graphics are nice, but image quality is a complete dog turd.
The game is also very heavy. Everything maxed out, with TSR at 67% and I got around 70 fps.

I played for close to an hour. I only used one button, to move forward. That's it.
And knowing that combat and puzzles are just as bad as in the first game, I can't bear the though of going through the same slough, again. I just can't.
I already uninstalled it.

EDIT: I'm using the Gamepass version.

 

[feynoob]

5 hours of very shallow gameplay feels like something a person could mark as 5/10.

The problem is this game is about mental problem.. Alot of people would not get in to the game that much.

Just like the first game, its only geared toward certain group of people.

 

[ThisIsMyDog]

If they wanted to make movie why not just do exactly that.

 

[IlGialloMondadori]

The problem is this game is about mental problem.. Alot of people would not get in to the game that much.

Just like the first game, its only geared toward certain group of people.

It's not really to do with its themes, but how weak it is in conception, and how mediocre it is in gameplay execution.

"The entire concept of Senua becomes muddled. If myth is real, why should we assume any of what she experiences is hallucination, rather than actual magic and the real voices of spirits? How is a distinction between what's real and what isn't meaningful if surreal and impossible things can happen in either world? And if she really can stand up to seemingly physical gods, then were the events of the first game all literal after all? Sure, you could simply say every character she meets and everything she experiences in Iceland is all one enormous hallucination, but that doesn't get you anywhere narratively, and it's not really how the game presents itself. "

 

[SJRB]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/video-games/2024/05/21/senuas-saga-hellblade-ii-review/

"The sequel is a lesser game than its predecessor. There are fewer combat mechanics in play, removing the melee button and directional attacks and replacing them with nothing."
"The scale of the puzzles are also smaller, as the game's level design has shrunk. The former game had larger areas with vertical structures. This game's level design is mostly a straight line, with a few small puzzle areas to break up the pacing."

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 review

Visually spectacular but narratively limp, this cinematic sequel fails to find a new path for Senua.

www.pcgamer.com

"You're constantly being told that you, as Senua, are accomplishing incredible feats and doing things no one else could have done—the reality is that most of the time you're just holding forward on the stick, or doing puzzles a child could solve, so it all feels deeply unearned. In one sequence where the characters were lost in a strange forest, I was heaped with praise for using my insight to find a way through—when literally all I was doing was following the one clear path in front of me. "

lol

"Congrats you pushed forward on the stick! You are amazing! Incredible achievement"

lmao.

 

[Kupfer]

Ryse comes into mind...

Fun game, finished it twice. Cool protagonist, nice cutscenes and presantation, still looks great and you can make it through the game on a rainy day. Well worth the 7.50€ I paid.

 

[ManaByte]

Metacritic 81 with 71 reviews

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without...

www.metacritic.com

Opencritic 83

https://opencritic.com/game/16475/senuas-saga-hellblade-ii

Identical to the original:

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Unsheathe the bloodstained blade of gritty warrior Senua as she fights her way through a nightmarish landscape in a ferociously personal journey. Can you survive a fearsome realm of vicious swordplay and terrifying creatures?

www.metacritic.com

 

[mejin]

Ouch. Expected.

 

[TrebleShot]

Wait for heavy sale. Like under £15

 

[Dr.brain64]

The best graphics?

 

[RobRSG]

I’m afraid that Ninja Theory will never become Ninja Practice in the end.

 

[digoutyoursoul]

Seems like perfect game pass fodder.

And that’s the problem. There is a decline in expectations/standards because games are available day one in a subscription service.

Because of the lower price barrier there is a behavioural pattern of people glossing over shortcomings. It started with the likes of Crackdown 3.

I’d like to see Xbox be much better than this. I hate what the brand has turned into .

I’m all for a UE5 showcase but at least have some depth, a game that really makes people excited and not just the visuals.

Why can’t they have a studio that makes a game like a Horzion Zero Dawn or dare I say The Last of Us or Zelda. They don’t have that big impact title.

And with this management and Gamepass it’s like expecting this kind of game is unrealistic or laughable to even suggest it.

When they bought Ninja Theory I thought they might of invested and expanded the studio to really give them a studio to make substantial titles. Moronic of me I know.

 

[feynoob]

Wait for heavy sale. Like under £15

Not even worth 10$.

 

[SmokSmog]

Wait for heavy sale. Like under £15

Just watch it on youtube.

 

[feynoob]

I’m afraid that Ninja Theory will never become Ninja Practice in the end.

They tried to cook, but cooked themselves in the end.

They arent kojima. They believed their shit and it stank the floor.

 

[Mowcno]

Ryse comes into mind...

Definitely. Leaning more towards a graphics showcase than a game.

Will be interesting to see where the player numbers end up on steam at peak hours. It's too early to judge but only 1.6k in-game 1 hour after launch seems like a very bad sign.

 

[Portugeezer]

MS finally got its Order 1886 killer.

 

[IlGialloMondadori]

I played for close to an hour. I only used one button, to move forward. That's it.
And knowing that combat and puzzles are just as bad as in the first game, I can't bear the though of going through the same slough, again. I just can't.
I already uninstalled it.

Sounds fucking terrible.

 

[DJ12]

Seems like a nice interactive movie, when's the full game actually out.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Identical to the original:

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Unsheathe the bloodstained blade of gritty warrior Senua as she fights her way through a nightmarish landscape in a ferociously personal journey. Can you survive a fearsome realm of vicious swordplay and terrifying creatures?

www.metacritic.com

Huh?

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice critic reviews

Metacritic aggregates music, game, tv, and movie reviews from the leading critics. Only Metacritic.com uses METASCORES, which let you know at a glance how each item was reviewed.

www.metacritic.com

 

[Hoppa]

I'll try have a proper go over the weekend, just booted it up and it started with slow walking and stumbling up a cliff.

 

[ManaByte]

Huh?

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice critic reviews

Metacritic aggregates music, game, tv, and movie reviews from the leading critics. Only Metacritic.com uses METASCORES, which let you know at a glance how each item was reviewed.

www.metacritic.com

I posted the main page for the first game. You posted just the Xbox One page. Can you be any more disingenuous?

 

[Skifi28]

Sounds fucking terrible.

Sounds 10/10.

 

[feynoob]

XboxEra - Jon Clarke - 10 / 10

Despite the backing of a company as large and as well-funded as Microsoft, Ninja Theory have, in my opinion, nurtured their independent spirit and kept it well and truly alive in every facet of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II. It's brutal. It's breath-taking. It's brilliant. If this is “Independent AAA”?

 

[acidagfc]

I just clicked through the youtube walkthrough video and... let's just say I am not the target audience.

You hold the stick to move forward, while some women are constantly whispering nonsense from a random side.
It's like a twitch asmr stream, but you need to be pushing the stick to continue.

If Death Stranding was called a walking sim, what do you call that?

I will stick with gameplay-first games, thanks.

 

[FireFly]

Eh. Seems like a very solid, well thought out trailer for a game they'd put absolutely no development into. But I'm not sure even four years for a five hour game is exactly much better.

According to Ninja Theory they had 80 developers when in "full production", which started after mid-2021. From the announcements about the development team being intially "double" that of the first game, it seems they had 40 developers in pre-production. So the total development time should be around 300 man years. Or 1 year of developement for a 300 man AAA developer.

 

[Vroadstar]

So editing the ini files does nothing. And UUU just crashes the game.
This means there is no way to disable chromatic aberration or film grain. Worst yet, no option to disable motion blur.
So this makes the game almost unplayable for me.
The graphics are nice, but image quality is a complete dog turd.
The game is also very heavy. Everything maxed out, with TSR at 67% and I got around 70 fps.

I played for close to an hour. I only used one button, to move forward. That's it.
And knowing that combat and puzzles are just as bad as in the first game, I can't bear the though of going through the same slough, again. I just can't.
I already uninstalled it.

EDIT: I'm using the Gamepass version.

 

[Pey.]

It's a 7/10 for me. Gameplay feels like a huge downgrade. No bosses or mini bosses, a more casual approach to combat, familiar puzzles and way too many long walking scenes. It's meant to be enjoyed as a purely cinematic experience, but as a huge fan of the first one, the sequel feels diluted in almost every aspect (except for graphics of course).

https://www.pcmrace.com/2024/05/21/senuas-saga-hellblade-ii-review-pc-4k/

There are a lot of 4K screenshots at max settings in the review. For some of them I used a mod to remove DOF, Filmgrain and other post-processing effects.

 

[Darsxx82]

I posted the main page for the first game. You posted just the Xbox One page. Can you be any more disingenuous?

DON'T underestimate him in that aspect....

 

[Yoboman]

7 years development for something I can finish on a week night is...something

 

[alphachino]

mildly interesting in playing this before my GP sub runs out by July. I highly doubt I'm going to get round to it though even at just 5 hours.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

I posted the main page for the first game. You posted just the Xbox One page. Can you be any more disingenuous?

It's a xbox game.
Disingenuous is not posting the xbox vs xbox.

 

[Jormatar]

Seems like a worse game than its predecessor. No wonder it had no marketing and the studio head and creator of the franchise bouncing off before the game even released.

 

[Dazraell]

I just clicked through the youtube walkthrough video and... let's just say I am not the target audience.

You hold the stick to move forward, while some women are constantly whispering nonsense from a random side.
It's like a twitch asmr stream, but you need to be pushing the stick to continue.

If Death Stranding was called a walking sim, what do you call that?

I will stick with gameplay-first games, thanks.

I've watched some reviews and it feels basically like the first game, but with better visuals and combat changed to 1 vs 1 encounters. Haven't noticed any new additions to the game beyond that

 

[DenchDeckard]

It's an almost 4 year old developed game made by 80 people.

Simular to the first. Can't wait.

 

[Danjin44]

It's a 7/10 for me. Gameplay feels like a huge downgrade. No bosses or mini bosses, a more casual approach to combat, familiar puzzles and way too many long walking scenes. It's meant to be enjoyed as a purely cinematic experience, but as a huge fan of the first one, the sequel feels diluted in almost every aspect (except for graphics of course).

Is that true? I remember even the first game had boss fights.