The_Observer
Member
Looks nextgen (current). Finally starting to see some games that are harnessing the "new" consoles.
Hellblade II | The Game Awards 2023 Trailer (Releasing 2024)
- Thread starter KyoZz
- Start date
Mortisfacio
Member
Tehehe ^.^
Represent.
Represent(ative) of bad opinions
The combat looks hard hitting, visceral, gory and intense. 1 vs 1 and personal. This is not your pew pew flashy little anime action game with all flash no substance.
This is combat for men.
Reminds me of The Northman - THIS is what they were going for.
Not this shit:
And it looks like they fucking nailed it. Combat looks goddamn incredible.
I dont know how you can possible say the combat looks bad. It looks EXACTLY like what they were going for.
This is combat for men.
Reminds me of The Northman - THIS is what they were going for.
Not this shit:
And it looks like they fucking nailed it. Combat looks goddamn incredible.
I dont know how you can possible say the combat looks bad. It looks EXACTLY like what they were going for.
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Punished Miku
Human Rights Subscription Service
I said this months ago. Had multiple PS fans trying to shit on me well in advance of this game even being out, claiming Xbox fans are not allowed to like this game because they don't like all of Sony's cinematic games. My answer was that I have to play the thing first, and maybe I will like it because of the much darker tone. It's like claiming you aren't allowed to like The Northman if you don't like Thor Ragnarok. The arguments are that shallow. The tone, and art style are completely different. We don't know if the dialogue or story are going to be any good. We don't know if the simplistic, super up close combat will feel good.Reminds me of The Northman - THIS is what they were going for.
That said, I'm still not blown away by this game and I'm very skeptical about it. Going to have to try and force myself through part 1 since I couldn't finish it the last time. It looks great, but the gameplay looks lacking. And I have major problems with any game that puts the camera this close to the character. At least it seems like you're mostly fighting one on one.
deriks
4-Time GIF/Meme God
How about saying that to the publishers, huh?!
Lokaum D+
Member
You said that are a lot of mindless hack & slashers out there and i agree, but imo Senuas combat is worst than those games, Senuas combat its too close to Callisto Protocol, has no depth, if by contextual you mean a mindless and boring dodge, parry and attack ( there is some auto flash moves to make combat more appealing ) for 8 hours straight i agree.
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Senua
Member
Lol yup sushi touches up his gifs big time
Snowdonhoffen
Member
If you know enemy placement and rehearse for some time it can be done, but yeah, 99% of the time it won't look this cool lol.
Good thing he's not talking about the original Hellblade, eh? Or you're back to posting like you've played the finished Hellblade 2?
Mr Hyde
Member
If the combat is anything like Callisto I don't have any issues with that. I thought Callisto had a very hard hitting, visceral one on one melee combat that evoked a certain stress factor. You could really feel the punches right in the kisser and the graphical detail enhanced the gory parts of it, which I loved. It did get repetitive but for an 8-10 hour romp it was manageable. If Senua pulls it off with a good story and characters, with this insane level of detail, I for one is in for a hell of a ride. Watched the trailer again in 4K (probably my 10th time, lol). Absolutely stunning. Series X is showing its muscles 
JTCx
Member
Congrats, you've just described Hellblade.
Yeah, you haven't played Hellblade
MarkMe2525
Banned
I really don't know what to make of this game as of yet. I remain cautiously optimistic.
Disco Dave
Member
Forza looks better, amiright?
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JTCx
Member
Enlighten me about the game's basic ass combat. All enemies are the same basic shit even that joke of a 'final' boss LMAO and doesn't demand anything from the player. After the first 2 encounters you already fought them all. Aside from the game's excellent sound design and visuals, it has nothing else going for it. We can talk about the laughable weak puzzles too. This game is anything but gameplay.
Represent.
Represent(ative) of bad opinions
This looks like the most visceral combat ever in a game. Definitely since TLOU 2.
Give me this intense 1 VS 1 combat over that hack and slash, pew pew, flashy anime shit ALL. DAY. LONG.
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JTCx
Member
Even Ryse looks better.
This looks like the most visceral combat ever in a game. Definitely since TLOU 2.
Give me this intense 1 VS 1 combat over that hack and slash, pew pew, flashy anime shit ALL. DAY. LONG.
ALL. DAY. LONG.
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Punished Miku
Human Rights Subscription Service
I hope youre right. Currently just mocap wanking. I need to see what you can actually do in combat
This looks like the most visceral combat ever in a game. Definitely since TLOU 2.
Give me this intense 1 VS 1 combat over that hack and slash, pew pew, flashy anime shit ALL. DAY. LONG.
jonnyp
Member
Mortisfacio
Member
Yes, I am serious.
This is a nearly 11 hour video, for example. 11 hours of walking, talking and cutscenes. TLoU is largely a walking and talking game with some combat and brick throwing simulation mixed in. Quit pretending it's not.
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Represent.
Represent(ative) of bad opinions
"Talking and cutscenes" , do you mean story?
Yeah, god forbid games have a story.
And the game has insane combat, and tons of it. your posts are objectively wrong and stupid.
thicc_girls_are_teh_best
Member
Well it'd of been nice if one of the devs didn't go around on Twitter talking up how big an expansion this game was going to be compared to the first one.
I liked the footage last night, but mechanically there doesn't seem anything present to show it's a leap over the original game. Less corridor environments? I don't think that's enough. Combat looks very similar to the original. That's good in one sense but again what is it expanding upon in that department?
The new footage didn't really answer this question. It just showed the game's quite pretty (which has always been the case) and involves more than walking slowly around. Still think they need a presentation that actually breaks down the new stuff and changes.
James Sawyer Ford
Banned
Yep this is a very amazing looking game that also looks incredibly shallow. I dunno why people laughed at my Ryse and Order comparisons. That's exactly what this is, and it's not necessarily a BAD thing.... I enjoyed those games even if I knew they could have been so much more....but sometimes if you want all the focus on visuals, these are the types of games you end up getting for better or worse
Mortisfacio
Member
Never said it wasn't OK to have story. I like the last of us and hellblade. Both are largely story games with gameplay elements. Not sure why your panties are in such a twist.
ThaMonkeyClaw
Member
In-game cinematics and gameplay captured by Ninja Theory on Xbox Series X, with music by Heilung.
While I am a PlayStation gamer, this game looks amazing, hope the storyline, etc. is as mindblowing as the visuals! I just remember when the first trailer was shown years ago and people were saying these type graphics would never happen on a PS5/XSX, glad to see that isn't the case! Also that music is just awesome!
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FoxMcChief
Gold Member
Game looks amazing. I'm going to replay Hellblade with my Dolby Atmos headphones.
Bartski
Gold Member
This thread is just an endless stream of horseshit I don't even know where to start.
First Hellblade had 3 types of running attacks, parry with 3 different counters, dodge with 3 different counters, attacks to shorten distance, attacks to create distance, multiple types of guard breaks and about 20 different combos between light and heavy with the ability to chain them all together between one and multiple targets.
While pretending to have played the game maybe at least go look it up.
First Hellblade had 3 types of running attacks, parry with 3 different counters, dodge with 3 different counters, attacks to shorten distance, attacks to create distance, multiple types of guard breaks and about 20 different combos between light and heavy with the ability to chain them all together between one and multiple targets.
While pretending to have played the game maybe at least go look it up.
jonnyp
Member
Haha hilarious, Hellblade is barely a step up from a Telltale game but you do you. They are not in the same hemisphere in anything.
Giallo Corsa
Member
40+ hour game, 11 hours of cutscenes = walking and talking game and brick throwing sim...
Hey, you might as well throw a dozens of RPGs into your "walking and talking game" list since they also feature hundreds of hours of spoken lines and cutscenes.
Tell us you haven't played the game without telling us you haven't played the game - same exact thing with Death stranding where every forum expert "played" the game by watching YT playthroughs and calling it a "walking sim", it'd be hilarious if it wasn't for the fact that it's actually pathetic.
Damn, and then you have the usual suspects posting gifs and defence forcing when people make fun of posts like these and the fanboyism and gaslighting involved, shit writes itself, absolutely zero self awareness whatsoever.
Fuckin' hell, these mental gymnastics are absolutely something else
PS : I enjoyed the 1st HB for what it was and even if the 2nd doesn't light the world on fire but remains mostly the same but with better gfx I'm still gonna be there.
This thread unfortunately has got absolutely nothing to do anymore with HB2, instead, it has turned into the usual bickering and back 'n' forth.
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Mortisfacio
Member
Lol, OK bud. Shoot a few guys, throw some bricks, walk some more, loot some stuff, another cutscene.
Not sure why you're going to such lengths to pretend a game has more gameplay than it does. TLoU is largely a cinematic game, like Hellblade. That's not a bad thing, but would appreciate you being honest with yourself.
CamHostage
Member
So, question for you: what is it that has Ninja Theory said, and what do you think they have said?
I've been guilty too of saying that NT has overstated the promises of Hellblade 2 (and whether they did or did not say that this would be some gigantic epic blockbuster, having it announced at TGAs as the first game of the new console generation with that wild and visually stunning trailer that MS went out of its way to say was "captured entirely in engine" and list as one of the first UE5 projects, none of that helped set realistic expectations.) However, they haven't really said a lot in four years other than that it'll use the best tech for the most realistic portrayal of a world and a lifelike main character, and that their trips to Iceland were a good time. They've talked way more about performance capture, environmental asset capturing, and even makeup than they have gameplay.
There was the NME interview with Antoniades, which led with the gnarly headline, "'Hellblade 2' will make 'Hellblade' look like an indie game", (which in actuality was a little less strident in the original: "I think Hellblade 2 will make Hellblade look like an indie game",) but even that wasn't really a declaration about the sequel being revolutionary in any specific way, and if you read the actual article it is way less inflammatory and declarative, it's simply saying that they're going to make this game, "[feel] more believable and more refined. Its ambition in terms of scale is bigger."
Tameem Antoniades: "'Hellblade 2' will make 'Hellblade' look like an indie game"
'Hellblade 2' will also focus on religion and society, over the previous game's personal story.
www.nme.com
The official description and other text about the game from MS, BTW, has been relatively discreet in terms of selling the game. "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." That's not promising much in terms of gameplay scope, just that it'll be a big and dark journey. Similarly, all the trailers have just show Senua walking through spaces or having a frightening encounter; this new trailer shows a few sword moves, and the "gameplay trailer" had her throwing a spear or two, but "action" has been pretty low on the selling points of this sequel despite the fact that combat will inevitably be a core component of the game,.
I'd be interested in what else you feel is over-hyping the game? I have a similar feeling of having been overcooked in the wait for this sequel, but when I look around to see where that heat came from, not a lot of it came from the source.
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Killer8
Member
So, question for you: what is it that has Ninja Theory said, and what do you think they have said?
I've been guilty too of saying that NT has overstated the promises of Hellblade 2 (and whether they did or did not say that this would be some gigantic epic blockbuster, having it announced at TGAs as the first game of the new console generation with that wild and visually stunning trailer that MS went out of its way to say was "captured entirely in engine" and list as one of the first UE5 projects, none of that helped set realistic expectations.) However, they haven't really said a lot in four years other than that it'll use the best tech for the most realistic portrayal of a world and a lifelike main character, and that their trips to Iceland were a good time. They've talked way more about performance capture, environmental asset capturing, and even makeup than they have gameplay.
There was the NME interview with Antoniades, which led with the gnarly headline, "'Hellblade 2' will make 'Hellblade' look like an indie game", (which in actuality was a little less strident in the original: "I think Hellblade 2 will make Hellblade look like an indie game",) but even that wasn't really a declaration about the sequel being revolutionary in any specific way, and if you read the actual article it is way less inflammatory and declarative, it's simply saying that they're going to make this game, "[feel] more believable and more refined. Its ambition in terms of scale is bigger."
Tameem Antoniades: "'Hellblade 2' will make 'Hellblade' look like an indie game"
'Hellblade 2' will also focus on religion and society, over the previous game's personal story.
The official description and other text about the game from MS, BTW, has been relatively discreet in terms of selling the game. "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." That's not promising much in terms of gameplay scope, just that it'll be a big and dark journey. Similarly, all the trailers have just show Senua walking through spaces or having a frightening encounter; this new trailer shows a few sword moves, and the "gameplay trailer" had her throwing a spear or two, but "action" has been pretty low on the selling points of this sequel despite the fact that combat will inevitably be a core component of the game,.
I'd be interested in what else you feel is over-hyping the game? I have a similar feeling of having been overcooked in the wait for this sequel, but when I look around to see where that heat came from, not a lot of it came from the source.
I would expect that it will make the first game look like an indie title - since that is basically what it was, as Ninja Theory self-published it. I think it's pretty reasonable for people to expect and for Ninja Theory to suggest that this will be a much larger scale project given the development time and Microsoft's dollars backing it up. My only fear is that it might lose some of the intimate appeal of the first game eg. the narration by the voices in Senua's head, in favor of trying to be a God of War rival with too much spectacle.
CatLady
Selfishly plays on Xbox Purr-ies X
It sounds like this game isn't for you.
Lokaum D+
Member
This looks like the most visceral combat ever in a game. Definitely since TLOU 2.
Give me this intense 1 VS 1 combat over that hack and slash, pew pew, flashy anime shit ALL. DAY. LONG.
*at the end Callisto may have a more depth combat system then Senua's 2, lets wait and see.
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thicc_girls_are_teh_best
Member
Yeah, that part is true. Very little in the way of gameplay or game mechanics/game loop information. That was understandable in 2019, 2020 and even 2021. But by 2022, it was getting a bit ridiculous, and then at the Xbox Showcase earlier this year it was yet another trailer of her simply walking around slowly. For a game slated for 2024 (maybe even in the first half?), that didn't sit well with me at all.
So in that regard this new footage was much more in line with what I felt should've been at the Xbox Showcase. And also a good thing, they confirmed it was running on a Series X, something MS has a problem with doing consistently, and even the times where they do they have at times misled (or it's felt like that).
There was the NME interview with Antoniades, which led with the gnarly headline, "'Hellblade 2' will make 'Hellblade' look like an indie game", (which in actuality was a little less strident in the original: "I think Hellblade 2 will make Hellblade look like an indie game",) but even that wasn't really a declaration about the sequel being revolutionary in any specific way, and if you read the actual article it is way less inflammatory and declarative, it's simply saying that they're going to make this game, "[feel] more believable and more refined. Its ambition in terms of scale is bigger."
Tameem Antoniades: "'Hellblade 2' will make 'Hellblade' look like an indie game"
'Hellblade 2' will also focus on religion and society, over the previous game's personal story.
Yeah, that's the quote I'm referring to, which made some rounds on Twitter and other places. FWIW, I am not saying I expected Hellblade 2 to be revolutionary or a massive reinvention of the franchise. However, I don't know if there's been enough mentioned by the devs to quantify in what ways specifically they are looking to make the sequel a leap over the original, to the point it makes the original seem like an indie game. When I see developers make those types of statements, I generally expect that to be encompassing not just in terms of things like production values and visuals but also game mechanic improvements and innovations. It's like if TLOU2 were simply TLOU1 with better visuals; that would have been satisfactory for many I'm sure but there are a lot of nuanced improvements and small innovations in the sequel compared to the original, in addition to better visuals and such.
That's what I've expected with Hellblade 2 but the trailer last night was the first one to give me a feeling they could actually be bringing those types of strides to the franchise. Whereas the previous ones mainly left me with the impression it was a prettier version of the first game, but that's about it. There was no hint of little nuances of changes or improvements to game mechanics, or the game loop, or interacting with the world etc. Just prettier visuals (not surprising, the sequel's on a more powerful console) and better audio. That feels like it's started to change somewhat thanks to this trailer; there's a glimpse to some of the potential nuanced improvements and changes to other aspects of the experience.
That's probably an apt description and I guess I have fallen for irresponsible games journalism reporting in this case, when they decide to take specific quotes and place them with an emphasis beyond what might've been intended before. Although the description there isn't saying too much, there is still a likelihood that there are some notable adjustments and improvements to aspects of the game ranging from visuals, to audio, to controls, to physics, movement options, inventory, the general game loop etc.
If I'm to take the description at face value though, I don't know how that bodes for the game when it finally releases. I think if you're presenting a full-on sequel, it needs to try doing something new and make improvements to various aspects of what's came before, not just visually but mechanically. Just keeping everything the same with no improvements (outside of obvious things like graphics) and continuing the story as the only big change, is that really enough for a video game sequel? That seems more like something you'd do for DLC, or a story-driven expansion package.
But again that's just if I'm taking the description at face value, and none of that is even me saying the game itself risks being bad or anything like that. It's just me saying, if the description is selling me on it being more of the first game in terms of mechanical structure, game design etc. but with better visuals and a continuation of the story (or character journey via a new story), then do you really give it the '2' suffix? That carries certain expectations IMHO, and in gaming those expectations go beyond just graphics and story. So that's why I've been wanting to see more of the gameplay and why this new trailer was refreshing to see, but there are still various smaller, nuanced things that could probably be changed or updated to create a stronger experience.
So I'm hoping there's some of that present in future footage. Again, I'm not talking GOW3 to GOW 2018 type of changes, or Super Mario Sunshine to Super Mario Galaxy, or Skyward Sword to Breath of the Wild level stuff. Or FFIX to FFX. Those are among the most extreme type of shifts for new releases in established IP. But I'd say more along the line of say GT3 to GT4, or Forza Horizon 4 to Forza Horizon 5, or Smash Bros. Brawl to Smash Bros. Ultimate. Sequels that mainly brought better visuals, more content, and some new modes or features but otherwise very mechanically similar to previous entries.
Wouldn't say "over-hyping", especially after having this discussion. Hopefully you can see what I'm feeling should be present in something billing itself as a sequel, and why I felt previous trailers weren't exactly showing the type of changes or updates befitting a sequel, but maybe more in line with an expansion package.
cinnamonandgravy
Member
looks better than flashy anime crap for sure, but if the gameplay is basically "mash x to attack" + scripted finishers... that's boring.
This looks like the most visceral combat ever in a game. Definitely since TLOU 2.
Give me this intense 1 VS 1 combat over that hack and slash, pew pew, flashy anime shit ALL. DAY. LONG.
and an overactive shaky camera will get annoying fast.
i say this because the first game had braindead combat.
cinnamonandgravy
Member
half the trailer had more fog than n64 turok.
some amazing face modeling though.
some amazing face modeling though.
Roberts
Member
I still don't really see how it is pretentious. I think it is perfectly fine that the developers took that subject matter seriously and chose the path of emotional and dramatic tension instead of fun thrills.
Anyway, I liked the first game for what it was. A singular and emphatic journey into a head of a very troubled individual that is not so much a game but a audiovisual experience. It helped that I finished it in two long sittings and really felt every struggling step she took. Funnily enough, I revisited the game a few years later because I wanted to get the last achievement I was missing and gave up after 20 minutes, because it is clearly one and done kind of a game. You don't really feel like experience it all over again unless the game is, I don't know, somehow therapeutic to some people.
I don't really think the sequel will be all that much different. If it is longer than the first part, it really should have more gameplay than the first. But after this trailer I definitely want to check it out.
LastBattle
Member
Legit goose bumps watching that. Looks incredible.
CamHostage
Member
That's been the biggest question in the Hellblade 2 hype cycle: how do you make a sequel to Hellblade which honors what so many loved about Hellblade while also avoiding or improving upon what so many hated about Hellblade?
...Personally, I don't think MS or Ninja Theory has had answers to that question, which has been an issue for Hellblade 2.
I get you, just saying though that you've got to take some responsibility for your feelings and expectations; they've not told you that this game is anything but a more expansive second Hellblade. And there's clearly stuff in just the bits of gameplay we've seen which are more dynamic and varied in a much more expansive world than the first game. It may or may not improve "enough" for you over the first game, we shall see, but we've seen just about 15 minutes of the game in total and there's a good deal of new values to take interest in it for fans of the original or those interested in what seems to be the Hellblade style of play. And if what you see doesn't interest you, well, don't expect it to not be Hellblade and don't get it if you don't think you'd like another Hellblade, even if it's one that is "more believable" and "more refined" and "in terms of scale is bigger [in ambition]". It looks like a big blockbuster, but it may just not be for everybody.
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thicc_girls_are_teh_best
Member
Yeah for sure. I even admitted as such in the other post, or at least I should have explicitly said so, in terms of taking responsibility for those expectations. I got sidetracked for a bit after pointing out the journalists for taking the quote for unintended emphasis, and how that plays into a larger problem with communication, when the middlemen (the games journalists) can't do their jobs properly.
You touch on a good point in terms of what they've shown the other day, the idea of "who is this sequel for?". Because I think, and have thought, for a while that as an industry we should ask that question about games in general and that should be reflected in how the games get reviewed. Not every sequel needs to try to be all things to all people; in fact that's usually how something fails at achieving anything. If Hellblade 2, for example, is mainly meant for those who "got" the first game, then messaging and marketing should revolve around that and I think the mix of reviewers should reflect that as well, when it comes to aggregates and such.
However that should apply to all games, not just this one. But that is me segueing into a tangentially related topic.
Feel Like I'm On 42
Member
complaining about the fog in this game ...why? They're using Nanite, so if they're using a lot of fog it's probably not to cover up lod limitations but rather as a genuine artistic choice. What a weird complaint, unless you just have a thing against fog in general.
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Feel Like I'm On 42
Member
This is the truth. People gaslighting over combat concerns are just being dishonest. It could turn out to have more depth than the first game's combat but they did not demonstrate it in last night's trailer.
Feel Like I'm On 42
Member
Imagine having to watch toddlers having an argument every day for years. I detest fanboys. They ruin the joy of discussing and debating games. I wish i could but i can't find any humor in grown men being this immature.