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[Ass of Can Whooping]

Played 30 minutes during my lunch break. The most boring first 30 minutes of "gameplay" I've ever seen. Just so much fucking walking. This was supposed to be a joke, but it is largely accurate so far....

Solved one puzzle and fought one enemy at the end of that 30 minute session. Is this really all there is to the combat? Nah....gotta be more to it than this.

You may as well drop it now lol. There's some incredible set pieces if you keep going but you've experienced all game has to offer as far as gameplay goes.

 

[bender]

Just booted the game up.

 

[adamsapple]

Yes, Death Stranding did have far more walking. I 100% agree.

You also had to hold L2 and R2 a lot to make sure your parcels don't fall down during all that walking from one drop-point to the other.

 

[Buggy Loop]

People get real mad (both ways) over a game that seems strikingly similar to the first one in both critical reception and length. Reading this thread and the differences to the review thread of the first game are quite apparent:

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - Review Thread

Metacritic - 81 OpenCritic - 84 Eurogamer - Essential Ninja Theory crafts a highly competent action game and a nuanced, powerful exploration of mental health. GamesBeat - 95 It might have been madness for a small studio like Ninja Theory to take on such a herculean task, but I'm glad they made...

www.neogaf.com

Really sad to see so many man babies having their panties in a twist over a game that will never be a blockbuster and offers something different than all open world copy cats triple ay. And the turn against it because it’s an exclusive is just pathetic.

 

[Topher]

You may as well drop it now lol. There's some incredible set pieces if you keep going but you've experienced all game has to offer as far as gameplay goes.

I'm motivated to play by curiousity more than anything else at this point. A shitty start though.....that much is certain.

 

[themonk]

I bet her son is either gay or trans… I like her titties though

 

[Mr Moose]

So stop coming into the thread posting rubbish like, walking simulator, took 7yrs to make etc. It's pathetic and no need for it. Most haven't even played it either. They are just anti Xbox/Microsoft simple as that, same shit with Starfield.

Flashbacks to the first game when it was exclusive to PlayStation "it's just a walking sim".

 

[NickFire]

Based on what I've read about the lack of gameplay it looks to me like the game is getting bonus points from some reviewers for the story / mental illness component. I can relate to that. There's been many movies that I have enjoyed that have not been big hits at the box office or with reviewers. Sometimes people just like different things.

 

[JackMcGunns]

Another phoney , just what the Xbox community needs.

Tell me you didn’t watch the full video without telling me you didn’t watch the full video lol

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Again, this is the least surprising thing you could have said, clearly you've latched onto Luke's video, or another one similar, that's critical of the game and taking it as the general consensus for the game, when clearly it isn't.

I’m absolutely excluding the shills like Klobrille, there’s a lot of them

Because the one '5 hour' game that got 63 aggregate review had a lot of issues?

Yeah and hellblade also has tons of issues. Just as really as The Order. And there’s no reason you can’t enjoy either game for what they are - shallow, short, visual only games that are very much deserving of a 60s metacritic score given how completely lacking they are in content

You’re delusional, truly.

 

[adamsapple]

Flashbacks to the first game when it was exclusive to PlayStation "it's just a walking sim".

There's only one person whose reliable for consistency.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I'm fine with a game that knows what is and does it well. The Order tried to be too much and sucked at most everything.

What does this even mean?

The order isn’t trying to do too much at all, it’s a basic TPS. As basic and barebones as it gets excluding HB2

Hellblade 2 is an even more basic combat game

 

[Fahdis]

$15 in my country. BOUGHT!

 

[MALpractice311]

The development time to gameplay time here is pretty crazy.

For real. I am far more interested in the backstory regarding the development of this soon-to-be colossal, studio-killing flop. How did they spend so much money and so much time on this game and only manage to make it 5 hours long? Especially when it seems like the combat and puzzles are almost completely identical to the original.

 

[Setsuna Mudou]

I'm fine with a game that knows what is and does it well. The Order tried to be too much and sucked at most everything.

What does that even mean?

This game was shown at the xbox series reveal way back when, teased as the big showpiece for xbox. What's with this revisionist history nowadays? For years xbox fans saying how this would be what showcases the power of the console and so on...
Funny how some of these people are quick to call walking simulators to playstation games now have to gaslight themselves, pretending this game is anything but a good looking turd.

Yes the comparison to the order is apt. The order was not a good game and neither is this one.

 

[Buggy Loop]

The only review that matters.

That Sony shill gave the first one a 9.5 when it was timed exclusive to PS4

The very definition of astroturfing, unbelievable

 

[adamsapple]

What does that even mean?

This game was shown at the xbox series reveal way back when, teased as the big showpiece for xbox. What's with this revisionist history nowadays? For years xbox fans saying how this would be what showcases the power of the console and so on...
Funny how some of these people are quick to call walking simulators to playstation games now have to gaslight themselves, pretending this game is anything but a good looking turd.

Yes the comparison to the order is apt. The order was not a good game and neither is this one.

I don't think that's changed, technologically, it's arguably the best retail game of the console generation (excluding tech demos or things like Matrix Awakens).

 

[Romulus]

Hellblade 2, according to reviewers I trust, is 2 hour long game with 3 extra hours of padding, a terrible generic action game with awful story and one of the worst endings in gaming

Why is this worthy of an 81?

So everyone enjoying it is lying/moneyhatted?

 

[digoutyoursoul]

Tell me you didn’t watch the full video without telling me you didn’t watch the full video lol

 

[Mortisfacio]

You also had to hold L2 and R2 a lot to make sure your parcels don't fall down during all that walking from one drop-point to the other.

Absolutely riveting experience. No wonder they don't like Hellblade walking. The walking doesn't have enough buttons to press to continue walking.

 

[Gambit2483]

The development time to gameplay time here is pretty crazy.

I blame Phil. He gave these studios way too much slack.

 

[j0hnnix]

There's only one person whose reliable for consistency.

Calm down there colt.

 

[Fahdis]

You can all fight over the reviews, while I ponder if I'd ever make out with Senua since she's a gummy bitch.

 

[Setsuna Mudou]

I don't think that's changed, technologically, it's arguably the best retail game of the console generation (excluding tech demos or things like Matrix Awakens).

So it's a tech demo? I'll give you that. Since when do we pretend a tech demo should be scored in the 80's?

Let's keep it real. Seems like there's barely any game there to begin with. Really, looking at metacritic averages nowadays is honestly a complete waste of time for a consumer.

 

[midnightAI]

So stop coming into the thread posting rubbish like, walking simulator, took 7yrs to make etc. It's pathetic and no need for it. Most haven't even played it either. They are just anti Xbox/Microsoft simple as that, same shit with Starfield.

Some are, so just ignore them.... Starfield is shit though.

 

[Topher]

Based on what I've read about the lack of gameplay it looks to me like the game is getting bonus points from some reviewers for the story / mental illness component. I can relate to that. There's been many movies that I have enjoyed that have not been big hits at the box office or with reviewers. Sometimes people just like different things.

I think giving points for subject matter and story is fine as long as folks are also honest about the gameplay. The two should be judge separately, imo.

 

[The Cockatrice]

Played 30 minutes during my lunch break. The most boring first 30 minutes of "gameplay" I've ever seen. Just so much fucking walking. This was supposed to be a joke, but it is largely accurate so far....

Solved one "puzzle" and fought one enemy at the end of that 30 minute session. Is this really all there is to the combat? Nah....gotta be more to it than this.

Coming from you means this really is fucking bad and you were one of the few defending this game.

 

[adamsapple]

So it's a tech demo? I'll give you that. Since when do we pretend a tech demo should be scored in the 80's?

I ... don't know how you drew that conclusion from my post lol.

Let's keep it real. Seems like there's barely any game there to begin with. Really, looking at metacritic averages nowadays is honestly a complete waste of time for a consumer.

I agree with the second half of this post, review aggregates don't mean as much as some folks want them to. Someone's personal anticipation for the game, or looking at media and deciding if it's something they want to play, is a far more important criteria.

 

[bender]

You can all fight over the reviews, while I ponder if I'd ever make out with Senua since she's a gummy bitch.

 

[Tomeru]

So everyone enjoying it is lying/moneyhatted?

People enjoy low scoring games all the time. What does score has to do with enjoyment?

 

[SEGAvangelist]

What does that even mean?

This game was shown at the xbox series reveal way back when, teased as the big showpiece for xbox. What's with this revisionist history nowadays? For years xbox fans saying how this would be what showcases the power of the console and so on...
Funny how some of these people are quick to call walking simulators to playstation games now have to gaslight themselves, pretending this game is anything but a good looking turd.

Yes the comparison to the order is apt. The order was not a good game and neither is this one.

Where is the revisionist history? This does look to be a graphical showcase for Series X. I've already been critical of the game's original presentation in 2019.

 

[Fahdis]

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

I don't get where they've gone with the psychosis theme. Are the giants a hallucination or not? Feels like they wanted to dive deeper into fantasy but keep pulling themselves back to the mental health justification

 

[Setsuna Mudou]

I ... don't know how you drew that conclusion from my post lol.



I agree with the second half of this post, review aggregates don't mean as much as some folks want them to. Someone's personal anticipation for the game, or looking at media and deciding if it's something they want to play, is a far more important criteria.

1- By comparing it to the matrix unreal 5 tech demo. If that's the merits we are chasing, fine. But it doesn't make it a good game

2- Yep, I can roll with that. Too much pitty points those review websites, especially the smaller ones will give for access. Not isolating Microsoft on this one, I'm sure they do it to some extent for Sony and Nintendo games. Afraid to call shit in case big publisher blacklists them, while some of them are just complete shills.

 

[Topher]

Coming from you means this really is fucking bad and you were one of the few defending this game.

I'm going to play more later and try to just erase the first 30 minutes. A slow start doesn't mean the entire game is shit, but first impressions.....

 

[adamsapple]

1- By comparing it to the matrix unreal 5 tech demo. If that's the merits we are chasing, fine. But it doesn't make it a good game

I said technologically it's arguably the best looking game minus those tech demos, which were specifically designed to showcase technology.

I didn't draw a parallel between the two as products. Just their graphical technology on display.

2- Yep, I can roll with that. Too much pitty points those review websites, especially the smaller ones will give for access. Not isolating Microsoft on this one, I'm sure they do it to some extent for Sony and Nintendo games. Afraid to call shit in case big publisher blacklists them, while some of them are just complete shills.

No disagreements.

 

[Gambit2483]

Absolutely riveting experience. No wonder they don't like Hellblade walking. The walking doesn't have enough buttons to press to continue walking.

The walking in DS was integrated into its gameplay. You only needed to hold the triggers to better support your backpack when walking over certain unstable terrains and even then only if your backpacks payload was easily unstable due to height and weight, otherwise the outcome was possibly tripping, falling and losing your cargo/life.

Walking was very much a well thought out part of DS' gameplay/mechanics

 

[GHG]

No way is this real.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

No way is this real.

An executive of marketing patting himself on the back with a review from one of his paid off shills. These guys have no shame

What a time to be alive

 

[Mercador]

So you see which reviewers did complete the game.

 

[Pelta88]

That Sony shill gave the first one a 9.5 when it was timed exclusive to PS4

The very definition of astroturfing, unbelievable

He would sell his grandmother to the YT algo if he thought he could make a profit from it. No better than Stevivor.

 

[Pedro Motta]

I'm going to play more later and try to just erase the first 30 minutes. A slow start doesn't mean the entire game is shit, but first impressions.....

Played for an extra hour or so, it's worth it for the visuals and set pieces, gameplay it's the same as the first 30mn.

 

[Mortisfacio]

The only review that matters.

Is this James Sawyers youtube channel?

 

[MALpractice311]

I don't get where they've gone with the psychosis theme. Are the giants a hallucination or not? Feels like they wanted to dive deeper into fantasy but keep pulling themselves back to the mental health justification

Confusing, isn't it? I actually really enjoyed HB1 and my interpretation was always that nearly everything in game was either a hallucination or a visual representation of Senua trying to work through her schizophrenia, the abuse she suffered from her father, and her grief over losing her boyfriend, set against a backdrop of Norse mythology since the Norsemen were the people who killed her BF.

Then they announced this game and released that weird ass Story So Far trailer which seemed to imply that everything in HB1 was real. Like Senua really did go to Hel. She really did fight Norse gods and all other sorts of otherworldly beings. And her schizophrenia is actually some sort of super power she inherited from her mother.

It's like Ninja Theory hasn't even made their minds up yet and we're now two games into the series.

 

[FoxMcChief]

Is that a stump? Wouldn’t the bracelets just slide off?

 

[kikii]

No way is this real.

 

[adamsapple]

You can all fight over the reviews, while I ponder if I'd ever make out with Senua since she's a gummy bitch.

The look you give her when she shows you her Senua.

 

[T4keD0wN]

Well, one thing is for certain. This thread seems more fun than the game itself. (also possibly takes longer to finish)

 

[keraj37]

That Sony shill gave the first one a 9.5 when it was timed exclusive to PS4

The very definition of astroturfing, unbelievable

Is this James Sawyers youtube channel?

Never trust a guy who thinks online begging for likes/comments/subscribes, is something a cultural man would accept.
And that is what you hear in first 30sec of this video.

 

[adamsapple]

Steam #2 top paid game at the moment.

Not bad, not bad at all.