It's been 7 years since Ninja Theory was released Hellblade: Senua's SacrificeA lot has changed at the studio since then. They are now part of the Xbox Studios family and are granted access to funding reserved for top-tier developers only. but Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga It feels more like an experimental genre movie about walking than a AAA game.
Hellblade 2 is the future of AAA games
I do not think so Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga is a great video game, but I think it's a masterclass in some aspects of gaming. In fact, the actual game part hellblade 2 It's lackluster and repetitive, but I think the package is what most gamers would expect from a AAA developer.
road hellblade 2 The look, sound and way the characters move, talk and emote is best in class – I can't think of any other game that can match the stunning visuals and sprinkled set pieces. hellblade 2The soundscape, mixing and 3D audio effects are astounding. When certain voices creep into the back of your skull, they'll make your hair stand on end.
I've never really felt scared just from the sound of a game, but hellblade 2 I'm in a constant state of anxiety about how things look and sound. It's one thing to hear the groans of tortured people, but it takes time to pinpoint their exact location and hear the squeak of torn flesh, internal organs, and bones crunching. hellblade 2takes audio to levels you never thought a video game could reach.
Unfortunately, that's the end of the “good” thing Herbalde 2. This time is the era of “bad things” and “ugly things.”
Hey, I'm walking here
For everything that ninja theory is poured into hellblade 2visuals and worldbuilding, it's a challenge actually explore. And I use the word “exploration” loosely because the moment you gain control of Senua in the game, you're on the rails.
Ninja Theory didn't hide this from players. they have been advertising hellblade 2 As an immersive cinematic experience from the beginning. And if you're like me, and you've seen all the gameplay trailers and wondered which parts are gameplay, you've probably been watching it the whole time.
hellblade 2 For better or worse, it looks like a cutscene from start to finish. Trailers and previews of the gameplay consist of Senua walking for minutes on end. You walk slowly from point A to point B. Once you reach your destination, you will either solve basic environmental puzzles or enter a combat scenario similar to mobile his games, and eventually another path will open up for you to walk on. .
Mind you, these paths are straight and narrow, and you can't stray from them; stay within the rock-lined paths; you can't step over shin-high ledges; and the only obstacles you can maneuver through are, for your convenience, marked with white paint. Even the rocks on the beach, except for the ones you can touch, are dark and mossy; they've also been repainted with white paint.
It's a small thing, but this trend of very specific intractable disabilities needs to die out. Senua can start the game by scaling a 30-foot-high cliff, but she can't walk up a hill because she might have to lift her feet higher than a foot. This is generous, considering the character model floats more than a foot off the ground, meaning the character rarely ever touches the ground.
Me, me, me, and the shadow man
Another selling point is, Senua's Saga The main character's battle with mental illness. She always hears angelic and demonic voices on her shoulder. She sees things, people, places, and revelations that others cannot. This makes for some very interesting storytelling and heart-tugging moments where you're not sure if Senua is actually experiencing the moment you're playing.
But quite early on, the voice in Senua's head became a classic example of telling, not showing. The voice always tells you exactly what to do and holds your hand if you cross the line. Rather than using facial expressions or leaving obvious moments alone, these voices feel the need to explain how your character is feeling at a particular moment.
For example, while progressing towards the first boss, you will be reminded several times by a voice that you need to find a certain character and not to kill him. During the fight they will keep reminding you not to kill him because you need him. And when you win the battle, their voices shout triumphantly. This time he'll help you.'' This felt like a line from a children's show to see if your attention span could last for a very short period of time. Newsflash: You can't even kill him even if you wanted to.
Let me go off the rails for a moment
I know what you're thinking. If there is combat, how can you stay on the rails the whole time? Answer: Combat is also on the rails.
You may or may not remember a mobile game titled Infinity Blade that was once available on iOS devices. Basically, you just stand there and avoid attacks, and when you get a chance, swing your sword around. as if dark soul What if your feet were permanently fixed to the ground?
Hellblade 2The combat is almost the same. You can move around the arena with some freedom, but the fast pace of combat makes walking a waste of time. Combat boils down to dodging combos, getting hit once or twice, and repeating this until a kill him activates a cutscene. He may also fight five or more enemies in a row on the rails until he unlocks the next passage.
That's not to say the combat isn't fun; there are absolutely dominating moments, like the ritualistic fight scene in Chapter 2. But the moments before and after make getting to a fight sequence a chore; there's nothing more disappointing than walking away from a frenzied battle only to be sent back down the beaten path again.
Senua's foolish luck never ends
Senua, the title character of Hellblade 2, there's what I like to call the Jack Sparrow effect. No matter what kind of shenanigans Senua gets into, she always miraculously gets out of it. However, Senua does not do it on a drunken whim, but is guided by dumb luck.
There are many examples where Senua should die. The first boss fight is a great example of this. Scenario defeats are interspersed, but instead of killing Senua, the boss continues to allow her to continue fighting until the game determines victory.
In fact, this is how most battles play out. There's no health bar, and you're not entirely sure if you can actually die, but you dodge and attack until the game decides you've won.
Senua is also incredibly lucky that none of her enemies tried to attack her en masse. Even the deranged monster-like people in Chapter 2 are kind enough to wait their turn and attack Senua when her companions fall in battle. This is after the player is shown several villagers torn apart by her two or her three of these monsters. There are countless times when Senua is almost killed, but someone walks by and crashes her to safety. It would be no big deal if something like this happened once or twice, but I have never seen someone being led to safety by panicked villagers and then being brutally murdered as many times as Senua was. I've never seen it before.
Combat isn't the only time Senua gets lucky. There are numerous scenes where she narrowly escapes death when the people around her have no hope of survival. The boat crash at the beginning is a prime example of this, as she is essentially the only “good guy” to get off the boat alive. There's a moment where she is nearly killed by a big monster, but lo and behold, the sun comes out.
This is plot armor at its most blatant, and I fully believe Senua should have died within the first hour. hellblade 2given her situation.
Verdict: Mediocre
If you like games about walking, you should definitely play this death strandingIf you like games with strong female protagonists and satisfying combat, give it a try Horizon: Forbidden West. If you want to play a dark and moving story game, play it. alan wake 2.
I think hellblade 2 is a beautiful work of art that does some things right, but it's not a fun game. I would argue that it's hardly a game. He doesn't recommend spending $50 on a movie experience. Especially if you can spend half of that on a great indie title released this year, or spend even less on a movie ticket and save yourself the hassle of holding down a thumbstick for 8+ hours.
An Xbox review code was provided by the publisher for this review. Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga will be released on May 21st.
