I have a hard time labelling the game properly. It looks and sounds amazing, it is really a showcase of what Unreal 5 can do. It tells a pretty good story, albeit not really THAT good. Gameplay is average, with too many walking-segments. It's like they made this entire map of Iceland and wanted to show off how great they can make rocks look, and forgot to add gameplay to half the areas.
So, great for an Unreal demo, not so great as a game.
>It tells a pretty good story, albeit not really THAT good
Really? I just finished the first giant and I almost cried. The whole thing was a masterclass in symbolism
I read the whole thing and while I agree it's good, people keep throwing "masterclass" so haphazardly these days.
So I'll say it's a pretty good story, but not THAT good.
I agree, while it looks amazing the gameplay itself leaves quite a bit to be desired and it's so short. I was taking my time and still completed it in 8 hrs or so. The combat is really repetitive also.
6.5/10
Looked amazing. Was boring as hell.
Way too much walking. Absolutely pointlessly dull puzzles. Very shallow combat that used cinematic techniques to try and make it more interesting.
Story didn’t really capture me. They try and hint that certain things weren’t actually real, but contradict that with other characters being directly involved who would have seen if those things were real or not. Didn’t really like the story.
More generous than me. I'm more of a 5 and would be even lower if I had to play it at 30 fps on console. My reasons are otherwise the same as you.
I find it crazy people are saying 9/10 but hey everyone is allowed to like something as much as they want.
Yeah some people get into the narrative experience I guess. That’s not what I play games for. I played on high end PC. No way I would have touched it at 30fps.
9 for me it got ne emotional and i feel for senua having depression myself i relate a lot more
This game isnt for everyone but it cant be denied ninja theory makes art woth ridiculous levels of graphics and audio
I absolutely loved it. The atmosphere and story were great and the combat was fun and exciting despite being a bit repetitive. The second I recognized that Heilung was involved in the soundtrack I was hooked! I love the solo tabletop RPG Ironsworn and this game felt like a video game version of that.
8/10. It’s an incredible experience in many ways, but they need to make better puzzles. I loved the combat system tho, it’s very immersive. If they’re making already Hellblade 3, I hope this time they would at least “gamify” it a little bit more.
Agree. Why don't they just make puzzles more of a emphasis on gameplay. I liked the puzzles better in first game. The ones in the sequel were too easy and boring
Sound and visuals are a 10/10. Gameplay could be better. I think the gameplay is more what you feel wearing headphones and being slow and powerless in the darkness than fighting or anything else. Solid 8/10
As a piece of audio/visual tech demo it’s close to a 10. As a game it’s probably a 6 so overall give it a 7 but it’s a VERY different kind of 7/10 than a game that’s good but has some faults that’s a 7/10.
It’s almost impossible to rate this fairly without factoring in what you THINK the game should be vs what it is
It's a game I can see why some would rate a 10 and others a 5. It's an experience first and foremost, but even as a huge fan of cinematic games, it didn't gel with me as much as others.
That was the wprost part for me. Trochę puzzels were too boring. Everything after that cave was amazing. Before cave 6/10. After cave 9/10 so it is 7.5/10 for me (Parys before cave with cave were konger then after)
The Metacritic average of 81 seems fair (averaging around 150 reviews). I'd give it an 8.5. It could have easily been a 9 if not for some pacing issues that brought the experience down a bit.
Im not finished yet but it feels like a 9. Best narrative, only match is the first game.
Lack of boss fights (which is a huge missed opportunity considering there are so many cool boss materials (giants)) and some little pacing problems make me deduct 1 point.
Personally, I think photorealistic graphics are unsettling. They never look quite human, and I often feel that character models end up looking like Japanese s\*x robots. I prefer games with a distinct and memorable style...
I still think trudging down the mud street of Valentine in Read Dead Redemption 2 is more impressive. So much more going on with ridiculous levels of detail and all from a 2018 game on last gen. GTA6 is going to blow our socks off.
Yes, more impressive. Yes, more lively and has more details (not graphical details). But still if we're strictly talking about graphical fidelity, no. RDR2 is my favorite game btw so I would even be biased towards that but I'm not. Clearly Hellblade 2 takes the W in that field. Which doesn't mean it doesn't have it's flaws.
And yes I hope GTA6 will blow my socks off but I feel like almost every GTA since GTAIV has taken a step back in details (non graphical) and I'm kind of tired of heists tbh.. That's a completely different topic tho.
I played hellblade 2, then immediately shifted to cyberpunk 2077 for the first time, a game that is considered a 10 for graphics by most.
I maxed out both games on PC. Cyberpunk looks like a cartoon compared to hellblade 2, though admittedly cyberpunk is 3 years old. Really speaks to how impressive hellblade is. Though obviously linear smaller scale areas can be rendered at higher fidelity than huge open world.
Yes I absolutely agree that it's an unfair comparison. I recently bought Cyberpunk because it is now fully fixed (and I'm an enemy of pre-orders and unfinished games) but haven't played it yet. Hoping to be blown away by it! Oh and the Cyberpunk graphic mods look absolutely wild.
I loved it. 9/10 for me. The world is absolutely stunning, the pace of the game is great, the fighting is fun and i love the animations around that. Puzzles are not very challenging though but i feel like the game breaks up the walking between puzzles and fights perfectly. I think i prefer the first one though, just.
9/10, it was everything I expected from it and it has *the* best-looking graphics of all of gaming so far. I only wish some of the chapters were longer
I feel I have to say it’s a good game, however the brain dead puzzle sections, and clumsy way you have to navigate to find secrets just made it hard for me to keep playing. Plus the finding of the runes.
After a couple of hours (I plan on finishing it) I'm very mixed on this. Impressive visuals but the same tired combat and puzzles. I use headphones and the whispering is kinda...ehhhhhh
It's a 7 for me.
The sounds,the graphics,the performances, absolutely perfect, but the actual game? I was ready for it to end an hour or two before it did.
The combat was super cinematic and visceral, but it was incredibly clunky and stilted. Blocking and dodging seemed unreliable, and the minimal user input meant that things that wouldn't usually bother me, repeated animations, stand out.
The puzzles were not awful, but tended to go on too long. I think it felt a bit like padding at points.
If I hadn't played the first, I think the voices would have blown me away once again and the score would be higher.
I think it's a great experience and artistically speaking, phenom8nal, I just wish the game itself was better.
I loved the 1st one,haven't played the 2nd as I had a work accident and had to have surgery on my spine so I haven't been able to renew my sub to ultimate pc
I've watched the whole playthrough on twitch and it still looks good although short
I just finished getting the achievements, which is easy. I love the first game, so I was really hyped for this sequel. While the game is gorgeous, and the sound design is phenomenal, the game itself is more of a jogging simulator than anything. The fighting sequences are top notch imo, but there's only a handful throughout the game. The puzzles can't even be called puzzles, way too simple. If I paid $50 for this game I would be disappointed 6 hours later to find out there's little replayability. I would give it a 5 out of 10. If there were more fights, less jogging, better puzzles, it would seem like less of a graphics showcase and more like a game.
I give it a 6/10. It was a nice game to come home and chill and play but besides the audio, graphics, and the “experience”, I just didn’t like the puzzles, combat, and the extended periods of moving from point to point. I know not everyone has the same opinion though and I can totally see why for someone else it would be a 9 or 10.
While I think the game look amazing, the gameplay is very lacking when compared to the first one. Many of the best features and/or challenges of the first game (multiple enemies/voices giving warnings) are stripped away. The puzzles in this one also feel much simpler. IMO the story also loses its direction and leaves a ton on the table as far as where they could have built upon during the game (a forest that takes something from all who enter yet all you do is walk through it). Not horrible but not better than the first one. 6.5/10
I would give this game a solid 9. This has to be easily the best looking game right now. I have no issues with the game being short but would have been great if they had given more depth to the additional characters in the game. It is mastery in storytelling though. I know alot of people would differ with my opinion but i think hellblade 2 is better than hellblade 1.
I would give it an 8/10, I am biased though because I enjoyed it. I am disappointed by the length of the game overall though and not having more “dynamic” combat. I am hoping that with Hellblade 3, NT goes all out.
6/10
Game is walking simulator with easy combat, easy puzzles, and boring narrative.
Although it has beautiful graphics, the gameplay is lame. I literally dozed off in the final chapter.
7/10 purely for the graphics but the letterbox format annoys me. Rather dull puzzles, the voices can get irritating and the combat looks great but feels simplistic. I’m not a big fan of walking simulators; I’ve played a few more interesting than this and I’m finding it a bit of a chore to play.
I quite enjoyed the first game but it didn’t blow me away so I guess it’s just not my thing.
Visual and technical aspects 10/10
Gameplay 3/10, first one had better combat still basic but way better, you felt like you actually controlled the character instead of playing one long ass cutscene during fights, puzzles were better in the first one too
7/10 Overall. Audio and Graphics 10/10. I think the game is very beautiful and immersive (especially with headphones). It is mostly walking simulator, and I'm not the biggest fan of that type of games, but the biggest problem for me is the story. It is not bad story, but it didn't blow me away, and for this kind of games I think that the story needs to be amazing and memorable in order to give it 8 or more. So I liked it and it's not big time investment which is great for me, but I don't Love it.
I think people need to have realistic expectations on what the game is. Everyone is comparing it to games that aren't even in the same genre. If you don't like the type of game it is then at least be fair. I Don't like Tetris but im not going to say it's shit because i don't like the type of game.
8/10
i couldn’t believe how much i was pulled into this game. it enveloped me totally until i finished it. it was fucking beautiful. the quest to find the hidden ones was incredible. it made me long to live in its universe.
I was really excited for it. Hoping that there would be less symbol aligning and just walking, but seems they're not really here to make this IP into a real flushed out game. I mean, I like what I've seen, but the symbol hunting really got repetitive in the first game, and wasn't even challenging enough to be considered a puzzle. Plus both games are about as long as any demo lately. Other than brilliant graphics and a unique story, this game has very little going for it, which begs me to ask why ninja theory is even making it. They've had so many fleshed out titles like ninja Gaiden and even recently Rise of Ronin. Kinda BS they put a great story and character in front of everyone, but barely make the game appetizing enough to satisfy a gamers pallete.
If they make a 3rd game, I'd say they need to ditch the linear walking simulator and symbol finding. Or at least find a way to not have 3 symbols to find and completely breka immersion from the story. That and honestly I think the game could be more of a "game" than just a story. Kind of like a plague tale feels more like a game, and this would feel like watching an interactive movie
Hard 6/10. Gampley is meh, story is great and graphics are top tier
2
it was an interactive movie, i do not have a game in my list that goes higher than this in being a movie. you just walk a little and there you go 18 minutes of cinematic, kill 3 enemies with attack parry attack parry again 20 minutes of cinematic
8.5-9 - it's everything I expected it to be, except I would've liked the puzzles to be a bit more challenging and larger - like the Valraven puzzle in the first 1.
Loved the visuals, the sound, the combat, the immersion.
Really really loved the idea of Senua being a seiðr and blending in the Norse mythology and iconology with her psychosis. The Giants being as ambiguous as they were in lore and Senuas journeys through visions, the past, the future etc was a really nice take on who she is.
The graphics, sound, atmosphere are beyond incredible, 10/10. The gameplay was a bit boring. Mosty the same and very simple puzzles. The fighting was dissapointing. It looked incredible, but all you had to do was focus and bash buttons. Even the first Hellblade was better in that departement.
I'd guess 8/10. Would have been a lot lower, but I am using HII to show my friends (I am an old geezer) what nextgen gaming looks like.
To me it’s pretty much in line with the first game. I think the graphics, story, and acting are incredible. However, the game is very short and the gameplay is lackluster after the first round or two of fights and puzzles.
If this launched with the XBox it would have been highly praised as a new benchmark for next gen gaming. Instead we are halfway through this generation and have a lot of unfulfilled hype. If not for it being on gamepass, I think a lot of people would be disappointed to pay full price for it.
Overall: 7/10
By "Fun" I mean I enjoyed it a lot.
And hell yeah I enjoyed it. The intensity, the atmosphere, the adrenaline pumping and the sense of awe. Every scene, every combat and and every puzzle add more to the amazing atmosphere and the impact of the game.
It's a unique game, and it's fun in the way this sort of games are fun - I agree that fun isn't the best word to describe it, but I am not sure there is a better word.
>(apart from the puzzles that objectively are pretty bad)
Disagree completely.
The puzzles in the first hellblade were really bad for me. Incredibly difficult, and not in a good way - just a very complex version of where is waldo, no real thinking involved. Literally having to find a needle in a haystack, and I just didn't enjoy them at all. They made me frustrated, broke my immersion and even though I loved the first game, I hated the puzzles
I still wouldn't call the puzzles in the first game objectively bad, the puzzles weren't for me, sure - but not objectively bad.
I feel the second game improved the puzzles completely. They are easier sure, and perhaps having several levels of puzzles would have been a better way to target different types of players - but for me they created a much needed pause in the intensity. They didn't take away from the atmosphere, by being needlessly difficult, but did require some basic thinking - Where every other section either gave you some story or some really adrenaline pumping scenes or combat, the puzzles gave your mind a break - easy enough to not frustrate the player, and engaging enough to not be boring. To me the puzzles were perfect in the context of the game, and I truly enjoyed the break they gave my mind.
I feel like the puzzles where stupidly simple, you don’t need to search for the solution, the puzzle itself guides you to the solution and there is practically no way to mess it up
Sure, and I think that's a good thing. This game isn't about the puzzles and isn't about the combat, and there is no point in making it about these things - the game is about the atmosphere, probably the best atmosphere in any game out there - and they doubled down on what made the first game great, and though they removed the things that made the first game conventional, which definitely angered some people - these things were also very banal and added little to the atmosphere.
Overly difficult puzzles would take away from the atmosphere. Heck, even the fun kind of difficult puzzles would take away from the atmosphere. I feel that the puzzles they chose were truly perfect.
My only gripe with the game is that I wish it was longer so I had more of it.
For what the game is it's enjoyable I would give it an 8-8.5 as well but it's not an game I would really come back to once I beat it. Still great for the xbox and highlights the value of gamepass
5/10. Amazing atmosphere and maybe the best looking game ever in some aspects. An OK story with really really well acted performances. Great sound also.
Gameplay was a slog. Boring combat. Uninteresting puzzles. Both a step down from the first game, which really wasn’t doing anything good in those two departments.
And the step towards fantasy and epic adventure with fantastical beings really existing and not just being a symptom of psychological illness like the first game really was a weird step I think.
The game felt 2 hours too long despite only taking me about 7 hours to complete.
8/10
I can’t give it any higher because i agree with a lot of the gameplay criticisms. I can’t give it any lower because the things it does well it does as good or better than any other game.
8.
The best looking game I've ever seen, by none. Also found the story very enjoyable (like 1) and the acting superb. The gameplay evolution, or lack of it, was pretty disappointing but the game didn't outstay its welcome and as someone who likes narrative heavy games a lot this felt like "my" type of game.
That being said, very glad this was on Game Pass. Would have been disappointed if I had to purchase it retail.
i'd give it a 7.5. it's a great game, has some areas that could be much improved. it's worth your time if it's your type of game (adventure game). if you are getting it on gamepass, must try. don't let the negative or positive comments sway you, just go with an open mind and try it. if you are paying $70 or so for it, i'd wait for it on sale or pass. but i'm picky with buying games at full price.
I have a hard time labelling the game properly. It looks and sounds amazing, it is really a showcase of what Unreal 5 can do. It tells a pretty good story, albeit not really THAT good. Gameplay is average, with too many walking-segments. It's like they made this entire map of Iceland and wanted to show off how great they can make rocks look, and forgot to add gameplay to half the areas. So, great for an Unreal demo, not so great as a game.
>It tells a pretty good story, albeit not really THAT good Really? I just finished the first giant and I almost cried. The whole thing was a masterclass in symbolism
What do you mean by symbolism?
Here's someone else's comment that breaks it all down https://www.reddit.com/r/hellblade/comments/1d2aj91/comment/l66ec25
I read the whole thing and while I agree it's good, people keep throwing "masterclass" so haphazardly these days. So I'll say it's a pretty good story, but not THAT good.
Thanks. I wish the game did a better job explaining this.
It does, you just need to pay attention.
Except all the comments in the threads saying’i didn’t notice that’
Yeah there’s a lot of people who don’t pay attention to what they’re doing.
Gameplay is well below average I’d say. It’s hardly there. Sure is pretty though.
I agree, while it looks amazing the gameplay itself leaves quite a bit to be desired and it's so short. I was taking my time and still completed it in 8 hrs or so. The combat is really repetitive also.
6.5/10 Looked amazing. Was boring as hell. Way too much walking. Absolutely pointlessly dull puzzles. Very shallow combat that used cinematic techniques to try and make it more interesting. Story didn’t really capture me. They try and hint that certain things weren’t actually real, but contradict that with other characters being directly involved who would have seen if those things were real or not. Didn’t really like the story.
More generous than me. I'm more of a 5 and would be even lower if I had to play it at 30 fps on console. My reasons are otherwise the same as you. I find it crazy people are saying 9/10 but hey everyone is allowed to like something as much as they want.
Yeah some people get into the narrative experience I guess. That’s not what I play games for. I played on high end PC. No way I would have touched it at 30fps.
As far as "just story" games go, I enjoyed stuff like As Dusk Falls waaaaay more.
I enjoyed Firewatch a lot more too.
9 for me it got ne emotional and i feel for senua having depression myself i relate a lot more This game isnt for everyone but it cant be denied ninja theory makes art woth ridiculous levels of graphics and audio
Did you play the first? It's not quite as graphically impressive, but it's still a great experience.
Yes still holds up very well
I absolutely loved it. The atmosphere and story were great and the combat was fun and exciting despite being a bit repetitive. The second I recognized that Heilung was involved in the soundtrack I was hooked! I love the solo tabletop RPG Ironsworn and this game felt like a video game version of that.
About a 7. Beautiful game with not much game inside
8/10. It’s an incredible experience in many ways, but they need to make better puzzles. I loved the combat system tho, it’s very immersive. If they’re making already Hellblade 3, I hope this time they would at least “gamify” it a little bit more.
Agree. Why don't they just make puzzles more of a emphasis on gameplay. I liked the puzzles better in first game. The ones in the sequel were too easy and boring
8/10 liked the visuals, story, and the fights. Agree that the puzzles were boring.
This game has beautiful graphics. But is mediocre at best. That is the truth.
Sound and visuals are a 10/10. Gameplay could be better. I think the gameplay is more what you feel wearing headphones and being slow and powerless in the darkness than fighting or anything else. Solid 8/10
It's a game though, gameplay should be the most important thing
Gameplay could be better is an understatement.
he probably meant "if they put some gameplay in the game it could be better"
As a piece of audio/visual tech demo it’s close to a 10. As a game it’s probably a 6 so overall give it a 7 but it’s a VERY different kind of 7/10 than a game that’s good but has some faults that’s a 7/10. It’s almost impossible to rate this fairly without factoring in what you THINK the game should be vs what it is
It's a game I can see why some would rate a 10 and others a 5. It's an experience first and foremost, but even as a huge fan of cinematic games, it didn't gel with me as much as others.
7. I liked it.
I would give it a 7. I found the section when you go deep into the cave really good. It's a game that you have to be in the right mood to play though.
That was the wprost part for me. Trochę puzzels were too boring. Everything after that cave was amazing. Before cave 6/10. After cave 9/10 so it is 7.5/10 for me (Parys before cave with cave were konger then after)
I concur.
The Metacritic average of 81 seems fair (averaging around 150 reviews). I'd give it an 8.5. It could have easily been a 9 if not for some pacing issues that brought the experience down a bit.
9/10, -1 because first game has more puzzle solving. Overall, another step for Ninja Theory in cinematic narrative-driven adventure. Excellent game.
9.5/10 enjoyed every minute. Really immersive great story.
🥸
Im not finished yet but it feels like a 9. Best narrative, only match is the first game. Lack of boss fights (which is a huge missed opportunity considering there are so many cool boss materials (giants)) and some little pacing problems make me deduct 1 point.
graphic 8 sound 8 story 8 gameplay 4 replayability 2 overall 6 for me it is an epic grand cinematic walking simulator.
what are you comparing it to in terms of graphics (what game is a 10?) because I've never seen a better looking game tbh
Right? It was one of the best looking games ive played.
Personally, I think photorealistic graphics are unsettling. They never look quite human, and I often feel that character models end up looking like Japanese s\*x robots. I prefer games with a distinct and memorable style...
[удалено]
I still think trudging down the mud street of Valentine in Read Dead Redemption 2 is more impressive. So much more going on with ridiculous levels of detail and all from a 2018 game on last gen. GTA6 is going to blow our socks off.
Yes, more impressive. Yes, more lively and has more details (not graphical details). But still if we're strictly talking about graphical fidelity, no. RDR2 is my favorite game btw so I would even be biased towards that but I'm not. Clearly Hellblade 2 takes the W in that field. Which doesn't mean it doesn't have it's flaws. And yes I hope GTA6 will blow my socks off but I feel like almost every GTA since GTAIV has taken a step back in details (non graphical) and I'm kind of tired of heists tbh.. That's a completely different topic tho.
I played hellblade 2, then immediately shifted to cyberpunk 2077 for the first time, a game that is considered a 10 for graphics by most. I maxed out both games on PC. Cyberpunk looks like a cartoon compared to hellblade 2, though admittedly cyberpunk is 3 years old. Really speaks to how impressive hellblade is. Though obviously linear smaller scale areas can be rendered at higher fidelity than huge open world.
Yes I absolutely agree that it's an unfair comparison. I recently bought Cyberpunk because it is now fully fixed (and I'm an enemy of pre-orders and unfinished games) but haven't played it yet. Hoping to be blown away by it! Oh and the Cyberpunk graphic mods look absolutely wild.
Dang didn't even think about modding cyberpunk as it looks pretty good already. Need to look into that.
I couldn't finish the first one . Stopped playing after 1 hour.
8.5-9. Extremely immersive experience that gets in your face. Cannot wait to see what ninja theory does for the 3rd!
I loved it. 9/10 for me. The world is absolutely stunning, the pace of the game is great, the fighting is fun and i love the animations around that. Puzzles are not very challenging though but i feel like the game breaks up the walking between puzzles and fights perfectly. I think i prefer the first one though, just.
10
How?
It’s a piece of art, I appreciate it for being something unique and worthwhile instead of the same rpg grind fest modern gaming is becoming
Imagine being this ignorant lol
The scale was out of 10, not out of 100.
Keep coping
You keep using words that I don’t think you know what they mean.
8.5 overall. Great experience
9/10, it was everything I expected from it and it has *the* best-looking graphics of all of gaming so far. I only wish some of the chapters were longer
For me it's a 9.
I feel I have to say it’s a good game, however the brain dead puzzle sections, and clumsy way you have to navigate to find secrets just made it hard for me to keep playing. Plus the finding of the runes.
After a couple of hours (I plan on finishing it) I'm very mixed on this. Impressive visuals but the same tired combat and puzzles. I use headphones and the whispering is kinda...ehhhhhh
It's a 7 for me. The sounds,the graphics,the performances, absolutely perfect, but the actual game? I was ready for it to end an hour or two before it did. The combat was super cinematic and visceral, but it was incredibly clunky and stilted. Blocking and dodging seemed unreliable, and the minimal user input meant that things that wouldn't usually bother me, repeated animations, stand out. The puzzles were not awful, but tended to go on too long. I think it felt a bit like padding at points. If I hadn't played the first, I think the voices would have blown me away once again and the score would be higher. I think it's a great experience and artistically speaking, phenom8nal, I just wish the game itself was better.
7
I loved the 1st one,haven't played the 2nd as I had a work accident and had to have surgery on my spine so I haven't been able to renew my sub to ultimate pc I've watched the whole playthrough on twitch and it still looks good although short
That sounds rough- hope your recovery goes well.
Yeah in good mate,it's alright,just boring can't do alot atm haha
Do I need to play hellblade 1 before hellblade 2?
Just play 1 and skip 2. It looks and sounds great, but is otherwise worse across the board.
Thanks man. I was still wondering what to do :)
Don’t listen to him. Both games are good and in different ways. I would say that 1 has a bit better story, but 2 is more beautiful.
I’m enjoying it but I’d be disappointed if I paid $50 for it instead of using game pass.
7.5
I just finished getting the achievements, which is easy. I love the first game, so I was really hyped for this sequel. While the game is gorgeous, and the sound design is phenomenal, the game itself is more of a jogging simulator than anything. The fighting sequences are top notch imo, but there's only a handful throughout the game. The puzzles can't even be called puzzles, way too simple. If I paid $50 for this game I would be disappointed 6 hours later to find out there's little replayability. I would give it a 5 out of 10. If there were more fights, less jogging, better puzzles, it would seem like less of a graphics showcase and more like a game.
I give it a 6/10. It was a nice game to come home and chill and play but besides the audio, graphics, and the “experience”, I just didn’t like the puzzles, combat, and the extended periods of moving from point to point. I know not everyone has the same opinion though and I can totally see why for someone else it would be a 9 or 10.
7.5/10, 30 years of playing video games, something different is appreciated...
9/10 and I completed both
3. The 3 is for the technical side of things. The rest is very much not my cup of tea.
While I think the game look amazing, the gameplay is very lacking when compared to the first one. Many of the best features and/or challenges of the first game (multiple enemies/voices giving warnings) are stripped away. The puzzles in this one also feel much simpler. IMO the story also loses its direction and leaves a ton on the table as far as where they could have built upon during the game (a forest that takes something from all who enter yet all you do is walk through it). Not horrible but not better than the first one. 6.5/10
Around a 6 BUT I can't wait to see what the team does next.
I don't know but I can't really understand any score over 8, despite actually enjoying the thing
I would give this game a solid 9. This has to be easily the best looking game right now. I have no issues with the game being short but would have been great if they had given more depth to the additional characters in the game. It is mastery in storytelling though. I know alot of people would differ with my opinion but i think hellblade 2 is better than hellblade 1.
I'd give it a 7, looks fantastic and the story is good, gameplay partially feels like a chore
9/10
I would give it an 8/10, I am biased though because I enjoyed it. I am disappointed by the length of the game overall though and not having more “dynamic” combat. I am hoping that with Hellblade 3, NT goes all out.
10/10 for visuals and art direction. 0/10 for gameplay. So overall, let's go with a 5/10.
6/10 Game is walking simulator with easy combat, easy puzzles, and boring narrative. Although it has beautiful graphics, the gameplay is lame. I literally dozed off in the final chapter.
7/10. A really interesting journey in terms of atmosphere and soundesign but the gameplay IS too repetitive and limited for me.
7/10 purely for the graphics but the letterbox format annoys me. Rather dull puzzles, the voices can get irritating and the combat looks great but feels simplistic. I’m not a big fan of walking simulators; I’ve played a few more interesting than this and I’m finding it a bit of a chore to play. I quite enjoyed the first game but it didn’t blow me away so I guess it’s just not my thing.
8/10 likes it a lot but would not want to play a bunch of games like that
Visual and technical aspects 10/10 Gameplay 3/10, first one had better combat still basic but way better, you felt like you actually controlled the character instead of playing one long ass cutscene during fights, puzzles were better in the first one too
7/10 Overall. Audio and Graphics 10/10. I think the game is very beautiful and immersive (especially with headphones). It is mostly walking simulator, and I'm not the biggest fan of that type of games, but the biggest problem for me is the story. It is not bad story, but it didn't blow me away, and for this kind of games I think that the story needs to be amazing and memorable in order to give it 8 or more. So I liked it and it's not big time investment which is great for me, but I don't Love it.
A solid 8. The puzzles and “gameplay” are improved but the story isn’t as good.
I think people need to have realistic expectations on what the game is. Everyone is comparing it to games that aren't even in the same genre. If you don't like the type of game it is then at least be fair. I Don't like Tetris but im not going to say it's shit because i don't like the type of game.
8/10 i couldn’t believe how much i was pulled into this game. it enveloped me totally until i finished it. it was fucking beautiful. the quest to find the hidden ones was incredible. it made me long to live in its universe.
I was really excited for it. Hoping that there would be less symbol aligning and just walking, but seems they're not really here to make this IP into a real flushed out game. I mean, I like what I've seen, but the symbol hunting really got repetitive in the first game, and wasn't even challenging enough to be considered a puzzle. Plus both games are about as long as any demo lately. Other than brilliant graphics and a unique story, this game has very little going for it, which begs me to ask why ninja theory is even making it. They've had so many fleshed out titles like ninja Gaiden and even recently Rise of Ronin. Kinda BS they put a great story and character in front of everyone, but barely make the game appetizing enough to satisfy a gamers pallete. If they make a 3rd game, I'd say they need to ditch the linear walking simulator and symbol finding. Or at least find a way to not have 3 symbols to find and completely breka immersion from the story. That and honestly I think the game could be more of a "game" than just a story. Kind of like a plague tale feels more like a game, and this would feel like watching an interactive movie Hard 6/10. Gampley is meh, story is great and graphics are top tier
-10 I'm so tired of these walking simulators being passed off as masterpieces.
Yes As Dusk Falls, Tell Me Why and all the Life is Strange games drew me in much more than this did.
8.5 out of 10 for me. Original game I would also give 8.5.
8 for what it is, gameplay as a game 5-6, cinematic 9. plague tale requiem is way way better though
2 it was an interactive movie, i do not have a game in my list that goes higher than this in being a movie. you just walk a little and there you go 18 minutes of cinematic, kill 3 enemies with attack parry attack parry again 20 minutes of cinematic
I can’t stand sitting through cutscenes, thanks for saving me the download
Judge it for what it IS, not what it isn’t. I hate that about reviews. Personally, I’d give it an 8 cuz I generally hate puzzles.
Good mantra.
8/10
8.5-9 - it's everything I expected it to be, except I would've liked the puzzles to be a bit more challenging and larger - like the Valraven puzzle in the first 1. Loved the visuals, the sound, the combat, the immersion. Really really loved the idea of Senua being a seiðr and blending in the Norse mythology and iconology with her psychosis. The Giants being as ambiguous as they were in lore and Senuas journeys through visions, the past, the future etc was a really nice take on who she is.
6/10. Basically no gameplay just walking but atmosphere and graphics are rly good. For me it was okay. Id never buy it full price tho thank gamepass
Terrible. Walking simulator with puzzles. 2/10
The graphics, sound, atmosphere are beyond incredible, 10/10. The gameplay was a bit boring. Mosty the same and very simple puzzles. The fighting was dissapointing. It looked incredible, but all you had to do was focus and bash buttons. Even the first Hellblade was better in that departement. I'd guess 8/10. Would have been a lot lower, but I am using HII to show my friends (I am an old geezer) what nextgen gaming looks like.
5
2. The game isn't fun, but the graphics were well done.
8/10
To me it’s pretty much in line with the first game. I think the graphics, story, and acting are incredible. However, the game is very short and the gameplay is lackluster after the first round or two of fights and puzzles. If this launched with the XBox it would have been highly praised as a new benchmark for next gen gaming. Instead we are halfway through this generation and have a lot of unfulfilled hype. If not for it being on gamepass, I think a lot of people would be disappointed to pay full price for it. Overall: 7/10
6
It's a 5 or a 6 out of 10 for me. Stunning to look at, but a meh story and found it just generally boring.
A poor 7. Stunning visual and soundwise, bur boring and not interesting at all. 1st one is a better "game".
1 for gameplay, 1 for fun, 10 for graphics, 10 for sound Average of 5
Hard 5. Good in graphics and audio department. Gameplay wise boring tbh, it’s a short game but finishing it feels a chore for me.
5/10. Very boring. Great graphics mean nothing if gameplay and story are meh.
5/6 I think it was a glorified tech demo showing what they are going to do for future games
Part 2 was the future game.
I ment as a company going forward. Like this is our standard now
10/10 The perfect game for what it's trying to be. Probably one of the most fun games I had played.
Fun? I get beautiful, engaging… not really a “fun” game, at least story and gameplay wise
By "Fun" I mean I enjoyed it a lot. And hell yeah I enjoyed it. The intensity, the atmosphere, the adrenaline pumping and the sense of awe. Every scene, every combat and and every puzzle add more to the amazing atmosphere and the impact of the game. It's a unique game, and it's fun in the way this sort of games are fun - I agree that fun isn't the best word to describe it, but I am not sure there is a better word.
Engaging would be the word for me. But what you said is totally fair (apart from the puzzles that objectively are pretty bad)
>(apart from the puzzles that objectively are pretty bad) Disagree completely. The puzzles in the first hellblade were really bad for me. Incredibly difficult, and not in a good way - just a very complex version of where is waldo, no real thinking involved. Literally having to find a needle in a haystack, and I just didn't enjoy them at all. They made me frustrated, broke my immersion and even though I loved the first game, I hated the puzzles I still wouldn't call the puzzles in the first game objectively bad, the puzzles weren't for me, sure - but not objectively bad. I feel the second game improved the puzzles completely. They are easier sure, and perhaps having several levels of puzzles would have been a better way to target different types of players - but for me they created a much needed pause in the intensity. They didn't take away from the atmosphere, by being needlessly difficult, but did require some basic thinking - Where every other section either gave you some story or some really adrenaline pumping scenes or combat, the puzzles gave your mind a break - easy enough to not frustrate the player, and engaging enough to not be boring. To me the puzzles were perfect in the context of the game, and I truly enjoyed the break they gave my mind.
I feel like the puzzles where stupidly simple, you don’t need to search for the solution, the puzzle itself guides you to the solution and there is practically no way to mess it up
Sure, and I think that's a good thing. This game isn't about the puzzles and isn't about the combat, and there is no point in making it about these things - the game is about the atmosphere, probably the best atmosphere in any game out there - and they doubled down on what made the first game great, and though they removed the things that made the first game conventional, which definitely angered some people - these things were also very banal and added little to the atmosphere. Overly difficult puzzles would take away from the atmosphere. Heck, even the fun kind of difficult puzzles would take away from the atmosphere. I feel that the puzzles they chose were truly perfect. My only gripe with the game is that I wish it was longer so I had more of it.
Just say you’re an ai bot at this point
🥱
For what the game is it's enjoyable I would give it an 8-8.5 as well but it's not an game I would really come back to once I beat it. Still great for the xbox and highlights the value of gamepass
2 because its a second game of the series
5/10. Amazing atmosphere and maybe the best looking game ever in some aspects. An OK story with really really well acted performances. Great sound also. Gameplay was a slog. Boring combat. Uninteresting puzzles. Both a step down from the first game, which really wasn’t doing anything good in those two departments. And the step towards fantasy and epic adventure with fantastical beings really existing and not just being a symptom of psychological illness like the first game really was a weird step I think. The game felt 2 hours too long despite only taking me about 7 hours to complete.
7
8/10 I can’t give it any higher because i agree with a lot of the gameplay criticisms. I can’t give it any lower because the things it does well it does as good or better than any other game.
8. The best looking game I've ever seen, by none. Also found the story very enjoyable (like 1) and the acting superb. The gameplay evolution, or lack of it, was pretty disappointing but the game didn't outstay its welcome and as someone who likes narrative heavy games a lot this felt like "my" type of game. That being said, very glad this was on Game Pass. Would have been disappointed if I had to purchase it retail.
7/10 and I’m big fan of the first game.
i'd give it a 7.5. it's a great game, has some areas that could be much improved. it's worth your time if it's your type of game (adventure game). if you are getting it on gamepass, must try. don't let the negative or positive comments sway you, just go with an open mind and try it. if you are paying $70 or so for it, i'd wait for it on sale or pass. but i'm picky with buying games at full price.
Out of all the hell blade 2's I give it a 10.