Absoluely loved the first one, but couldn't finish 2. Everything that made Hellblade 1 fresh and exciting was... there again! Which is the opposite of fresh and exciting.
It needed a "gravity gun" - not literally of course (although the idea is funny) but in the sense that it needed at least just one new ingredient adding to the gameplay.
@Yousef- TBOGT is a shout. I think The Lost & The Damned might actually be mine. Gay Tony was obviously far bigger and better bang-for-your-buck, but the vibe of TLATD just really clicked with me personally. I think I'm outspoken on liking the slower, bleaker vibe of Nico's story (games are art!) and TLATD really doubled-down on GTA IV's grimy, futile undertones
@Cikajovazmaj - couldn't agree more. I knew what I was getting into buying a Series S so I'm not complaining, just stating the fact; between the black bars and under the blurry image I can tell that there's graphics and art direction that probably look stunning for those playing on a Series X.
I had a PS4 Pro and was waiting and waiting (and waiting) for that "next-gen" essential to make it necessary to jump to PS5. But it still doesn't feel like this generation ever started. I got a promotion and celebrated by buying a Series S - all the "next-gen" stuff that I was sort-of-kind-of interested in (Alan Wake 2, Dead Space remake, and soon Hellblade 2) were available here for me to 'dip my toe' into this gen without going "all in" on a PS5.
So I got what I wanted from Series S. But from Microsoft's perspective, they've failed to seduce me a customer. Series S is my "try before you buy" - my unfinished Elden Ring cloud save is still on my PS account and one day, once I feel like this generation finally has a flagship game (i.e. GTA 6 ) I'll "go home" to PS5. I'm a weird hybrid of hardcore-and-casual; true casuals wouldn't have hopped over to Xbox "for a bit", and hardcores wouldn't at this point knowingly invest in a doomed platform or hobble themselves with something as weak as Series S. If people like me are the only ones buying Series S then it was a failed experiment; there can't be more than like, seven people on planet Earth in my little bracket of hardocore-ish-casuals. So then who was Series S for?
edit: Oh man and biggest of all - if everything exclusive is going to PS5 anyway then it's truly a pointless console
@Lup Nah man, I loved Tsushima. It did look lovely as you said, and for me the game came alive on the the difficulty setting "above" hard; 'Lethal'. It was really fun, and ultimately rounded out as easier than Hard mode. 1hk for you, but also 1hk for the enemies, so every single moment of combat was a high-tension game of parries and timing and then instant victory. But by the time the story has gone "full Batman" and given you an arsenal of samurai stuff to play with, you're a one-man army and 'Lethal' difficulty becomes a satisfying cakewalk. Drop into a room of bandits, and deploy a series of ninja-type-s*** to instantly clear them. Very satisfying. Plus, you could skip all the "map bath" nonsense and just mainline the story. I did the haikus (I liked how cinematic they were) and nothing else from the optional side-quests and had a great, streamlined, polished experience.
The fact that they've said the RPG stuff is baked into this AC game makes it a no from me, but each to their own. I'm in my 30s and a parent; ex-hardcore gamer, but leaning more casual every year. Nothing but respect for those "keeping it hardcore".
This looks great; after Tsushima anything set in Feudal Japan is instantly intriguing to me, and it's a natural fit for Assassin's Creed.
I found the last few AC games painfully, painfully boring - big "map baths" with endless chores to grind - so I hope they continue to take this series back to it's more polished, streamlined roots. The worst thing they could do now is announce that the game will take 100 hours to complete. I'm done collecting Riddler trophies, so to speak.
Really enjoyed Hellblade 1, with a couple of caveats. The art design, the ultra-dark tone and the sound (headphones essential) were very much my cup of tea. Combat was functional at most, but it was more about the cinematic experience - I know not every gamer digs that type of game, but I think there's a place for them.
What it was lacking was a 'Gravity Gun' or a 'Blades of Chaos' moment. The gameplay in the first 2 hours of Hellblade was pretty much identical to the gameplay in the final 2 hours; for a game to really be great, I feel like it needs to have the balls to keep evolving as you play; to do something in the second half that adds a whole new layer/dimension to the game mechanics.
Comments 8
Re: Just Got Laid Off By AI-Loving Microsoft? Why Not Speak To AI About It, Suggests Xbox Producer
Dear ChatGPT,
I think I made a fool of myself on LinkedIn today (it was that post you helped me write earlier - they didn't like it).
Please tell me empty, narcissistic platitudes that seem like sage advice and make me feel better..
Re: Talking Point: Two Months On, Did Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Live Up To The Hype?
Absoluely loved the first one, but couldn't finish 2. Everything that made Hellblade 1 fresh and exciting was... there again! Which is the opposite of fresh and exciting.
It needed a "gravity gun" - not literally of course (although the idea is funny) but in the sense that it needed at least just one new ingredient adding to the gameplay.
Re: Talking Point: What's Your Favourite Xbox Expansion Of All Time?
@Yousef- TBOGT is a shout. I think The Lost & The Damned might actually be mine. Gay Tony was obviously far bigger and better bang-for-your-buck, but the vibe of TLATD just really clicked with me personally. I think I'm outspoken on liking the slower, bleaker vibe of Nico's story (games are art!) and TLATD really doubled-down on GTA IV's grimy, futile undertones
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of The Graphics In Hellblade 2 For Xbox Series X|S?
@Cikajovazmaj - couldn't agree more. I knew what I was getting into buying a Series S so I'm not complaining, just stating the fact; between the black bars and under the blurry image I can tell that there's graphics and art direction that probably look stunning for those playing on a Series X.
Re: Analyst Claims PS5 Outsold Xbox Series X|S Almost 5:1 Last Quarter
I had a PS4 Pro and was waiting and waiting (and waiting) for that "next-gen" essential to make it necessary to jump to PS5. But it still doesn't feel like this generation ever started. I got a promotion and celebrated by buying a Series S - all the "next-gen" stuff that I was sort-of-kind-of interested in (Alan Wake 2, Dead Space remake, and soon Hellblade 2) were available here for me to 'dip my toe' into this gen without going "all in" on a PS5.
So I got what I wanted from Series S. But from Microsoft's perspective, they've failed to seduce me a customer. Series S is my "try before you buy" - my unfinished Elden Ring cloud save is still on my PS account and one day, once I feel like this generation finally has a flagship game (i.e. GTA 6 ) I'll "go home" to PS5. I'm a weird hybrid of hardcore-and-casual; true casuals wouldn't have hopped over to Xbox "for a bit", and hardcores wouldn't at this point knowingly invest in a doomed platform or hobble themselves with something as weak as Series S. If people like me are the only ones buying Series S then it was a failed experiment; there can't be more than like, seven people on planet Earth in my little bracket of hardocore-ish-casuals. So then who was Series S for?
edit: Oh man and biggest of all - if everything exclusive is going to PS5 anyway then it's truly a pointless console
Re: Here's Your First Look At 'Shadows', The Next Assassin's Creed Game Launching This November
@Lup Nah man, I loved Tsushima. It did look lovely as you said, and for me the game came alive on the the difficulty setting "above" hard; 'Lethal'. It was really fun, and ultimately rounded out as easier than Hard mode. 1hk for you, but also 1hk for the enemies, so every single moment of combat was a high-tension game of parries and timing and then instant victory. But by the time the story has gone "full Batman" and given you an arsenal of samurai stuff to play with, you're a one-man army and 'Lethal' difficulty becomes a satisfying cakewalk. Drop into a room of bandits, and deploy a series of ninja-type-s*** to instantly clear them. Very satisfying. Plus, you could skip all the "map bath" nonsense and just mainline the story. I did the haikus (I liked how cinematic they were) and nothing else from the optional side-quests and had a great, streamlined, polished experience.
The fact that they've said the RPG stuff is baked into this AC game makes it a no from me, but each to their own. I'm in my 30s and a parent; ex-hardcore gamer, but leaning more casual every year. Nothing but respect for those "keeping it hardcore".
Re: Here's Your First Look At 'Shadows', The Next Assassin's Creed Game Launching This November
This looks great; after Tsushima anything set in Feudal Japan is instantly intriguing to me, and it's a natural fit for Assassin's Creed.
I found the last few AC games painfully, painfully boring - big "map baths" with endless chores to grind - so I hope they continue to take this series back to it's more polished, streamlined roots. The worst thing they could do now is announce that the game will take 100 hours to complete. I'm done collecting Riddler trophies, so to speak.
Re: Poll: As Hellblade 2 Draws Near, What Do You Think Of The First Game?
Really enjoyed Hellblade 1, with a couple of caveats. The art design, the ultra-dark tone and the sound (headphones essential) were very much my cup of tea. Combat was functional at most, but it was more about the cinematic experience - I know not every gamer digs that type of game, but I think there's a place for them.
What it was lacking was a 'Gravity Gun' or a 'Blades of Chaos' moment. The gameplay in the first 2 hours of Hellblade was pretty much identical to the gameplay in the final 2 hours; for a game to really be great, I feel like it needs to have the balls to keep evolving as you play; to do something in the second half that adds a whole new layer/dimension to the game mechanics.