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Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Beowulf

Arcane
Joined
Mar 2, 2015
Messages
1,963
I really like their take on the mental issues of the protagonist. The many toned whispers, the quirky visuals.
Looks like hey could really pull of a descent into madness type of story.

But it also looks like the gameplay will be just boring corridor walking and slashing the same enemy type over and over.
Too bad, I hoped for something that would be worth more, than playing on youtube.
 

Mynon

Dumbfuck!
Dumbfuck
Joined
Apr 28, 2017
Messages
1,138
It does look promising enough. If nothing else, it will certainly scratch that Rune itch.
 

Abu Antar

Turn-based Poster
Patron
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,512
Enjoy the Revolution! Another revolution around the sun that is. Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Might be worth a watch on YouTube. Playing it? No fucking way.
 

sullynathan

Arcane
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Messages
6,473
Location
Not Europe
http://www.geekculturepodcast.com/2017/08/07/hellblade-senuas-sacrifice-will-erase-save-die-much/

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice Will Erase Your Save If You Die Too Much
AUGUST 7, 2017 JOSHUA GARIBAYGAMING, NEWS, PC, PLAYSTATION


Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice officially launches tomorrow and some important bits about the game are starting to seep out. There have been quiet rumblings of a permadeath system in Hellblade before, but it has somehow managed to go mostly unreported.

Now a gameplay walktrough on Youtube and even an accidental early review, which has since been taken down, have detailed this punishing system. As players progress through the game, the threat of death hangs above Senua around every turn, whether it is at the hands of an enemy or a misstep while engaging in a platforming segment.

Should Senua fall victim to any one of these deadly variables a dark, oily mass will begin to grow and spread up her right arm. If this corruption reaches her head, the curse will consume Senua as she gives in to her afflictions.

This moment is not simply treated with a “Game Over” screen that only briefly interrupts your game before you retry your failed section of gameplay. That is, if you continue to die repeatedly. Upon reaching this point, your failure will receive a harsh punishment that will make you rethink how you approach every encounter in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.

The punishment is the complete destruction of your current save. That’s right. Any and all progress made after too many deaths results in your save being erased. From there, it’s back to the very beginning to try it all again.

Whether this system proves to work to the game’s style or simply adds a layer of frustration to the 6-8 hour journey remains to be seen. With the game unlocking wordwide in the coming hours, we won’t have to wait too long to find out how this mechanic impacts the experience.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice will be available on PC and PS4 August 8th with a $29.99 price tag.
 

Ezekiel

Arcane
Joined
May 3, 2017
Messages
5,371
So far, it feels like it would have been better as a movie. I've barely played it at all. I have a sword, but I can't use it yet and get accustomed to the controls early because the game wants you to play its way, to present its story how it wants. It started with a really long boat ride which I had no control over and which just had the camera on her back the whole time. I'm now in the first detective vision part and don't know what the game wants me to look at. There are symbols everywhere. The screen gets redder when I look at the door, but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do beyond that.

It's probably something obvious and when I figure it out I'm gonna be pissed.

Edit: Jesus Christ, how could I not notice that for so long? Fuck me.
 
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Wirdschowerdn

Ph.D. in World Saving
Patron
Joined
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Messages
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Clogging the Multiverse with a Crowbar
Listen to the voices, buddy. :P

https://www.destructoid.com/review-hellblade-senua-s-sacrifice-452614.phtml

Review: Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
2017-08-08 02:00:00· 3 minute read · Chris Carter@DtoidChris

Voices in our heads

It's always tough to review a Ninja Theory game.

They breathe a certain spark of life into their projects that practically no one studio can replicate. Yet, they insist on crafting relatively simplistic action sequences that detract from much of what they set out to accomplish.

It's a lesson they could still learn from Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, 10 years after Heavenly Sword.

HH2-noscale.jpg


Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (PC, PS4 [reviewed])
Developer: Ninja Theory
Publisher: Ninja Theory
Released: August 8, 2017
MSRP: $29.99

Hellbade really grabs you immediately with some fantastically nuanced voice acting. Not only does the direct influence of mental health advisers help the project (and if you watch the short in-game documentary you'll see just how serious they were about this), but the actual performances have been wonderfully directed, with a good script to boot. There's a lot going on, as multiple "voices" inside of the protagonist Senua's head can be speaking at once -- parsing several perspectives simultaneously is something games rarely attempt to accomplish.

In typical Ninja Theory fashion it looks gorgeous. Peppering in bits of Norse Mythology like the underworld Hel on a quest to save a loved one, the setpieces are a treat to explore, and the character designs are well-detailed without going into uncanny valley territory. This is world I want to see more of, and for all you Pro owners out there, there's an option for a stable 60FPS.

It's important to understand that unlike much of Ninja Theory's previous work, Hellbade is not inherently an action game -- at least in theory. They've finally embraced their strengths here, doubling down on a narrative focus. Exploration is usually as involved as moving from point A to B while you take in the scenery and listen to the accompanying dialogue or engage in light perspective puzzles. It's a nice loop as the writing and puzzles are sharp enough to keep your interest, and the locales are striking enough to string you along.

Combat is distilled down to fast/heavy sword use, and quick hand-to-hand strikes, with both evasion and blocking in the mix. Most of the samey nightmarish fodder can be dispatched with fast attack spam with minimal dodging, and while the entire affair is a serviceable one, I can't help but wonder if the entire idea of combat should have been removed altogether.

It's frustrating to play such an engrossing narrative and see grating issues pop up like camera problems (where it zooms in far too much or focuses on a wall) and enemy repetition -- both aesthetically and mechanically. Spamming light attacks and occasionally tapping dodge for heavily telegraphed blows is all you need, with the slight adjustment for throwing in a strong hit to stun enemies when you're overwhelmed. I also noticed a few small technical issues like at least one typo in the subtitles and other polish related things like the basic UI.

Slowly but surely Ninja Theory has moved into film territory, but they can't let go of their need to shove action mechanics into everything they do. With the increased focus and acceptance of so-called "walking simulators" there's a huge market they can tap into, and I hope they end up doing that in the future. I enjoyed pretty much every facet of Hellblade that didn't involve combat, which unfortunately pops up a little too often on top of the aforementioned technical problems -- just enough to grate.

Hellblade reviewed by Chris Carter

7.5
 

Ezekiel

Arcane
Joined
May 3, 2017
Messages
5,371
I like the controls. Ctrl to parry, Spacebar to dodge, run with Shift, attack with the two mouse buttons, interact with F and target switching with the side buttons of the mouse. But I don't like how it plays. The combat is overly telegraphed and pretty simplistic. You don't even need to face an enemy to parry. If I get a Game Over and have to start over, it won't be because of the combat, but because of not knowing what to do on short notice. I died a few minutes ago because I took a wrong turn as a fire was spreading.

If someone could tell me how to turn off the chromatic abberation and motion blur, that would be great. Why are these things so popular?
 
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PrettyDeadman

Guest
I enjoyed Rise Son of Rome. Is it the same? A pretty game with simplistic spectacle combat? Or is it even more linear?
 

bylam

Funcom
Developer
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
707
I've played it for about an hour.

At it's heart, it's a walking sim with a few simple puzzles. The game does atmosphere well, but it gets pretty heavy handed with the constant whispering.
Combat is functional - it's not deep or particularly difficult and the dodge being full immunity pretty much puts an end to the depth the combat system might have. Though later enemies might challenge this more.

I'll probably see it through to the end if it is 6hrs long, as reported. I like the setting.
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2012
Messages
5,869
Rune had actual levels with actual maps that were actually interactive, not sure where you're getting the idea that this will be similar.
 

bylam

Funcom
Developer
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
707
How does it compare to Rune?

It's nothing like Rune. The enemies I have fought so far have also been only in combat "spaces" from a gameplay perspective. If I recall Rune was more like Doom where you could meet enemies anywhere.
 

Ezekiel

Arcane
Joined
May 3, 2017
Messages
5,371
I hate these puzzles. I really hate them. If there's a secret to finding the patterns, I can't see it. How is this shitty gameplay mechanic representative of psychosis? I know crazy people see patterns in things, but this is just dumb.

Why are these things so popular?
As the veil of night hides the thief and the manly facial features of a cheap tranny prostitute, so these sickening visual effect cover awful 2001-quality textures and other aesthetic crimes.
That could be it. But I think it's just film envy, trying to make it look more cinematic. It's horrible. Some of the strongest chromatic aberration I've seen in a game.

http://i.imgur.com/uS6REhV.png

http://i.imgur.com/zxqWi17.png
 
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PrettyDeadman

Guest
A review of Hellblade
by Pretty

Hellblade is a wonderful feminist counterpart to Spec Ops: The Line, but with toxic musculinity instead of white phosphorus.
In this game we follow a story of a strong black woman Senuisha Muhhamad on her quest to smash patriarchy.
Our journey begins as Senuisha arrives to a desolate land of toxic musculinity.
It is appropriately portrayed as a land of the dead since there is no place in the current year for obsolete values of patriarchy and heteronormancy those disgusting white males represent.
Our heroine is not alone on her journey, with her are the spirits of feminist enlightment whispering words of encouragement as she destroys ignorant white males in combat or solves such taxing intellectual puzzles as putting some shapes together or pulling a lever.
A severad head of an effeminate numale Senuisha bring with her in a bag is a powerful metaphor and a reminder to all of us that the end of the Age of Men draws near.

9.5/10
 
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Wirdschowerdn

Ph.D. in World Saving
Patron
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
34,459
Location
Clogging the Multiverse with a Crowbar
I started playing this, and it's pretty much in line with what I was expecting.

If you do understand the game's premise and enjoy slow, dark and atmospheric walking-sims with some nordic mythology thrown in, then this is for you. If you expect an action-adventure with methodical gameplay, then simply ignore this.
 

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