Senua's Saga: Hellblade II | Review

[MaulerX]

@j0nny5

The actual quote reads even worse.

“It feeds into an oddly patronising atmosphere-Senua is special and important just because she is and everyone recognises it on sight and praises her for it. It starts to seem like shes a Make-A-Wish child whose request was to be in God of War.”

So not that she looks like a make a wish child but that she is undeserving of the attention and praise she gets - what, like a Make-a-wish child?

What an awful comment to make.

Thank you I was about to post the actual full quote as I paraphrased a bit.

And yes the actual quote is even worse. Just terrible.

[Proven]

Senua's Saga Hellblade 2 Review : Maturation of Madness

One of the best reviews for the game

[SheepDip]

@SilentJay76

Gamespot Preview: “Hellblade 2’s Combat Looks Beautiful And Feels Badass."

Gamespot Review: “Extremely minimal gameplay with simple puzzles and flat combat.” 60/100

Previews always blow smoke up the game’s ass whether it’s actually good or not. It has always been thus.

[Proven]

@SheepDip

Previews always blow smoke up the game’s ass whether it’s actually good or not. It has always been thus.

Unless your IGN

[Hue]

Does anyone else struggle to differentiate between the cut scenes and the gameplay?

This really is ‘next gen’ gaming, if anything this is the first thing I have played this gen where I’ve been blown away.

[Mort]

Good thing there is no Xbox tax!

(as I was told repeatedly years ago)

[Searsy82]

Situations like this tell me that there is a level of introspection that needs to happen before anything gets better. We can all bemoan the pathetic intentionally sensationalist state of discourse in the industry, but at the same time members of these communities, this one and others, signal boost every piece of negative discourse available. How many members here continuously dredge up every negative shit take and tweet they find online? From nobodies and news outlets alike. It is more than a handful.

This is the fuel that keeps the machine going, and too many fall for it every time. Rather than learning anything from this, PC Gamer will probably double and triple down on it, and the next review will be worse and more problematic than the last because no one can help themselves from clicking it and spreading it across the internet.

[KakkaKarrotKake]

@Searsy82

… level of introspection that needs to happen before anything gets better. We can all bemoan the pathetic intentionally sensationalist state of discourse in the industry, but at the same time members of these communities, this one and others, signal boost every piece of negative discourse available. How many members here continuously dredge up every negative shit take and tweet they find online? From nobodies and news outlets alike. It is more than a handful. This is the fuel that keeps the machine going, and too many fall for it every time. Rather than learning anything from this, PC Gamer will probably double and triple down on it, and the next review will be worse and more problematic than the last because no one can help themselves from clicking it and spreading it across the internet.

Yep, the amplifying people do for these places is a real problem

People need to remember that the reason the do and say these things is for clicks because people, even here get baited by it, stop taking the bait and let them slowly wither into irrelevancy

That being said, I hope PC Gamer or whoever that reviewer is at least gets blacklisted for that shit, it’s one thing to have shit reviews, it’s another to be outright disgusting

[BadNews]

I feel the metacritic score is fair because this game is clearly not for everyone and I think the puzzles and combat could be better.

I just have a major issue with pc gamer being edgelords and saying this game is a “make a wish” god of war. That’s an insane thing to say and hopefully people call out that author and shame them. I have no problem if a reviewer doesn’t like a game, but too say something backhanded like that doesn’t sit right with me especially with the message the game is dealing with. Also, Hellblade was released before the god of war reboot, which makes that author look extra dumb

[Searsy82]

Just remember, a lot of these news outlets, the same ones complaining that Hellblade is more Hellblade, are simultaneously soiling themselves with glee over Nintendo reselling them a slightly polished GameCube game that runs at half the frame rate of the original (it’s always amazing how frame rate importance fluctuates wildly).

[Swanlee]

Game looks completely amazing, just started only odd thing is I’m getting controller disconnects often on my elite 2 playing the game. Anyone else see that issue? just random controller disconnects only with this game.

[MaulerX]

@KakkaKarrotKake

That being said, I hope PC Gamer or whoever that reviewer is at least gets blacklisted for that shit, it’s one thing to have shit reviews, it’s another to be outright disgusting

Right there’s plenty of clickbaity shitty reviews out there. It is what it is. But that particular quote deserves to be called out. There’s really no reason to make fun off and weaponize children in need to make your biased fandom be known.

[Staffy]

@BadNews

I feel the metacritic score is fair because this game is clearly not for everyone and I think the puzzles and combat could be better.

I just have a major issue with pc gamer being edgelords and saying this game is a “make a wish” god of war. That’s an insane thing to say and hopefully people call out that author and shame them. I have no problem if a reviewer doesn’t like a game, but too say something backhanded like that doesn’t sit right with me especially with the message the game is dealing with. Also, Hellblade was released before the god of war reboot, which makes that author look extra dumb

Some of the criticism I can definitely understand.

https://x.com/vicious696/status/1792901262255726773

Game length absolutely being one of them. 5 hours and that’s including cutscenes, so it’s not even 5 hours of gameplay and that is definitely disappointing to me. We were told it would be at least as long as the first, but it isn’t. Doesn’t mean it’s not a great five hour experience, but the point in my opinion still stands. 10 hours in total would have been the sweet spot for something like this, including cutscenes here.

[BadNews]

@Staffy

Some of the criticism I can definitely understand.

https://x.com/vicious696/status/1792901262255726773

Game length absolutely being one of them. 5 hours and that’s including cutscenes, so it’s not even 5 hours of gameplay and that is definitely disappointing to me. We were told it would be at least as long as the first, but it isn’t. Doesn’t mean it’s not a great five hour experience, but the point in my opinion still stands. 10 hours in total would have been the sweet spot for something like this, including cutscenes here.

Yeah, technically the audio desing and visuals gave me a true net gen experience. However, from around 2 hour play so far I wanted more from the gameplay. However, these type of games aren’t for me because I’ve never been too big on puzzles and more into action.

[Searsy82]

I 1000/1000’d Hellblade in about 8 hours and that includes leaving the game running while I cooked/ate dinner.

I expected this one to be about the same and that’s right about where it landed.

[Opatschi]

Spoiler free: I am incredibly disappointed… like first half of the game is 80% walking. The story is told while you walk. So someone does exposition on you. There are some setpieces that are really cool but can’t make up for that horrible pacing. And the red dot is not here. You jump from spot to spot. Sometimes it really felt like a tech demo.

Game looks stellar and I actually feel the black bars fit the game and gives a filmic feeling. Environment look breathtaking and some really cool stuff is done with water. Only criticism I could give is that vegetation does not react to movement. Also areas look like corridors. With one path only.

BUT MAN the gameplay is such a massive downgrade to the first part.

No real boss fights like in the first game. EAch encounter is basically the SAME. Fighting is so so simple and I played on the hardest difficulty. The fact this hit as bad with so minimal fighting sections is a bummer.

Some parts in the game are great yet way to short. The cave is probably the highlight for me.

Yeah I am sorry I hoped that the final could bring my rating up but it did not. I enjoyed the atmosphere tho.

I can not see it any higher then a 6/10 I am very sorry. Some parts are a 5/10 for me, while some are about 8/10.

Especially because the first game is a 8.5/10 for me this is heartbreaking for me…

[Widey85]

I’m very impressed by the accessibility options, and the subtitles offering a hint to the direction the voice is coming from.

It’s stunning too

[Popppi (Phil Spencer's shelf)]

I’m gonna say HB is not the type of game I usually enjoy, but I wanted to experience it and accept and enjoy it for what it is and so far I’m completely immersed. Got goosebumps during the first couple minutes.

Honestly it being quite short is great imo. I at least don’t have the patience for this minimal gameplay style. ~5 hours I can manage and enjoy.

I don’t know if I should continue to use the photo mode though. Brings out the worst in me lol.

[Staffy]

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II - HDR Tech Review - HDR Is Not Perfect - All Settings Tested

At least it isn’t broken and thank god no black level raise.

[jasheeldz]

If this is the start of another year filled with xbox releases, it is a great way to start it.

Genuinely, which other platform holder is making first party games like this?