Wow I have played through Journey 3-4 times now and it has been amazing every time. But I agree this game makes a damn impression for sure.
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Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice |OT| The Mid-Tier, in Limbo
- Thread starter Wozman23
- Start date
Wow I have played through Journey 3-4 times now and it has been amazing every time. But I agree this game makes a damn impression for sure.
Retro Edge
Member
Played the first 2 hours so far and liked it very much, but i have one very, very big advice for everyone who has a PS4 Pro.
DON'T, just don't play it on 60fps. It's a blurry fucking mess for some reason. Holy shit does the backgrounds turn bad when you switch. I think i'm not the first who mentions it, but i did not expect that kind of a difference. I expected no super sampling and more aliasing and not that the whole backgrounds looks like sub 720p, what the hell.
First picture is 30fps ss mode, second picture 60fps blurry mess.
(Like always, open the pictures in a separate tab or click on them to get the full quality)
Nobody?
Retro Edge
Member
Lol, sure.
Played a couple hours last night and I was really gripped! Atmosphere, graphics, story telling is all here and idgaf that it's a linear experience.
The audio is also the real star of the show here, what Ninja Theory have accomplished with the
awesome and only adds to the immersion.
Also the combat is surprisingly enjoyable for me. Was worried hit feedback would be poor from videos but that's not the case.
It's not super in depth but still very fun for this sort of game, I don't want depth in this anyway.
Excited to play more after work today, genuinely feels like a game that's trying something totally fresh and I appreciate that.
Haha I too felt the Aloy vibes a little.
I also feel like this game is taking place after the new GoW thanks to the Norse setting.
The audio is also the real star of the show here, what Ninja Theory have accomplished with the
voices coming from all angles is
Also the combat is surprisingly enjoyable for me. Was worried hit feedback would be poor from videos but that's not the case.
It's not super in depth but still very fun for this sort of game, I don't want depth in this anyway.
Excited to play more after work today, genuinely feels like a game that's trying something totally fresh and I appreciate that.
Haha I too felt the Aloy vibes a little.
I also feel like this game is taking place after the new GoW thanks to the Norse setting.
SlasherJPC
Banned
So can someone tell me how much I have left? I just crossed
damn this game is good.
the bridge and I'm in the wet dock/boat area
Not Spaceghost
Spaceghost
I've got a 3gig 1060 and the game ran at near solid 60fps with everything maxed out. I got a few stuttery moments during high particle effect moments but other than that it was smoooooth.
MosquitoSmasher
Member
I see, that is good to hear. Hopefully it will indeed mean a Xbox version somewhere down the line. I mean if it already looks this awesome on PS4 and Pro, I can imagine it looking even better in some ways on X. We'll have to wait and see what happens.
I've been hoping this would happen for Nioh and Nier Automata as well, but... still waiting. But as for Hellblade, since there's a PC version it shouldn't take too long to port that to Xbox, right?
flaxknuckles
Member
Man this game is tense. And these damn enemies keep appearing behind me. Now I flick the right-stick after I kill somebody like a maniac to lock on to spawning enemies.
And that audio in the
area has me shook. I have to constantly talk myself into keeping on the move.
And that audio in the
illusions
Pjsprojects
Member
Ok Im struggling with the boss after the illusion gates.
I can get to what I think is the final battle after beating the minions the witch summons but every time I go to hit her she goes into like a shadow.
Want to continue but already failed five times on easy.
Yes I suck at sword games so any pointers?
I can get to what I think is the final battle after beating the minions the witch summons but every time I go to hit her she goes into like a shadow.
Want to continue but already failed five times on easy.
Yes I suck at sword games so any pointers?
I am loving almost everything about this game, easily Ninja Theory's best game, and if it keeps up the pace, possibly my game of the year.
FOCUS, FOCUS NOW, FOCUS (focus)
FOCUS, FOCUS NOW, FOCUS (focus)
Hit R2 when the little blue symbol pops up, it makes the enemy vulnerable to your attack.
Jangowuzhere
Banned
That ending...
:/
Were they trying to
something there at the end? Is that really necessary? Can we just have an actual ending to a game these days without having some sort of
It's nice that Ninja Theory made an indie game with these high end "AAA" production values. However, just because they're aiming for "AAA" production, that doesn't mean that they have to inherit the typical cliches and choices seen in big production games.
Also, that song that plays over the end credits was pretty lame, but that could just me.
Overall, I liked the game a lot. I think everyone should watch that Hellblade featurette after they finish the game. Some very cool information in that video.
:/
Were they trying to
sequel tease
glorified teaser?
Also, that song that plays over the end credits was pretty lame, but that could just me.
Overall, I liked the game a lot. I think everyone should watch that Hellblade featurette after they finish the game. Some very cool information in that video.
Well, the most stressfull 10 hours of my gaming life are done.....
INCREDIBLE game. Bravo Ninja Theory, bravo. Really well done and intelligent game design.
So what I liked - the combat while simple was fun and it felt meaningful. Finding the odd combo and the focus ability was great. Absolutley loved how the voices would direct you as well. The boss fights were also well done, especially the last one.
The damn creepy and beautiful enviroments in the world really were a joy to travel around and the way the lore was tied into the audio runes was great too. Really gave a great feeling of history to the journey.
The story was incredible and the journey through her mind via normal game voices in her head and cutscenes etc really were woven well together. Ending was quite the shock but fuck me, what a journey!
I also thought the length of the game was great and didnt overstay its welcome. I honestly couldnt see that going on for much longer, it was just perfect. I was really stressed out in parts, which shows how well this game was made. That was, hands down, one of the best stories I have ever played.
I enjoyed the puzzles but some got a little samey after a while although I liked one sections particular style very much (2nd doors ones). So perhaps a bit more variety on that front would have been nice.
The pacing of the game was great and the
section was superbly done and paced out and came at just the right time. There was some technical issues with the graphics but they were not that noticeable and only at some points (on a regular PS4).
The graphics and images as a whole was great although some of the incidental scenery could have used a little work (like the corpses for example).
Thats me nitpicking though. All in all, incredible game and would highly reccomend to anyone. I cannot believe a studio of 20 people made this.
And lastly as for the perma death thing, I posted early in this thread about it worrying me before I bought the game. Im not an accomplished gamer and really this should not put anyone off. Difficulty settings there for anyone and honestly the only part that I really really struggled with
.
This year has been insane for games and hellblade was never on my list to get in the first place. Picked it up on a whim and it will probably end up as one of my favourites of the year.
INCREDIBLE game. Bravo Ninja Theory, bravo. Really well done and intelligent game design.
So what I liked - the combat while simple was fun and it felt meaningful. Finding the odd combo and the focus ability was great. Absolutley loved how the voices would direct you as well. The boss fights were also well done, especially the last one.
The damn creepy and beautiful enviroments in the world really were a joy to travel around and the way the lore was tied into the audio runes was great too. Really gave a great feeling of history to the journey.
The story was incredible and the journey through her mind via normal game voices in her head and cutscenes etc really were woven well together. Ending was quite the shock but fuck me, what a journey!
I also thought the length of the game was great and didnt overstay its welcome. I honestly couldnt see that going on for much longer, it was just perfect. I was really stressed out in parts, which shows how well this game was made. That was, hands down, one of the best stories I have ever played.
I enjoyed the puzzles but some got a little samey after a while although I liked one sections particular style very much (2nd doors ones). So perhaps a bit more variety on that front would have been nice.
The pacing of the game was great and the
trials
The graphics and images as a whole was great although some of the incidental scenery could have used a little work (like the corpses for example).
Thats me nitpicking though. All in all, incredible game and would highly reccomend to anyone. I cannot believe a studio of 20 people made this.
And lastly as for the perma death thing, I posted early in this thread about it worrying me before I bought the game. Im not an accomplished gamer and really this should not put anyone off. Difficulty settings there for anyone and honestly the only part that I really really struggled with
were those fucking beams, jesus my balance must be shit, must have died about 60 times alone to those fuckers
This year has been insane for games and hellblade was never on my list to get in the first place. Picked it up on a whim and it will probably end up as one of my favourites of the year.
Savantcore
Unconfirmed Member
Patch incoming
I don't think that's was their intention at all. I think it was supposed to close the loop from a statement she made at the beginning.
I forgot the exact quote but she said something along the lines of "This is my last story", because she planned on dying in Hel,
reviving Dillion and destroying the "Darkness". When she realised there is no Darkness and there's no way to revive Dillion she also realizes that "sacrificing" herself wouldn't lead to anything, as she isn't cursed and did nothing wrong. She accepts her sickness,
abandons her plan to die, says good bye to Dillian and is ready to life her live again. This wasn't her last story. It's supposed to be a life-affirming outlook in the future in a game that was driven by her will to destroy herself for the sake of others.. I don't think this was supposed to be a sequel tease as the whole point of Hellblade was Senua's fight with and against her sickness. That fight came to a conclusion at the end and a Hellblade 2 couldn't just repeat another psychosis-driven episode, as the concept of the "Darkness" doesn't exist anymore in Senua's mind.
What would be possible would be a more traditional heroe's journey where Senua's mental health would just be there as a matter of fact, not as part of the main plot. But I don't think that was supposed to be the tease here, nor do I hope that they go there. This should stand on its own.
reviving Dillion and destroying the "Darkness". When she realised there is no Darkness and there's no way to revive Dillion she also realizes that "sacrificing" herself wouldn't lead to anything, as she isn't cursed and did nothing wrong. She accepts her sickness,
abandons her plan to die, says good bye to Dillian and is ready to life her live again. This wasn't her last story. It's supposed to be a life-affirming outlook in the future in a game that was driven by her will to destroy herself for the sake of others.. I don't think this was supposed to be a sequel tease as the whole point of Hellblade was Senua's fight with and against her sickness. That fight came to a conclusion at the end and a Hellblade 2 couldn't just repeat another psychosis-driven episode, as the concept of the "Darkness" doesn't exist anymore in Senua's mind.
What would be possible would be a more traditional heroe's journey where Senua's mental health would just be there as a matter of fact, not as part of the main plot. But I don't think that was supposed to be the tease here, nor do I hope that they go there. This should stand on its own.
Jangowuzhere
Banned
If that's the case, then I would have preferred they presented the ending differently. Maybe it's just me being cynical, but this whole
talking to the camera and saying "follow us, we have another story to tell" right before the game ends just strikes me as "Hey! We're open to making more games with this ip in the future!" I don't know, even if that wasn't the intent, there's a better way to close the book on this story besides doing something cheesy like that.
I don't see the idea of something like a "Hellblade 2" to be completely impossible. It just depends if they're smart with how they pull it off. It would be the worst kind of sequel to just do the exact same thing again with another character and/or with a different form of mental illness.
I don't see the idea of something like a "Hellblade 2" to be completely impossible. It just depends if they're smart with how they pull it off. It would be the worst kind of sequel to just do the exact same thing again with another character and/or with a different form of mental illness.
Glass Shark
Banned
I started and finished this game yesterday. Absolutely could not put it down. I have never played a game like this and I was in awe the whole time. The intensity with which the story was delivered was seriously giving me heart palpitations at some points. The visuals were insanely impressive and what they did with sound was just second-to-none.
I love that the game had a message that persisted throughout the whole experience and yet it somehow didnt feel like it was beating you over the head with it. There was never a point where I thought, Okay, okay, I get it. Every drip and drop of information about Senuas history and mental state was something I wanted and needed.
The way it created a true interactive cinematic experience was simply breathtaking. There were times when I couldnt believe I was watching a video game. There was something to surprise and enthrall me at every turn.
This is easily my game of the year so far and probably the best game Ive played in 3 or 4 years. Its no doubt being added to my all-time favorites. The minor quibbles I had with the game were vastly outweighed by everything I loved about it.
And to think, I would never even have bothered with it if it werent for a rude British man having a hissy fit on Twitter.
I love that the game had a message that persisted throughout the whole experience and yet it somehow didnt feel like it was beating you over the head with it. There was never a point where I thought, Okay, okay, I get it. Every drip and drop of information about Senuas history and mental state was something I wanted and needed.
The way it created a true interactive cinematic experience was simply breathtaking. There were times when I couldnt believe I was watching a video game. There was something to surprise and enthrall me at every turn.
This is easily my game of the year so far and probably the best game Ive played in 3 or 4 years. Its no doubt being added to my all-time favorites. The minor quibbles I had with the game were vastly outweighed by everything I loved about it.
And to think, I would never even have bothered with it if it werent for a rude British man having a hissy fit on Twitter.
I agree. It just didn't feel very fitting tone-wise.
Pjsprojects
Member
Ah thanks! Will try that in a bit.
wild wild rice
Member
I am no fan of cinematic experience games, but I think I'm gonna have to give this one a shot when a sale comes around after reading bits of some reviews/impressions.
ASilentProtagonist
Member
Damnnnn. I might have to get this. These impressions...
Messofanego
Banned
Hard is the way to go, if you like challenge.
petethepanda
Member
Man, they're not kidding about headphones. It's like a different game.
NightShift
Member
I was really looking forward to this game just because of the idea of a budget indie game that looks AAA and the attempt to accurately portray mental illnesses. I wasn't expecting much from Ninja Theory but holy shit did they hit this out of the park. Yet another GOTY contender.
Everything from Senua's character, the sound design, cinematography, acting, simple but effective combat and even the graphics that I rarely care about in games were all amazing. I actually struggle to think about anything I didn't like. Maybe they used those shape finding puzzles too much but they did keep coming up with new ways to implement it in to other things.
Everything from Senua's character, the sound design, cinematography, acting, simple but effective combat and even the graphics that I rarely care about in games were all amazing. I actually struggle to think about anything I didn't like. Maybe they used those shape finding puzzles too much but they did keep coming up with new ways to implement it in to other things.
MrS
Banned
There won't be. NT's plan for the game dictates that it will always be digital only.
Patch incoming
GIVE US A SECOND CHAPTER
AndrewDean84xX
Banned
Is the combat in this game deeper than Ryse? If so, how?
It's probably not really, and I really liked Ryse. The "deepest" part about the combat is the onus is on you to work out how to fight effectively, there's no combo move list, no combat tutorial, the best you get is looking at the controls. It's just really tight, which is more than enough to get you through the game.
synce
Member
OK, looking at the reviews, I must be missing something here. After about 2 hours I got fed up with the game's completely illogical scavenger hunt puzzles taking up most of the playtime and quit. This was sometime after the first bullet sponge boss fight. It seems to me that it's impossible for a game with "good" graphics to average anything below 70-80 these days, no matter how shallow, repetitive, or unfulfilling the gameplay. Or did someone actually have fun trying to unlock those doors?
Now it'd be one thing if there was at least an interesting story to tell, but the whole thing came off as laughable, and the awkward facial capture didn't help matters at all. The cutscenes should've been skippable at least
Now it'd be one thing if there was at least an interesting story to tell, but the whole thing came off as laughable, and the awkward facial capture didn't help matters at all. The cutscenes should've been skippable at least
Glass Shark
Banned
I have never played Ryse, but I will say the combat is pretty simple, albeit satisfying. You actually do quite a bit more walking around and environmental puzzle solving than you do combat. Fighting is maybe 20% of the game, and even that might be a stretch.
You have a light attack, heavy attack, guard break, block, and dodge. You can string together moves in simple combos. Each move also has a different version when dashing. If you time your block right when the opponent hits, you parry and get an opening to attack. There is *slightly* more to the combat than this that varies things up later on, but it would give away some story stuff in the game so I wont talk about it here.
Again, the combat is simple. Its not too challenging, either, because Im pretty bad at games and I only died maybe 3-5 times the whole game on default difficulty. (I cant really comment on Hard mode since I didnt try it at all.) Im actually glad its not punishing because I want people to experience this game who might not otherwise be attracted to character action.
If the story wasnt doing anything for you, its better off to just skip the whole game. Its the main reason to play it. The combat and other gameplay are just means to an end.
MrS
Banned
Clearly you haven't bought in to the story, and that's ok. If you were invested in the story you wouldn't think the door puzzles were boring, because they actually have significant meanings. Skippable cutscenes wouldn't work because they're so integral to the game and it's pointless even playing if you're not all in on the story. I disagree about the facial capture and thought it was excellently done. Really love how they blended real footage of actors with Senua's in-engine animation (i.e. when Druth and Senua are talking during the fire sections).
GavinUK86
Member
I feel sorry for you. I really do.
I think the early Surt rune hunts are the most basic puzzles in the game, and the weakest part, I liked the Illusion zones a lot comparably. Plus the game does get more complex as it goes on, combining rune hunts with chase sequences, and so on.
As far as bullet sponge boss goes, you lost me, I mean, it's a boss, it takes a lot of hits, not an obsense amount though.
You lost me again at awkward facial capture, it's pretty much unsurpassed, plus the story is told in a fractured manner, it really comes together as it goes along, you're only like a quarter to a third in at best, seems weird to write it off so early.
Astral Dog
Member
Why Dillion
appears all naked at the end?
I didn't get that feeling in the slightest. This game felt like a complete, one and done experience. Sequel baiting usually frustrates me with endings and I didn't feel that at all.
"Another story to tell" just meant that Senua wasn't ready to die anymore. She accepted the loss of Dillion and wanted to move on with her life.
Steve McQueen
Member
You're right. Only played on 30 fps with supersampling and it's better. Weird...
Playing at 4k@30FPS on PC. This game doesn't gain anything from 60FPS so I rather favor resolution. However, 1080p on PC doesn't look nearly that bad like it does on PS4.
Humdinger
Member
Best played with normal stereo, not virtual surround sound.
Shadow Broker
Banned
Thanks for the explanation. The part I needed explained you did.
Yes I agree. It's an incredibly well told story. I love Senua's character in this game.
Pause menu. It is the default.
Yeah, you shouldn't keep playing this game. Door unlocking isn't really great, it is decent. If you think the games storytelling isn't good you won't enjoy it.
I think the series of fights following the four
might be the game's highlight. There's been zero combat for at least an hour, and then it's just an onslaught with an
I especially love the little pirouettes you can do to dodge while
I really hope we can get a chapter select patched in, I mean, even Journey kind of had one, it'll hardly compromise the experience.
Edit: This has quickly become my largest screenshot library, I should throw some of them up somewhere.
trials
upgraded move-set.
holding a charged heavy attack,
I love that the tutorial for that is just the voices yelling at you.
I love that the tutorial for that is just the voices yelling at you.
I really hope we can get a chapter select patched in, I mean, even Journey kind of had one, it'll hardly compromise the experience.
Edit: This has quickly become my largest screenshot library, I should throw some of them up somewhere.