There are a couple of lines that are kinda bad but yeah, for the most part her performance is quite good, especially for someone with (I'm assuming) no prior acting experience.
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Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice |OT| The Mid-Tier, in Limbo
- Thread starter Wozman23
- Start date
There are a couple of lines that are kinda bad but yeah, for the most part her performance is quite good, especially for someone with (I'm assuming) no prior acting experience.
Have you gotten to the deadly shadows/darkness yet?
Messofanego
Banned
Hasn't only one person experienced that bug?
I definitly don't want to say that acting is easy at all, but I feel like public perception of "great acting" is kind of squewed in favor of big, loud, showey performances, kind of how some people percieve method acting as inherintly superior. While I love Leonardo DiCaprio to death, that fact that he ate a raw fish for The Revenant or smeared real blood on a scene-parters face for Django isn't soley what makes his performances great.
Plus with videogames and films with CGI characters,their's an entire staff of animators who help to translate the performance into another medium, it's more collaberative.
Anyhow, I feel that was extremely tangential and a bit ranty -- sorry y'all, just had to get that out!
The part where
you run from light to light and the shadow kills you (I presume)
I didn't say my worry was justified. Just anxious about losing my save. Feels appropriate to the game.
Yeah, that's the one.
You get a torch in that segment which will allow you to move safely in the shadows but it'll sometimes go out due to various reasons forcing you to find a way to relight it. AFAIK, Jim ran past one of those fire bowls where he was supposed to relight his torch, for some reason didn't die (I'm assuming this was a bug or maybe he was just incredibly fast) and made it to the next checkpoint without relighting his torch. And then he was stuck because he didn't have a lit torch that'd let him move safely through the darkness (which he was supposed to have) and the fire bowl was now too far away for him to reach without the darkness killing him. I don't think anyone else has reported this bug and I'm pretty sure that you're supposed to die before reaching that checkpoint so I wouldn't worry too much about it but yeah, just watch out for places to relight your torch. (I think in this case it wasn't even in some obscure location, it was right in the corridor he ran through and he simply ran past it because he was so focused on escaping the darkness.)
EDIT: You can see the precise moment he
ran past the fire source
Genuinely shocked (in a good way) by the quality of this game. I had almost zero interest two days ago, and today, I'm thinking it should easily make my top 10 for this year. While the combat and puzzles are a bit one-note so far, the visuals, voice acting, sound design, and writing are just unbelievably good. The acting in particular is so "non-gamey" to me... even compared to some of the best VA performances in games. This just feels so different and convincing.
Ah, got it. I appreciate it, Harlequin, thanks!
Crossing Eden
Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
And then we run into the issue of making it seem like psychosis is more of a superpower by pushing it much more into a mechanic when the intent is to display the effects of it. At least anymore than it already is used as a mechanic.
Messofanego
Banned
Wishmaster92
Member
The amount of positive reception this game has gotten....i'm so happy for NT. This is an amazing game.
Is that Andy Serkis I hear as
?
Some of the dialog seems overwritten but damn if some scenes aren't great storytelling. Emerging from a barren pit of sand into a beautiful field of flowers totally sells someone living in a pit of self doubt and illness getting to feel happiness for a short while.
On the gameplay side I have to say that getting stuck on tiny pieces of rock which should be perfectly passable, and in a larger sense being funneled along narrow paths, is simply outdated design. I get that it's not easy for level designers to lock players into a linear path without resorting to these tricks but it's necessary for just about all games to deal with it at this point. If there's something that breaks immersion (which this game otherwise strives for) it's this.
On another note, between this and what I've seen of Horizon games are finally getting a good grasp on hair. On yet another note though, I'm kind of amazed at how these stunning visuals really don't amaze me anymore. Games sure look good these days.
her father
Some of the dialog seems overwritten but damn if some scenes aren't great storytelling. Emerging from a barren pit of sand into a beautiful field of flowers totally sells someone living in a pit of self doubt and illness getting to feel happiness for a short while.
On the gameplay side I have to say that getting stuck on tiny pieces of rock which should be perfectly passable, and in a larger sense being funneled along narrow paths, is simply outdated design. I get that it's not easy for level designers to lock players into a linear path without resorting to these tricks but it's necessary for just about all games to deal with it at this point. If there's something that breaks immersion (which this game otherwise strives for) it's this.
On another note, between this and what I've seen of Horizon games are finally getting a good grasp on hair. On yet another note though, I'm kind of amazed at how these stunning visuals really don't amaze me anymore. Games sure look good these days.
Glass Shark
Banned
holy shit, I missed this. I thought those were just water droplets on the viewport or something
Nope, I thought the same the entire time until I saw the credits.
MrS
Banned
No and
yes, sort of
LegitMcfalls
Member
Its like half price of a regular game...
Parry that shit!
igordennis
Member
Can you elaborate? If you watched the documentary you will have seen that for the better part of 2 years the devs were in a constant back and forth between several different institutions and mental health specialists consulting on the game and giving feedback etc. The mental illness aspect of the game was handled exceptionally well considering how tough it is to go into this subject and i think the devs succeeded at what they were going for.
TGO
Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
I've used both of those, with the default profile and surround off on the 2.0's
I do notice a lot of audio cut out on the buds though.
Hmm. Pretty layman generalisations.
Acting is an art. Similarly to how you can take a thousand "writers" who are "trained" and give them all the same job, they'll all produce different results - take a thousand different actors who have been trained and they'll all produce different results.
The more important component and key difference is that an actor is often only as good as their director and/or editor and/or producer. The actor can bring a lot but the director really sculpts the performance. When a performance seems uninspired or mediocre, it's probably largely due to the director or production team not having the chops, time or resources to get it right.
But also, to be honest - and as you personally admit - you really don't know how hard it is to act.
Humdinger
Member
I use those headphones, and it doesn't sound like plain stereo to me. I can hear the voices moving around, positionally, and usually get a good sense of where things are located in the environment. Doesn't sound like normal stereo at all.
I was parrying! I needed to work on my dodges and using the focus.
I kept dying in the 3rd round. Finally made it. Combat is tougher than I expected.
I like when you get the parry timing right. Some cool effects.
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)
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)
Not Spaceghost
Spaceghost
Whew just fought my first proper boss fight against
and I know that a lot of people seem to say that the combat is just adequate but honestly fights in this game feel like a real thrill. They seem so life threatening.
That fight was a lot of fun
The game looks and runs phenomenally on my 3gig 1060
valravn
That fight was a lot of fun
between learning what could be parried, what could be dodged and realizing that the focus button actually does something in combat, it's kinda cool that the game has no real tutorials so I wouldn't expect a lot of people to really attempt to use focus in a fight until you hear those little voices screaming at you to focus and thinking "oh maybe they mean actually use the focus button"
The game looks and runs phenomenally on my 3gig 1060
Sooooo, weird question:
At one point in the game you walk around with a torch and quite a few of the voices whisper that it's about to go out or that it's about to go out. They are basically arguing over it for a few seconds. Does anyone remember that part and know where exactly it happened? Can't seem to find the footage.
At one point in the game you walk around with a torch and quite a few of the voices whisper that it's about to go out or that it's about to go out. They are basically arguing over it for a few seconds. Does anyone remember that part and know where exactly it happened? Can't seem to find the footage.
This is one of the most uniquely immersive games that I've ever played. I've never experienced anything like it, which is a huge plus for me since I've been playing games for so long. A big part of that unique experience is the incredibly crafted audio. If they gave Oscars to games, they would win for sound design. Just brilliant.
Messofanego
Banned
Oh shit, how did I not mention that people should REALLY play Severed if they like Hellblade. Both are about female warriors, both are about loss and are incredibly melancholic. It was #2 GOTY for me last year.
2. Severed ; There have been quite a few games in 2016 that had fantastic and emotionally enriching stories, and none other were they as resonant as in Drinkbox's firstperson dungeon crawler Severed which is about loss, grief, and moving on. I loved Guacamelee and would follow Drinkbox's games wherever they went. For their next venture, they went exclusively to the Playstation Vita. I literally bought a Vita just for this game. I'm glad it's finally now on other devices (iOS, Android, 3DS, Wii U). I had no idea how big of a departure this would be from Guacamelee not just in terms of gameplay but also in tone. This game much like Hyper Light Drifter is purely melancholic in its tone and atmosphere. As for the typical hero's journey, there are early deaths in the family, but the hardest and subversive part is the protagonist Sasha having to move on from all these hardships. This game is funereal. It's the videogame equivalent of Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain in terms of being about moving on past your grief, in a fantastical manner. In this oppressive and lonely world of nasty monsters, there are only two other talking creatures that you interact with which adds to the purgatorial atmosphere. Easily, the coolest and most interesting female protagonist of 2016.
Not only does the game have excellent storytelling, it's packed to the gills with variety in locations, enemies, mechanics, and the perfect level of challenge, rounded by top-notch presentation. Who expected such depth from just the main interaction of swiping? The neon-bathed art style is immediately eye-catching compared to any other dungeon crawler. The original soundtrack by Yamantaka Sonic Titan and Pantayo is memorable, it's like a mix of tribal instruments and modern rock structure. The track "Home Revisited" is like out of the best work of a JRPG composer. Severed is just well-executed on all levels, and left a big impact on me.
whatever6352
Member
Thanks for the recommendation. Really loved Hellblade. So I'll check it out. Don't think it's on PS4 and I just gave my Vita to my brother so I guess I'll check it out on my Switch by default. I've needed a reason to turn it on this month anyways.
Messofanego
Banned
This is the only joke in the game, and it's about a cow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeJmZSSP8v0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeJmZSSP8v0
SunhiLegend
Member
For me it happened
almost immediately after getting the torch while trying to find the symbols to open that one gate in front of which you pick up the torch. I think I went to the right (well, it'd be right if you were looking at the gate, left if you're looking away from the gate) into that one tower with the spiral staircase and the voices started talking about it when I reached the top of the staircase or sth.
MrS
Banned
Legit thought he said car when I first heard it.
Just got the platinum. One of the best games of the gen, no doubt.
Holy crap, that was it! Thank you so much. Been searching for the footage for an hour
Shadow Broker
Banned
Is it weird that I find Senua herself to be such an amazing character but find Hell blade the rest of the game boring?
I definitely like the Norse lore build up through out the game. That was my second favorite thing after Senua's character. I just found the game boring. The only thing that kept me going was the little lore details and Senua herself.
Edit: Also I don't understand the ending fully.
I definitely like the Norse lore build up through out the game. That was my second favorite thing after Senua's character. I just found the game boring. The only thing that kept me going was the little lore details and Senua herself.
Edit: Also I don't understand the ending fully.
Here, full on explanation from my point of view, warning to everyone clicking the Spoiler tag:
It was all in Senua's mind. It's a psychotic episode she's having after returning home and finding her boyfriend dead and skinned alive. In her psychosis she tried to paint a world and tell a story in which she could revive Dillion and defeat the darkness inside her at the same time by finding and defeating Hella. Both this quest and the adventures on her way there are fueled by the stories Druth told her about Northern Mythology. That's the "audio logs" you find, basically.
At the end of the game she realises that there is no "Darkness". It was a concept her father invented to explain away her and her mother's mental problems and everyone, including herself, believed him, further worsening her symptoms. With that realization also comes the one that there actually is no Hella and that there is no way for her to revive Dillion. She wasn't in the village when the raid happened because she ran away from home to fight her "darkness" after the village was ravaged by the plague and the people, including Dillion, claimed that she was responsible because of her curse (it's not entirely clear if Dillion actually did that. We see it in a flashback, but in another flashback he says he never said that. It's entirely possible and imo likely that it's a mix between both: Dillion lost his nerves, said something stupid and Senua interpreted it as something even worse because it immediately triggered her anxiety, see the red eyes Dillion gets and shaking ground during the flashback.)
It's an incredibly well told story and visualisation of mental illness. I love the way they show that symptoms often don't come from the sickness itself but from the way society treats those who suffer from it. Her relationship with her abusive father and the way she kept telling herself that it was actually all her faut, further worsening her mental state, was also incredibly well depicted. So, so often people suffering from mental health problems internalize that everything that's happening to them is their fault, that the sickness is their fault, that what other people have done to them is their fault: The Darkness is a representation of that feeling of guilt. It disappears when Senua finally realises that it's not her fault, that she did nothing wrong and that she isn't cursed.
At the end of the game she realises that there is no "Darkness". It was a concept her father invented to explain away her and her mother's mental problems and everyone, including herself, believed him, further worsening her symptoms. With that realization also comes the one that there actually is no Hella and that there is no way for her to revive Dillion. She wasn't in the village when the raid happened because she ran away from home to fight her "darkness" after the village was ravaged by the plague and the people, including Dillion, claimed that she was responsible because of her curse (it's not entirely clear if Dillion actually did that. We see it in a flashback, but in another flashback he says he never said that. It's entirely possible and imo likely that it's a mix between both: Dillion lost his nerves, said something stupid and Senua interpreted it as something even worse because it immediately triggered her anxiety, see the red eyes Dillion gets and shaking ground during the flashback.)
It's an incredibly well told story and visualisation of mental illness. I love the way they show that symptoms often don't come from the sickness itself but from the way society treats those who suffer from it. Her relationship with her abusive father and the way she kept telling herself that it was actually all her faut, further worsening her mental state, was also incredibly well depicted. So, so often people suffering from mental health problems internalize that everything that's happening to them is their fault, that the sickness is their fault, that what other people have done to them is their fault: The Darkness is a representation of that feeling of guilt. It disappears when Senua finally realises that it's not her fault, that she did nothing wrong and that she isn't cursed.
Everyone should also check out the Documentary available via the main menu. They go into more detail in there, it's really well produced.
MosquitoSmasher
Member
So what I'm wondering is, is this a confirmed console exclusive for PS4 and with PC next to it or is there a chance it will get released on Xbox as well? Is this a bit like From partnering with Sony for Bloodborne?
I don't think that there are any contracts or legal agreements between NT and Sony keeping the game from coming to Xbone. They probably left it out because of the smaller scope of the production but I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up coming to Xbone eventually provided the PS4 and PC versions are successful.