brickarts295
Member
Alright, I'll do it. Time to charge the Gold Headsets.
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Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice |OT| The Mid-Tier, in Limbo
- Thread starter Wozman23
- Start date
Alright, I'll do it. Time to charge the Gold Headsets.
Glass Shark
Banned
I hope it meets your expectations! The thing about those other games and similar "walking simulator" stuff is that they mostly just talk at you while you explore an environment. Hellblade uses its environment, visuals, and audio in a way that makes you feel the story. There is a good amount of telling to be sure, but it's all in service of the main conceit of Senua's mental state.
Humdinger
Member
Finished. Really touching story. I do believe NT produced some of their best work in that regard here.
Got some complaints in that the puzzles were almost always very rote and then there's the having to hold the run button down all the time because this is very much a linear game. I think the "game" aspect was kind of weak although I found the combat to be surprisingly fun in some cases, even though near the end they kind of overwhelm you with it and the game as a whole never finds a good balance.
Still, this game was a great surprise and deserves to be talked about for years to come. I think it delivers the issues of mental illness in a very mature way and manages to convey that type of sickness brilliantly through it's audio/video presentation.
Probably have some more stuff to talk about but it's getting late.
I think that's a good way to sum them up as overdone though.
Got some complaints in that the puzzles were almost always very rote and then there's the having to hold the run button down all the time because this is very much a linear game. I think the "game" aspect was kind of weak although I found the combat to be surprisingly fun in some cases, even though near the end they kind of overwhelm you with it and the game as a whole never finds a good balance.
Still, this game was a great surprise and deserves to be talked about for years to come. I think it delivers the issues of mental illness in a very mature way and manages to convey that type of sickness brilliantly through it's audio/video presentation.
Probably have some more stuff to talk about but it's getting late.
Somewhere, somehow, it's already been done.
Oh, I get it. I mean, you are literally
fixing bridges of her mind and repairing memories/holes.
I think that's a good way to sum them up as overdone though.
WheelHoss1
Member
I'm the opposite. Give me Souls storytelling and amazing combat anytime
So I worry about this one because everyone seems to gush and yet where is the amazing gameplay? I mean this is still a game.
I think this will be a niche. A glorious niche for sure. But I think I'll stick with Splat2n
Jangowuzhere
Banned
I like that as a story element, but it really stops being engaging as a mechanic after you do it a couple times. They needed to remix the rune puzzles up in more interesting ways. I like it when the
fire chases you through the maze
Traveling between the light and dark world or lighting torches in the dark
The puzzles definitely suck/lack, and are just a means to an end. The combat, while shallow, is heaps of fun to me.
The game could've used more mechanics, combat, and a variety of puzzles with more to them.
Still, the game for what it is, is something most shouldn't miss out on playing.
The game could've used more mechanics, combat, and a variety of puzzles with more to them.
Still, the game for what it is, is something most shouldn't miss out on playing.
Self_Destructive
Member
It really depends on your PC.
There's some blurring going on at 60fps on PRO even compared to the standard PS4.. but it obviously runs a lot smoother. The "4K" option looks quite a bit sharper than the base PS4 and I believe it dynamically adjusts between 1440p and 1080p based on load. That mode runs at 30fps.
The game has great post processing effects that really make it look great no matter the resolution. You very likely wouldn't even notice it dropping.
I say if you have a decent/good PC, you'd enjoy it on that. If not.. get it on PRO.
//ARCANUM
Member
Thinking about grabbing this this weekend. I'm a little worried about permadeath. Is the combat hard like Soulsborne? I am trash at that style and also don't have the time to restart this multiple times due to permadeath. But I'm really intrigued by it, and it being 6-7 hrs means I could actually beat it (if it's not terribly difficult).
So yeah... am I gonna die?
Am I already dead?
So yeah... am I gonna die?
Am I already dead?
The game has an automatic difficulty adjust by default. Leave it on that and you should be fine. It's not particularly hard either.
The game doesn't actually have a permadeath system. There's a bit of confusion and doubt throughout the thread, but Eurogamer published an article corroborating PCGN's findings. It contains spoilers, so here's the pertinent bit:
Jangowuzhere
Banned
This whole talk of the
thing is a bit of a bummer.
From what I know, the developers never mentioned anything about this before the game's release. They obviously didn't want it spreading around the internet so people can talk about it.
permadeath
That is a major spoiler for this game and its story. These crappy gaming sites/youtubers making videos or articles about it trying to "debunk" it are just missing the point completely.
From what I know, the developers never mentioned anything about this before the game's release. They obviously didn't want it spreading around the internet so people can talk about it.
//ARCANUM
Member
Finished the game yesterday with my bro's wife. Considering we mainly played for Andy LaPlagua, who made like 2 songs for this, this was quite okay. Graphically it's amazing, no doubt, and I'm sure with the headphones the audia is superb as well, but the gameplay itself was pretty lacking to us. We came to the conclusion that they should've pushed it in one of the direction more, be it more action or more puzzles.
If it contains spoilers, why do you spoil it in the first sentence and...don't use spoiler tags? @_@
Sparrowhawk
Member
Really tempted to get this just because I heard about all the spooky audio shit.
The the permadeath system doesn't actually exist isn't a spoiler. We've even a thread on it titled "Hellblade's permadeath is a bluff".
Jangowuzhere
Banned
It totally is a spoiler.
I think to argue otherwise would just be crazy.
There's a reason behind the game deceiving you with the bluff.
Savantcore
Unconfirmed Member
Oh man that was amazing. Ninja Theory absolutely nailed it. So happy.
And that reason hasn't been explained. That would be why I mentioned Eurogamer's spoiler warning and just quoted the part that supports the previously-mentioned thread title.
Edit: My point here isn't that I'm right and you're wrong. It's fine if you disagree. I'm just saying I don't think I've done anything wrong by confirming the lack of a permadeath system.
Jangowuzhere
Banned
Have you played and beaten the game?
The actual fantasy journey your character embarks on isn't real. The main character is having a psychosis episode. Even though it isn't objectively real, she 100% believes the journey she embarks on is reality.
The "permadeath" system is one of the ways the game tries to fit the theme of psychosis into the game mechanics. The game tells you that you will lose all your progress if you die too much. This isn't objectively true, but if you played the game without knowing it is a lie, you would think it is actually real. The idea is to make the player more anxious, and to also take the threats in the game seriously just like the main character.
It is a spoiler. It blowing up on the internet does not somehow disqualify it from spoiler status. This is a part of the game's story that will be ruined knowing it ahead of time.
The "permadeath" system is one of the ways the game tries to fit the theme of psychosis into the game mechanics. The game tells you that you will lose all your progress if you die too much. This isn't objectively true, but if you played the game without knowing it is a lie, you would think it is actually real. The idea is to make the player more anxious, and to also take the threats in the game seriously just like the main character.
It is a spoiler. It blowing up on the internet does not somehow disqualify it from spoiler status. This is a part of the game's story that will be ruined knowing it ahead of time.
As per my edit, I'm not arguing you're wrong to consider it a spoiler. I'm just saying I don't think I've committed a cardinal sin by confirming the system's non-existence.
Especially since perma death is a deal breaker for some people.
Jampsuliini
Member
I recommend everyone to watch the Hellblade feature in the main menu after finishing the game. Gave me even more context and appreciation for the game after watching it. It contains spoilers for the game though, so finish the game first.
My thoughts about the story behind the "permadeath" mechanic and the rune puzzles:
A question about the ending for people who've finished the game:
My thoughts about the story behind the "permadeath" mechanic and the rune puzzles:
The feature talked about the symptoms of psychosis. One of them was how you end up making connections between things that have no basis on reality. As Senua hallucinates "the rot" that's climbing up her arm, she comes up to the conclusion that it's linked to her quest to get to Hela, the source of the "darkness", just like saving Dillian and pretty much everything else in her life. Since we are experiencing the world from her perspective, we are led to believe in the "permadeath" mechanic, just like she believes in it, even though it isn't real. Same thing for the runes. Senua sees patterns in the environment that she thinks she need to continue on her quest, even though these runes don't actually exist.
A question about the ending for people who've finished the game:
Since "the rot" goes away at the end of the game and how pretty much every fight in the game was all in her head (at least that's how I saw it), how do you think she was so beat up at the end of the game? Was it self harm, or do you think she just got injured badly on her journey?
Finished this tonight. I think I really liked it but it's definitely a hard one to form thoughts on.
Senua's actress was incredible, some moments sent chills running down my spine. It actually reminded me of the immediacy of intense theatre: when someone is acting so vulnerable right in front of you and how it feels almost perverse. That eye contact...
Biggest problem:
Senua's actress was incredible, some moments sent chills running down my spine. It actually reminded me of the immediacy of intense theatre: when someone is acting so vulnerable right in front of you and how it feels almost perverse. That eye contact...
Biggest problem:
I really hated the 'you have to let them kill you' in the combat at the end. Because of the super long fight in the hellish place with all the burnt bodies moving around you I figured it was gonna be the same so I kept fighting to the point where I got frustrated and bored. Then looked it up and realised I had to die. Kinda put a damper on the last cutscene.
Jangowuzhere
Banned
I mainly blame the various gaming websites writing about it.
It spreads around like common knowledge, but it's not something that you should know about beforehand. Yeah, I guess the cat is out of the bag, and I think that really sucks.
Did you ever get knocked down to the ground during that fight? The voices hint that you should just give up when you're about to die.
That's perfectly understandable.
Jampsuliini
Member
I usually don't like these kinds of unwinnable fights in games, but once I understood both Senua and me as the player had to let go of the fight, of the quest, so that Senua could move on with her life, it really resonated with me.
Kain-Nosgoth
Member
Just finished it, really liked it, wonderfull job with the story, the presentation, the sound direction, the subject, and so on!
But they should have made this a purely narrative one! The fights were boring and too long, and i don't feel they made me more invested in the game
But they should have made this a purely narrative one! The fights were boring and too long, and i don't feel they made me more invested in the game
So that game was pretty incredible
It almost verged on being straight up unpleasant to play at points it was so unsettling
I actually really enjoyed the combat and the puzzles
My biggest question:
It almost verged on being straight up unpleasant to play at points it was so unsettling
I actually really enjoyed the combat and the puzzles
My biggest question:
Exactly how much of it was real? I'm pretty sure the mountain was really the fort of the people that raided her village. The one guy seemed to have really escaped from them. I'm thinking the plague was real, the invaders got the plague when raiding her village, it then wiped out the invaders home base, then when she goes after their base, they are mostly wiped out by the plague but she does fight some stragglers, all the falls down caves and stuff also seems to be real
The game actually cheats to make you lose eventually. The ground begins to shake and stun you right as you are about to get hit.
Jesus
bloody christ. The soundtrack is phenomenal. Can't wait to play it.
FaintDeftone
Junior Member
Man, that sequence where
gave me the creeps.
Senua is laying on the bridge leading to Helheim and the voices warn her of the darkness approaching was spine tingling. Watching that huge lumbering mannequin-like creature lunge at me
Finished last night at about 2:30 in the morning. I was a bit confused with the ending, but some of the responses here have provided clarity.
As someone who struggled with anxiety for years before getting it in check, I'm choosing to see the ending as
Photo mode was great as well - although it wasn't always as fantastic or easy to work with as Horizon's. I spammed it constantly during the last half of the game. A few times I had some odd results, and there are a few times where it breaks the scene, revealing some of the development trickery like a duplicate Senua just chilling in the background. However, if you look for interesting opportunities to make use of it, it can create some lovely results. I got lucky with timing on a few occasions, but it'd be really nice to see a photo mode with a DVR-like rewind ability, letting you go back a few seconds to grab the perfect frame. Here's my gallery (obviously with story, location, and enemy spoilers)
Still gotta watch the feature, then hop back in to find the 7 glyphs I missed. Probably will add to my gallery with my second run as well.
For now, here are some (read: "a lot") of my favorite photos:
The entire time, I believed we we in a real place, and Senua was just dealing with symptoms of mental illness. But all along everything was all in Senua's head.
The entire game is crafted with teases. Towards the end, I had come to grips that I'd be sacrificing myself for Dillon's life, as the subtitle Senua's Sacrifice would imply. I thought, way to blow your ending, Ninja Theory. But it was all just another bluff.
The threat of permadeath and the rot are another great bluff - sadly ruined by journalists. (I wish that detail wouldn't have been outed, though I see how it's a catch 22. I'm not a fan of permadeath, and feared its inclusion. I could see how it would instantly prevent people from buying Hellblade. But knowing it is a ruse strips away a layer of anxiety that the game was trying to create.)
I really like how the entirety of the game was built around the mental illness theme - the trickery with its components, the recognition of pattern with the rune doors, the voices that made excellent use of binaural audio, the anxiety-enducing, oppressive enemies and environments, the uses of fear and existential dread... It all works so well together to really nail the mood and convey the point.
The entire game is crafted with teases. Towards the end, I had come to grips that I'd be sacrificing myself for Dillon's life, as the subtitle Senua's Sacrifice would imply. I thought, way to blow your ending, Ninja Theory. But it was all just another bluff.
The threat of permadeath and the rot are another great bluff - sadly ruined by journalists. (I wish that detail wouldn't have been outed, though I see how it's a catch 22. I'm not a fan of permadeath, and feared its inclusion. I could see how it would instantly prevent people from buying Hellblade. But knowing it is a ruse strips away a layer of anxiety that the game was trying to create.)
I really like how the entirety of the game was built around the mental illness theme - the trickery with its components, the recognition of pattern with the rune doors, the voices that made excellent use of binaural audio, the anxiety-enducing, oppressive enemies and environments, the uses of fear and existential dread... It all works so well together to really nail the mood and convey the point.
As someone who struggled with anxiety for years before getting it in check, I'm choosing to see the ending as
Senua's triumph over her illness. She begins to recognize her illness, understands the irrationality of it, completes the grieving processes for Dillon - literally letting his skull go - and sees an optimistic life ahead of her.
Photo mode was great as well - although it wasn't always as fantastic or easy to work with as Horizon's. I spammed it constantly during the last half of the game. A few times I had some odd results, and there are a few times where it breaks the scene, revealing some of the development trickery like a duplicate Senua just chilling in the background. However, if you look for interesting opportunities to make use of it, it can create some lovely results. I got lucky with timing on a few occasions, but it'd be really nice to see a photo mode with a DVR-like rewind ability, letting you go back a few seconds to grab the perfect frame. Here's my gallery (obviously with story, location, and enemy spoilers)
Still gotta watch the feature, then hop back in to find the 7 glyphs I missed. Probably will add to my gallery with my second run as well.
For now, here are some (read: "a lot") of my favorite photos:
This game is so wicked fucking cool. Videos do not do it justice. Especially videos where people are bad at the combat. The audio is so fucking creepy and the voices are so fascinating.
It's simplistic, but feels so good. The parry window is pretty generous, but landing them on bosses is just eeeegggghhhh fuck yes!
Question: does diffuculty decrease the window and amplify enemy AI aggression or is it just an increased health/damage kind of deal?
It's simplistic, but feels so good. The parry window is pretty generous, but landing them on bosses is just eeeegggghhhh fuck yes!
Question: does diffuculty decrease the window and amplify enemy AI aggression or is it just an increased health/damage kind of deal?