Hellbade 2 - quick review

smogsy

smogsy

smogsy

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before we start I enjoyed hellblade 1, but I had issues in some areas I hoped they be fixed in 2 as she grew, but not so far
  • slow movement ( 8 hour game is really 4 hours if you walked normally :lol:) in some ways it feels slower as you stop and have to push forward moving stuff/ or fit through gaps
  • everything is so blurry you don't see any real detail unless its a face, definitely an art choice I get it but its not nice to look at.(part of there point I assume)
  • audio is great, better than first
  • combat feels great, but its bunch of QTE like event that feel decent but want to be have more choice
    • its block block attack, then its block block evade, attack - repeated for entire "boss" fight
  • the puzzles are back, so far not as much but with slow walking its painful as hell
im baring through, but feels like a tech demo right now not a game, Hellblade 1 feels more of a game.
 
This is the reason I ditched Xbox. It seems like every single game that looks promising turns out average. Forza Horizon 1 on 360 is probably my favourite ever racing game. But even I can't be arsed trying out FH5. I also have good memories of Stalker back when I had a 8600gt or HD3850 can't quite remember. I bet Stalker 2 is meh as well.
 
Looking forward to trying this, though I didn't get on with the first. Though gameplay/story always comes first for me, im reading that graphically its one of the best yet on console.
 
beachBOYken said:
Looking forward to trying this, though I didn't get on with the first. Though gameplay/story always comes first for me, im reading that graphically it’s one of the best yet on console.
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First 45mibs is slow, once combat starts it gets far better and story unfolds there been a few sequels that mark me to say best I’ve seen this decade puts things like Witcher 3 and last of us to shame
I’m playing it on Xbox and it looks like a high end pc game it was blurry at beginning but that’s her state of mind

Good headphones and good her brings this to life
 
darkgen said:
You've convinced me. I'll DL now as I did enjoy the first one as an audio treat on the headphones. Playing on SX.
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I got 2 chapters left I think 5 completed, it’s only got better and weirder…
I don’t like the puzzles I never have a think most puzzles are waste of time and content filler for sake of filler

Luckily they just over stay there welcome just enough by like 5 minutes
Few of them are tad annoying

No where as bad as tomb raider, or uncharted god I hate those, those puzzles so tedious

My friend was watching me play and she nailed the review well

Your playing game, but it looks like a cinematic film,

Your fingers are gaming
Your eyes are filming
Your ears are their in the moment
Your brain is like WTF going to happen


Key feature use sprint 24/7 it’s really a very slow jog but makes everything more tolerable
 
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Finished, I enjoyed the experience but after getting other people thoughts I’m in the mind set of

It’s not quite a tech demo , not quite a game

The experience is totally worth it, but there isn’t enough really gameplay to say really a game

It’s but like Edith fitch, it’s an experience sure it’s great but could easily just be watched as third person to get the same experience almost like a interactive movie

It did outstay its welcome by the end I’d give it an 8/10

They could easily cut out the puzzles which we reduce it by probably an hour making it around an eight hour game actually give it better score
 
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Finally plugged an hour or so in to it yesterday, Looks beautiful but does indeed feel more like an experience than a game compared to the first one. I certainly need to better understand the combat, as like the first one, I tend to end up button mashing and getting the timings all wrong. I actually do not mind the rune puzzle elements and enjoyed that aspect from the first game but only completed the first set in the "village".

Audio, via headphones, is astounding.

e: I think I'm nearing the end now. Missed loads of totems and trees but the game is definitely an experience. Some surprising and great set pieces. Graphically, easily the best thing on console. Playing on SX (120Hz) and although I understand it's capped at 30fps, it certainly feels much smoother compared to other games at 30. I'm not getting the awful motion-blur / staggered frame presentation which are generally headache inducing on other 30 fps games. Odd.

e2: Transpires I still had a way to go. Now, I believe, I'm near the end! It's a story game that looks and sounds gorgeous is probably the best almost-completed game review I can provide.
 
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darkgen said:
Finally plugged an hour or so in to it yesterday, Looks beautiful but does indeed feel more like an experience than a game compared to the first one. I certainly need to better understand the combat, as like the first one, I tend to end up button mashing and getting the timings all wrong. I actually do not mind the rune puzzle elements and enjoyed that aspect from the first game but only completed the first set in the "village".

Audio, via headphones, is astounding.

e: I think I'm nearing the end now. Missed loads of totems and trees but the game is definitely an experience. Some surprising and great set pieces. Graphically, easily the best thing on console. Playing on SX (120Hz) and although I understand it's capped at 30fps, it certainly feels much smoother compared to other games at 30. I'm not getting the awful motion-blur / staggered frame presentation which are generally headache inducing on other 30 fps games. Odd.

e2: Transpires I still had a way to go. Now, I believe, I'm near the end! It's a story game that looks and sounds gorgeous is probably the best almost-completed game review I can provide.
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Totally agree with this.
 
I agree with everything too. It's barely a game - but I am glad that I experienced it. I'll probably come back to it one day when I have a system which can run it fully 4k with no upscaling etc.
 
I thought it was a big improvement on the first game... But I agree that's it's more of a tech demo, just with an amazing plot.

Definitely worth a play through for the story alone.
 
I had planned to play this on cloud streaming, but since the streaming quality is literal dog **** I will lose half the charm of the game, I.e the graphics.
 
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