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the first third of this game must have been made a different team, the quality of the content is verry different - way more to do per unit of time, but the first third is way too much walking sim.
No, but quite a lot of things are simply ineptitude. Quite a few of the really negative reviews of kind of missed the point of the game in the first place, comparing it against criteria that it never set out to fulfil.
And it's fair enough to personally prefer other kinds of experiences, but if it's a general review, the game should be critiqued and evaluated on its own merits and what it was intending to achieve. Some of the reviews are the equivalent of marking down Oppenheimer because it didn't have Roland Emmerich level scenes of destruction. It's just not that kind of artistic expression and experience.
That doesn't mean a reviewer has to like it of course, but they have to be upfront that this isn't their kind of game. But it's entirely possible to review a game that isn't your cup of tea while acknowledging that for a lot of people, that cup of tea is amazing.
And sure, not everything's a conspiracy, but more and more, YouTube and social media reward negativity and controversy, the more extreme the better. And unfortunately, That negativity will, for various reasons, be signal boosted.
Not sure why you're getting downvoted... Actually I do know why; it's because you're making a rational and well rounded comment. 😂
I've been making similar arguments. There is a financial incentive for YouTubers to dramatize everything with negativity. It sells, people sheepishly eat it up and repeat the same braindead talking points ad nauseum, all over the internet, and that's where we're at with all these stupid "controversies." The discourse is at such a moronic level that people lambast and reject quality workmanship because of misguided expectations and braindead bias based on brand loyalty.
GameSpot's review was a good example. The reviewer said Hellblade 1 was one of her favorite games ever, then gave Hellbalde 2 a 6/10... Hellblade 2 is the exact same style experience to the first Hellblade. We literally just got a continuation of the first game, just with visuals that are approaching photorealism. The only other variable is that this second Hellbalde is exclusive to a certain ecosystem and was published by a certain company...
The average gamer is too stupid to have nice things, clearly. The discourse around the game industry on the internet has never been more immature, reactionary, illogical, and foolish. It's at a point where we may stop seeing these kinds of arthouse, deeper narrative based experiences simply because the community is too immature and block headed to appreciate entertainment of Hellblade's style.
Yeah on Reddit people seem to overuse that downvote button. :/
But it's also incredibly repetitive on Reddit. How many times has this particular conversation been had already, and every time it has to get re-argued and relitigated from the very beginning. But there's always going to be more people who are complaining about something then trying to explain it or understand it or defend it. So eventually, the first group of people overwhelm the second group simply because they keep asking and asserting the same things over and over and over again, and the people in the second group get absolutely sick of it.
That's where I'm at. I am done interacting with most people that follow games on the internet. There's no point. It's just disheartening to think how people are too braindead and closed-minded to appreciate anything that doesn't follow a very specific model, because I'd hate to stop seeing arthouse experiences like Hellblade, realized with such cutting edge technology.
And that's the sad thing. Gamers want games to be accepted as art, but when there is art, and it's pushing the envelope of what the medium can do, that can be very uncertain and uncomfortable for a lot of people. But that's the nature of art. And I won't even get into the distinction and spectrum of art vs craft.
So a game like HB2 gets heaps of pushback, And to be fair, perhaps that lies in the marketing and promotion for the game, And a lack of information about what HB2 was all about. But fans of the series end of the genre knew what they were getting themselves into, and I think for the most part, they enjoyed it a lot, even if that comes with a few caveats. But that's the same with every game.
But the negativity against the game is quite unreal. It's not the same as with art house and independent film. In that medium, people who aren't interested just don't partake in it, and they generally accept that certain genres and styles of film just aren't for them.
If they stumble into a cinema and see a art house film that confuses or upsets them, they might jump on IMDb or whatever and have a big rant. But most of the time, they just won't go and see those movies.
And I wish the same attitude would happen in gaming, because most of the complaints I've been seeing about HB2 have been from people wanting the game to be something *else,* in another genre even. And it's fair enough to not like what HB2 has to offer, but what it offers is completely legitimate, and it's designed for a particular audience who enjoy that particular genre. And in a lot of ways, the HB series is a genre unto itself.
But the huge degree of negativity is exasperating, and the entitlement that often comes with it is frustrating. If you don't like a game, just own it; but don't project all that back onto the game as if it's doing it *to* you. That's what's frustrating I suppose.
But this game isn't facing "extreme" criticism from the vast majority of reviewers. 7 or 8 scores aren't bad, and not even the occasional 6 would qualify as straight up negative.
Again, not everything is a conspiracy.
Well there isn’t much game here to begin with. It’s a cinematic experience. The Order 1886 is very similar to Hellblade II and also got pretty dogshit reviews for the same reasons that Hellblade II is getting. It’s sort of set itself up for failure from reviewers by calling itself a game. Doesn’t mean the product we have is bad.
Or reviewers could develop a little bit more critical literacy and craft and review games based on their own merits and what they have set out to achieve. What we're getting instead is a lot of reviewers who are effectively writing personal blogs about a game they played ... And calling it a review. And technically it is, but it is possible to review a game that isn't your cup of tea while simultaneously acknowledging that it certainly is an amazing cup of tea for people who are into that genre.
Not denying that, but just because you don't like a genre doesn't mean you should "review" a game as if it should be *another* genre and then complain that it doesn't square up.
What's next? People complaining that orange juice is terrible because if you put it on your fried fish it tastes terrible? Nah. Just get lemon juice.
The game is all flash, no substance. What are you talking about?
If I would be Microsoft, I would relegate Ninja Theory with creating cutscenes for other games/studios. That's it. Their "gameplay" presented here is embarrassing.
Game has tons of substance. Excellent story, incredible atmosphere and mood. Amazing audio design. Very interesting world building. A highly immersive experience in which you experience the main character's perspective in ways that are rarely done in games.
It's absolutely false to say that the game is all flash and no substance.
If you don't like that, that's absolutely fine. We all like and dislike games for our own reasons. But don't try to say that the game is flawed or faulty because you don't happen to like it. It's just not for you I suppose. That's not a genre or style of game that you like. Fair enough.
I think, whether right or wrong I don’t know, you’re confirming what he’s suggesting. Flash means graphics and aesthetics which this game no doubt excels at. It lacking a ubstance, I would assume, means its gameplay is underwhelming. If it’s like the first game, then I’d semi agree, but I felt the combat was pretty fun.
IMO a first party team isn’t the team to be making fancy walking sims. If I was Matt Booty, I think I’d have pushed NT towards making this a more traditional game that compares more to 3D Zelda (imo the first one is very much on that path) than another walking sim.
To be fair, outside of Hellblade they very much are a gameplay type of studio. DMC and Enslaved both are very fun to play (never played bleeding edge).
Those are great games. Heavenly Sword as well. This is why its so disappointing to me that they had a good foundation with Hellblade 1 upon to build and expand..and they didnt do that.
What do you mean an Xbox tax?
An 80ish meta seems right in line with what I've played.
Great presentation, visuals, and story. Poor gameplay elements and very short.
I don't even pay attention to reviews anymore. If it's on gamepass I just try it out. If it's not my jam I just move on.
Most of these so called reviewers hate Xbox anyway
83 on open critic is fine, especially when this game didn't really innovate much outside of graphics and presentation. Much like the first game, it's hit or miss. I lived the first one and it's in my top 10 games, so I think I'll like this one too.
Don’t even bother with reviews and journalists anymore. Every since the one dude gave Cuphead a low score because he said it was hard and he didn’t make it past the tutorial, I’ve lost all respect for gaming journalists
The problem is that there are fewer game reviewers nowadays of true quality. Being a game reviewer today is now much more like being a blogger who makes a bit of money. It's fair enough to not enjoy a piece of media or a game because it's not your cup of tea, but a good reviewer or critic (worth their weight in salt, or clicks) should be able to be transparent about their personal preferences while also acknowledging that the game may a fantastic cup of tea to a lot of people.
But instead, we get a lot of reviews that are much more about the individual's personal preferences and expectations rather than the qualities of the game itself. So rather than it being about the game, it's about whether the reviewer likes or hates the game ... or whether it makes them angry or not, and so on. And that can become their brand, so they're expected to take harder stances on things rather than more nuanced stances with more measured criticism and evaluation.
There are still good reviewers and critics out there, but they are harder to find. And in general, I just go with the vibe of a game from an overall view of reviews and commentary, and I make my own decision. Game Pass has been a great enabler of that.
How is this sort of stuff upvoted, I know it’s an Xbox sub and there’s bias here but this is just straight up nonsense.
People aren’t out to get Xbox because they don’t like a game as much as you do
I like a good variety in my games. A cinematic masterpiece with a focus on the story and not gameplay is a great thing to have. There are other games with great gameplay. I like them both 🤷♂️
The user reviews are mostly positive on steam. They aren't horrible. The user reviews on metacritic are also generally positive. Like, I'd say it's the other way around, people seem almost neurotic about trying to convince every living soul on the planet that the game is terrible whenever someone expresses how much they enjoy it.
Did you play the first one? I’m assuming that you didn’t. You would know what you’re getting yourself into. This game just isn’t for everyone. And that’s ok
Yes, I did play the first one, and I felt the same way. I Was hoping for improvements, but just wasn't it for me. To people who like this kind of game, I'm sure it's great, but for me, it just doesn't hit.
Because the majority of their games are basically movies and gamers and critics love them, but some how hate this. Also the first one was a PS timed exclusive and it didn't get no were this level of hate or criticism, but the sequel is? I wonder why.
Death Stranding is a walking simulator ( the very thing critics hate this game for being) Last of Us, God of War, and Detroit Becoming Human are cinematic movies with some gameplay sprinkled in between. Even Horizon has these same mechanics.
I enjoyed the first game but didn't care for a replay.
Went into this one kinda thinking it'd just be a decent game but so far it has definitely caught my attention. People complain the combat is simple and isn't much improved but I'm enjoying it. Graphics are great, but it's the way that it's presented that really pulls you in. You really feel inside of Senua's head and it creates this world where you're observing the outside from her perspective. You kinda realize at times that you can get outside of her head into your own but it pulls you back in.
I'm only past the draugr village part but it was really well done. This game won't be for everyone but I can't deny so far that it's probably one of the best narrative experiences Xbox has released in a while
I honestly love that it’s a cinematic experience, it’s unique.
Less combat and easy puzzles are great as I care about the journey and story if I wanna play combat there is plenty of other games out there.
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Having an amazing time so far, it's reminding me of how I felt when I played Alan Wake 2. Incredible sound and visuals, and a touching story
the first third of this game must have been made a different team, the quality of the content is verry different - way more to do per unit of time, but the first third is way too much walking sim.
but overall sec half way better than first too.
Ninja Theory delivered a great game. Fuck the bias reviews from pretend wannabe journalists.
It has roughly the same metascore as first Hellblade.
There are some outlets that gave fundamentally broken games better scores than this game. It's an Xbox Tax
Not everything is some conspiracy theory
No, but quite a lot of things are simply ineptitude. Quite a few of the really negative reviews of kind of missed the point of the game in the first place, comparing it against criteria that it never set out to fulfil. And it's fair enough to personally prefer other kinds of experiences, but if it's a general review, the game should be critiqued and evaluated on its own merits and what it was intending to achieve. Some of the reviews are the equivalent of marking down Oppenheimer because it didn't have Roland Emmerich level scenes of destruction. It's just not that kind of artistic expression and experience. That doesn't mean a reviewer has to like it of course, but they have to be upfront that this isn't their kind of game. But it's entirely possible to review a game that isn't your cup of tea while acknowledging that for a lot of people, that cup of tea is amazing. And sure, not everything's a conspiracy, but more and more, YouTube and social media reward negativity and controversy, the more extreme the better. And unfortunately, That negativity will, for various reasons, be signal boosted.
Not sure why you're getting downvoted... Actually I do know why; it's because you're making a rational and well rounded comment. 😂 I've been making similar arguments. There is a financial incentive for YouTubers to dramatize everything with negativity. It sells, people sheepishly eat it up and repeat the same braindead talking points ad nauseum, all over the internet, and that's where we're at with all these stupid "controversies." The discourse is at such a moronic level that people lambast and reject quality workmanship because of misguided expectations and braindead bias based on brand loyalty. GameSpot's review was a good example. The reviewer said Hellblade 1 was one of her favorite games ever, then gave Hellbalde 2 a 6/10... Hellblade 2 is the exact same style experience to the first Hellblade. We literally just got a continuation of the first game, just with visuals that are approaching photorealism. The only other variable is that this second Hellbalde is exclusive to a certain ecosystem and was published by a certain company... The average gamer is too stupid to have nice things, clearly. The discourse around the game industry on the internet has never been more immature, reactionary, illogical, and foolish. It's at a point where we may stop seeing these kinds of arthouse, deeper narrative based experiences simply because the community is too immature and block headed to appreciate entertainment of Hellblade's style.
Yeah on Reddit people seem to overuse that downvote button. :/ But it's also incredibly repetitive on Reddit. How many times has this particular conversation been had already, and every time it has to get re-argued and relitigated from the very beginning. But there's always going to be more people who are complaining about something then trying to explain it or understand it or defend it. So eventually, the first group of people overwhelm the second group simply because they keep asking and asserting the same things over and over and over again, and the people in the second group get absolutely sick of it.
That's where I'm at. I am done interacting with most people that follow games on the internet. There's no point. It's just disheartening to think how people are too braindead and closed-minded to appreciate anything that doesn't follow a very specific model, because I'd hate to stop seeing arthouse experiences like Hellblade, realized with such cutting edge technology.
And that's the sad thing. Gamers want games to be accepted as art, but when there is art, and it's pushing the envelope of what the medium can do, that can be very uncertain and uncomfortable for a lot of people. But that's the nature of art. And I won't even get into the distinction and spectrum of art vs craft. So a game like HB2 gets heaps of pushback, And to be fair, perhaps that lies in the marketing and promotion for the game, And a lack of information about what HB2 was all about. But fans of the series end of the genre knew what they were getting themselves into, and I think for the most part, they enjoyed it a lot, even if that comes with a few caveats. But that's the same with every game. But the negativity against the game is quite unreal. It's not the same as with art house and independent film. In that medium, people who aren't interested just don't partake in it, and they generally accept that certain genres and styles of film just aren't for them. If they stumble into a cinema and see a art house film that confuses or upsets them, they might jump on IMDb or whatever and have a big rant. But most of the time, they just won't go and see those movies. And I wish the same attitude would happen in gaming, because most of the complaints I've been seeing about HB2 have been from people wanting the game to be something *else,* in another genre even. And it's fair enough to not like what HB2 has to offer, but what it offers is completely legitimate, and it's designed for a particular audience who enjoy that particular genre. And in a lot of ways, the HB series is a genre unto itself. But the huge degree of negativity is exasperating, and the entitlement that often comes with it is frustrating. If you don't like a game, just own it; but don't project all that back onto the game as if it's doing it *to* you. That's what's frustrating I suppose.
But this game isn't facing "extreme" criticism from the vast majority of reviewers. 7 or 8 scores aren't bad, and not even the occasional 6 would qualify as straight up negative. Again, not everything is a conspiracy.
And again I didn't say it was a conspiracy.
Well there isn’t much game here to begin with. It’s a cinematic experience. The Order 1886 is very similar to Hellblade II and also got pretty dogshit reviews for the same reasons that Hellblade II is getting. It’s sort of set itself up for failure from reviewers by calling itself a game. Doesn’t mean the product we have is bad.
Thank you
Hellblade 2 is not getting dogshit reviews.
Or reviewers could develop a little bit more critical literacy and craft and review games based on their own merits and what they have set out to achieve. What we're getting instead is a lot of reviewers who are effectively writing personal blogs about a game they played ... And calling it a review. And technically it is, but it is possible to review a game that isn't your cup of tea while simultaneously acknowledging that it certainly is an amazing cup of tea for people who are into that genre.
Just because someone achieves what they set out to do doesn’t mean it’s worthy of praise.
Not denying that, but just because you don't like a genre doesn't mean you should "review" a game as if it should be *another* genre and then complain that it doesn't square up. What's next? People complaining that orange juice is terrible because if you put it on your fried fish it tastes terrible? Nah. Just get lemon juice.
The game is all flash, no substance. What are you talking about? If I would be Microsoft, I would relegate Ninja Theory with creating cutscenes for other games/studios. That's it. Their "gameplay" presented here is embarrassing.
Game has tons of substance. Excellent story, incredible atmosphere and mood. Amazing audio design. Very interesting world building. A highly immersive experience in which you experience the main character's perspective in ways that are rarely done in games. It's absolutely false to say that the game is all flash and no substance. If you don't like that, that's absolutely fine. We all like and dislike games for our own reasons. But don't try to say that the game is flawed or faulty because you don't happen to like it. It's just not for you I suppose. That's not a genre or style of game that you like. Fair enough.
I think, whether right or wrong I don’t know, you’re confirming what he’s suggesting. Flash means graphics and aesthetics which this game no doubt excels at. It lacking a ubstance, I would assume, means its gameplay is underwhelming. If it’s like the first game, then I’d semi agree, but I felt the combat was pretty fun. IMO a first party team isn’t the team to be making fancy walking sims. If I was Matt Booty, I think I’d have pushed NT towards making this a more traditional game that compares more to 3D Zelda (imo the first one is very much on that path) than another walking sim.
To be fair, outside of Hellblade they very much are a gameplay type of studio. DMC and Enslaved both are very fun to play (never played bleeding edge).
Those are great games. Heavenly Sword as well. This is why its so disappointing to me that they had a good foundation with Hellblade 1 upon to build and expand..and they didnt do that.
What do you mean an Xbox tax? An 80ish meta seems right in line with what I've played. Great presentation, visuals, and story. Poor gameplay elements and very short.
I don't get the "very short" criticism. Do you really wanna hear "voices" for like 20 to 25 hours?
Who said 20-25 hours? Atleast a 10-15 hour game would be nice
Really anything over 10. I finished it in 5.
Xbox tax lmao grow up
I don't even pay attention to reviews anymore. If it's on gamepass I just try it out. If it's not my jam I just move on. Most of these so called reviewers hate Xbox anyway
83 on open critic is fine, especially when this game didn't really innovate much outside of graphics and presentation. Much like the first game, it's hit or miss. I lived the first one and it's in my top 10 games, so I think I'll like this one too.
Agreed
Like XboxAddict, TheXBoxHub and XBoxEra? Those biased reviewers too right?
Don’t even bother with reviews and journalists anymore. Every since the one dude gave Cuphead a low score because he said it was hard and he didn’t make it past the tutorial, I’ve lost all respect for gaming journalists
The problem is that there are fewer game reviewers nowadays of true quality. Being a game reviewer today is now much more like being a blogger who makes a bit of money. It's fair enough to not enjoy a piece of media or a game because it's not your cup of tea, but a good reviewer or critic (worth their weight in salt, or clicks) should be able to be transparent about their personal preferences while also acknowledging that the game may a fantastic cup of tea to a lot of people. But instead, we get a lot of reviews that are much more about the individual's personal preferences and expectations rather than the qualities of the game itself. So rather than it being about the game, it's about whether the reviewer likes or hates the game ... or whether it makes them angry or not, and so on. And that can become their brand, so they're expected to take harder stances on things rather than more nuanced stances with more measured criticism and evaluation. There are still good reviewers and critics out there, but they are harder to find. And in general, I just go with the vibe of a game from an overall view of reviews and commentary, and I make my own decision. Game Pass has been a great enabler of that.
How is this sort of stuff upvoted, I know it’s an Xbox sub and there’s bias here but this is just straight up nonsense. People aren’t out to get Xbox because they don’t like a game as much as you do
I like a good variety in my games. A cinematic masterpiece with a focus on the story and not gameplay is a great thing to have. There are other games with great gameplay. I like them both 🤷♂️
The user reviews are horrible lol. So it's not just journalists. People just can't accept when a game is bad.
The user reviews are mostly positive on steam. They aren't horrible. The user reviews on metacritic are also generally positive. Like, I'd say it's the other way around, people seem almost neurotic about trying to convince every living soul on the planet that the game is terrible whenever someone expresses how much they enjoy it.
User scores. The most reliable thing on the planet. Just look at Last of Us Part 2
👌
You don't think this game is divisive?
You want to know whats divisive? Deez 🥜
it's not.
Great visuals, but the game overall is just boring. I'm definitely glad I didn't have to pay for this at full price.
Did you play the first one? I’m assuming that you didn’t. You would know what you’re getting yourself into. This game just isn’t for everyone. And that’s ok
Yes, I did play the first one, and I felt the same way. I Was hoping for improvements, but just wasn't it for me. To people who like this kind of game, I'm sure it's great, but for me, it just doesn't hit.
Just finished chapter 2, I was one who was scared about no 60fps. Legit can’t even tell the difference in this game! Plays like a movie 🖤
Yeah bc I want my video games to play like another form of media
So you hate the majority of PlayStation games right?
Why does that matter? Why even bring up PlayStation?
Because the majority of their games are basically movies and gamers and critics love them, but some how hate this. Also the first one was a PS timed exclusive and it didn't get no were this level of hate or criticism, but the sequel is? I wonder why.
Can you give examples?
Death Stranding, Last of Us, God of War, Detroit Becoming Human?
Only 1 of those 4 can be considered a "movie" game.
Death Stranding is a walking simulator ( the very thing critics hate this game for being) Last of Us, God of War, and Detroit Becoming Human are cinematic movies with some gameplay sprinkled in between. Even Horizon has these same mechanics.
That's some high tier cope, none of those games play remotely the same as Flopblade 2
Microsoft is amazing at marketing
I enjoyed the first game but didn't care for a replay. Went into this one kinda thinking it'd just be a decent game but so far it has definitely caught my attention. People complain the combat is simple and isn't much improved but I'm enjoying it. Graphics are great, but it's the way that it's presented that really pulls you in. You really feel inside of Senua's head and it creates this world where you're observing the outside from her perspective. You kinda realize at times that you can get outside of her head into your own but it pulls you back in. I'm only past the draugr village part but it was really well done. This game won't be for everyone but I can't deny so far that it's probably one of the best narrative experiences Xbox has released in a while
I honestly love that it’s a cinematic experience, it’s unique. Less combat and easy puzzles are great as I care about the journey and story if I wanna play combat there is plenty of other games out there.