Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

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Depends for me. A game like Hellblade was more enjoyable for me the first playthrough because I enjoy a journey where I don't know exactly what to do and what to expect gameplay and story wise.

I gotcha. It probably didn't help that you were playing through for a trophy, not primarily because you wanted to experience the game again.

Personally, I wanted to play through a second time, because there was too much during the first run that I only half-grasped. I also got hung up on a few puzzles, which interfered with the flow of the game. On the second run, the story came together for me, and the puzzles didn't bog me down as much. I also had more fun with the combat. So I needed that second run for it to feel like a complete experience for me.

It was such a unique game, I was happy (? probably not the right word in this case) to go through it a second time. The fact that it's only 6 to 8 hours long helped, too.
 
I feel obligated to say, Hellblade is designed to appeal to a minority of players. I'm one of the people hyping it, so I feel responsible to let people know about the other side of the coin. A lot of people aren't able to get into this game. It's not your typical action game. It has a slow pace. There are puzzles that can be frustrating. Some people think the combat is weak. The themes are unhappy, and it will probably distress you on some level.

Skim this thread if you want to read from some people who didn't like the game:
https://www.resetera.com/threads/hellblade-i-cant-get-into-this.20898/

I just don't want anyone going in without being informed. It's a great game, but it's not a game for everyone; in fact, it's not a game for most people.
 
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I feel obligated to say, Hellblade is designed to appeal to a minority of players. I'm one of the people hyping it, so I feel responsible to let people know about the other side of the coin. A lot of people aren't able to get into this game. It's not your typical action game. It has a slow pace. There are puzzles that can be frustrating. Some people think the combat is weak. The themes are unhappy, and it will probably distress you on some level.

Skim this thread if you want to read from some people who didn't like the game:
https://www.resetera.com/threads/hellblade-i-cant-get-into-this.20898/

I just don't want anyone going in without being informed. It's a great game, but it's not a game for everyone; in fact, it's not a game for most people.

This post has me shook lol, kinda sorta thinking of canceling preorder.
 
This post has me shook lol, kinda sorta thinking of canceling preorder.

Well, there's a lot of good to say, too. I would hunt down a thread with thousands of posts full of praise, but it's at GAF, and I don't go there any more. If you want to read some of my impressions as I play through it for the first and second time, they are on this page:
http://unionvgf.com/index.php?posts/634611/

Check out some streams or gameplay videos, maybe.

I don't want to scare you off, but I don't want people going in thinking the game is something it isn't, and then being disappointed and complaining. The game is different. It's not going to appeal to most people. It will really resonate with some, though. I think a lot depends on whether you find the subject matter and setting interesting.
 
Well, there's a lot of good to say, too. I would hunt down a thread with thousands of posts full of praise, but it's at GAF, and I don't go there any more. If you want to read some of my impressions as I play through it for the first and second time, they are on this page:
http://unionvgf.com/index.php?posts/634611/

Check out some streams or gameplay videos, maybe.

I don't want to scare you off, but I don't want people going in thinking the game is something it isn't, and then being disappointed and complaining. The game is different. It's not going to appeal to most people. It will really resonate with some, though. I think a lot depends on whether you find the subject matter and setting interesting.

Yeah I’ll stick with it, I work in mental health so I would hope I’m in the group this game appeals to lol
 
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Yeah I’ll stick with it, I work in mental health so I would hope I’m in the group this game appeals to lol

Good. Yeah, I think it'll appeal to you. I work in that field, too, btw. At the very least, I think you'll find it interesting. It will probably help you understand at a more visceral what people with psychosis go through. But it's not just about psychosis. I think of it as a game/story about battling inner demons, which we all have -- maybe not as severe as hers, but we all battle something. I certainly do. So to me, it's about that fight. I mean, it's mostly about her fight and psychotic experience, but I can also see parallels to the struggles everyone has with more garden variety things like anxiety, depression, addiction, isolation, pain, etc.

Anyhow, hope you like it.

Just a note... The first part of the game is actually the hardest. If you can get through that, it becomes easier.
 
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Good. Yeah, I think it'll appeal to you. I work in that field, too, btw. At the very least, I think you'll find it interesting. It will probably help you understand at a more visceral what people with psychosis go through. But it's not just about psychosis. I think of it as a game/story about battling inner demons, which we all have -- maybe not as severe as hers, but we all battle something. I certainly do. So to me, it's about that fight. I mean, it's mostly about her fight and psychotic experience, but I can also see parallels to the struggles everyone has with more garden variety things like anxiety, depression, addiction, isolation, pain, etc.

Anyhow, hope you like it.

Just a note... The first part of the game is actually the hardest. If you can get through that, it becomes easier.

Thanks for the info! Will definitely post my thoughts next week.
 
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I feel obligated to say, Hellblade is designed to appeal to a minority of players. I'm one of the people hyping it, so I feel responsible to let people know about the other side of the coin. A lot of people aren't able to get into this game. It's not your typical action game. It has a slow pace. There are puzzles that can be frustrating. Some people think the combat is weak. The themes are unhappy, and it will probably distress you on some level.

Skim this thread if you want to read from some people who didn't like the game:
https://www.resetera.com/threads/hellblade-i-cant-get-into-this.20898/

I just don't want anyone going in without being informed. It's a great game, but it's not a game for everyone; in fact, it's not a game for most people.

You need to be more condescending like The Sunset Limited. Not this nice guy s***. Lol

I actually am really curious as to how much this game will appeal to me. The visuals are amazing and the story seems really interesting. And I’ve been keeping an eye on it for awhile. I’m still not sure about it though.
 
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You need to be more condescending like The Sunset Limited. Not this nice guy s***. Lol

Oh, well let me try again, then.

This is a game that only intelligent and imaginative people will comprehend or appreciate. If you are someone who gravitates to brain-dead shooters or racing games, forget it; you are too dumb for this game. It will go over your head. This game should only be played by people who are bright, sharp, compassionate, and curious about new experiences and ideas. This game is not for the run of the mill person. It is for the person who can see clearer and further than most.

I actually am really curious as to how much this game will appeal to me. The visuals are amazing and the story seems really interesting. And I’ve been keeping an eye on it for awhile. I’m still not sure about it though.

Audio is fantastic, too. It's very unique.
 
Much better.

Is this game still only available as a digital download Andy? I’d like to try it before buying it.
 
Much better.

Is this game still only available as a digital download Andy? I’d like to try it before buying it.

Yup, digital only. No physical. $27 if you pre-order.
 
I have average tastes and have average gameplay skills. Here's my take on the game:

7.5/10 stars

Story was just ok to me.
Graphics were great, but don't expect a lot of variety.
Combat was simple, but good enough. Not very complex.
Puzzles were imaginative and interesting. The puzzles were my fav part of the game.
Audio cues were also highly imaginative. There's no tutorial - just the voices. Super super clever game mechanic. Another great part of the game.
Characters were just ok.
Really disliked the minor amount of backtracking in the game. After you finish a level, you have to backtrack all the way back to the beginning. Not a super long way to walk, but enough to have made me sigh each time.
Historical lessons on Norse mythology was very interesting.

Conclusion: The game is worth playing for the puzzles and audio mechanics. Different people with different life experiences might gravitate to the story and characters more.
 
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They need to get a marketing department, its a pretty solid game and I'm surprised it hasn't sold much more than it has.

Thanks for the recommendation Andy I'm enjoying it so far.
 
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I've just started playing it and I'm liking the mythology. The graphics are really nice. There's a couple of settings for One X but i just kept it on extra details, I think.

I finished the first raven puzzle but got stuck at the second. I found myself wandering around without a real sense of where to go to line them up a second time. I wandered off so much I got lost.

It can get frustrating when you don't know where to go. You get audio and visual cues, yes, but when you're in that forest of illusions it can be quite disorientating. I have no idea where to go next. The game gives you clues with music or seeing glimpses of that demon through those gates. It would be nice to know if I'm at least in the right section of the map.
 
I finished the first raven puzzle but got stuck at the second. I found myself wandering around without a real sense of where to go to line them up a second time. I wandered off so much I got lost.

It can get frustrating when you don't know where to go. You get audio and visual cues, yes, but when you're in that forest of illusions it can be quite disorientating. I have no idea where to go next. The game gives you clues with music or seeing glimpses of that demon through those gates. It would be nice to know if I'm at least in the right section of the map.

Yes, I found those early sections difficult and sometimes frustrating. Valravyn's area in particular gave me fits. It was hard to understand what to do next. Imo, they made a mistake in putting that section up front, since it's arguably the hardest and least intuitive section of the game. At least it was for me. I hope you can get through it. After that, I started to understand how the game "thinks," if that makes sense. Things went more smoothly.
 
I had no interest in this but out of curiosity I downloaded it and I'm glad I did. What an amazing game. Visually stunning and the sound is incredible. Definitely a game for the headset.
 
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Man this game is stunning in 4K!! Really enjoying it so far, definitely more of an experience game. I am not always the best at puzzles but I’m a few hours in and haven’t gotten stuck yet. I’m sure it’s luck but I’ll take it!
 
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Just finished this game. What wonderful game. What a wonderfully short game. Geez. I loved it and all but am left wondering what now? Oh well, back to Battlefield.
 
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Ninja Theory's acclaimed adventure game that deals with mental health, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, launched last week for Xbox One--and it sold more than 50,000 copies in its first week. That's good news for the game and for charity, as Ninja Theory will donate $25,000 to the Mental Health America charity.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/hellblade-for-xbox-one-sells-50000-copies-dev-dona/1100-6458343/
I never say this about video games cause well it's a game but this game dealt with a mature subject matter and handled it like a champ. They really did some research on this and I applaud them.

What's even more impressive is the game appeared to be developed on a shoestring budget.
 
I never say this about video games cause well it's a game but this game dealt with a mature subject matter and handled it like a champ. They really did some research on this and I applaud them.

What's even more impressive is the game appeared to be developed on a shoestring budget.

It doesn't show..at all..the art direction, graphics and sound are superb. I'm at the part where you need to stay out of the darkness to avoid a demon. This game's been a big surprise for me. It's a great atmospheric, storydriven experience. I'm happy I bought it.
 
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It doesn't show..at all..the art direction, graphics and sound are superb. I'm at the part where you need to stay out of the darkness to avoid a demon. This game's been a big surprise for me. It's a great atmospheric, storydriven experience. I'm happy I bought it.
I agree. I watched the making of video after finishing the game and it's impressive how they put this game together with a small budget and crew. I was thoroughly impressed.

As for where you're at in game... have fun.:wink:
 
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