Official Thread Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 (Xbox SX/PC)

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Kvally

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At The Game Awards 2019 Microsoft shocked the gaming world by unveiling their next-generation console, the Xbox Series X, and they didn’t stop there. They also revealed the system’s first game – Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. It looks like Senua’s new adventure will be a much less solitary journey, as the trailer features Senua leading what appears to be a small army in an intimidating war chant. We also catch a glimpse of some sort of strange ritual and what appears to be a stone giant. Will there be some actual supernatural elements in Hellblade II, or will Senua’s delusions come into play once again?

One thing's for sure, the game looks absolutely gorgeous. Microsoft insists the Hellblade II trailer is running in realtime on Xbox Series X hardware, and some of what we see looks downright photorealistic. If this is what the next generation is going to look like, well… damn. Check out the debut trailer for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, below.

Aside from the new trailer, we don’t have a lot of solid information about Hellblade II. This little blurb from Microsoft’s Xbox Series X announcement is about all we have to go on…

The possibilities of what Xbox Series X enables developers to achieve was also brought to life this evening with the unveiling of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. A sequel to the award-winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice from world-renowned developers Ninja Theory, the game is being built to leverage the full power of Xbox Series X. The footage shared tonight was captured in-engine and reflects the power of Xbox Series X available to developers to deliver new universes, experiences and games in ways you have never imagined.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is coming to Xbox Series X. Other platforms and a release date have yet to be announced. What do you think? Ready to unleash your Celtic rage again?

Hellblade 1 was my game of the generation. I could not be more excited about this. Looks pretty sweet. Definitively the best looking game graphically in show. It's getting a lot of praise that is for sure.
 
It looks like it’s possibly going to be more action oriented? More things and action on screen.

That monster hunched over the rocky ridge thing was striking. Very cool imagery.
 
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It looks like it’s possibly going to be more action oriented? More things and action on screen.

That monster hunched over the rocky ridge thing was striking. Very cool imagery.
That was like camo hidden. I didn’t even see it right away!
 
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Loved the teaser.

Was surprised at how much I enjoyed the first(only got it because people on here praised it so much)

Need to go back and finish the collectables.
 
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I've got to finish the first game. I started it then fell off. Surprisingly, the trailer made me want a next gen Ryse: Son of Rome really bad. Come on MS and Crytek. Make up and try again on that IP.
The game gets better as you go through it, even though it's good to start with.
 
I really wanted to love the first game, but I just couldn't get into it. Dropped off a couple of hours in so I'm guessing I wouldn't have enjoyed it anymore if I continued playing. I think the combat just didn't click and it just was too much of it (eventhough it kind of wasn't lol).
Will see how they've improved the gameplay before putting any time in it.
Trailer looks good though.
 
The first was a bit of an experiment. Definitely not everyone’s cup of tea.
I’m Im thinking the sequel will have more mass appeal. More action, enemies and bosses.
 
The first was a bit of an experiment. Definitely not everyone’s cup of tea.
I’m Im thinking the sequel will have more mass appeal. More action, enemies and bosses.
This was my thought, especially with the use of Saga in the title. Could just be a name but to me it makes it seem like it's not really a direct sequel or even prequel, but just another story of her. Maybe more of an Anthology series where there is no cohesion and every game is standalone.
 
I mean MS owns it so...
This question came about because Hellblade 2 was mentioned recently by MS that it was in the planning stage when MS bought Ninja Theory. And since MS was allowing them to finish out games and contracts with competing consoles, PS fans thought there was a chance this too would come to PS. Obviously there was no contract with Hellblade 2.
 
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First game was great. Had one of this best combat systems I have played in 2 generations.Had a great atmosphere aswll.
 

Hellblade II’s Potential Is Sky-High as a First-Party AAA Xbox Title
By Nate Najda 2 days ago
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Ninja Theory evolves with Microsoft support

Ninja Theory has come a very long way since its Kung Fu Chaos days. Amongst a well-traveled road of studio closures in the video game industry, theirs is a story of triumph. Ninja Theory has been developing games for over 15 years now with the majority of that time spent as an independent developer. Creating and shipping indies is one thing; shipping massive AAA projects is an entirely different beast that can sometimes sink an entire studio.
Known for games like Heavenly Sword, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and DmC: Devil May Cry, the Cambridge team has made a name for itself over the years in terms of independent development. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, its most recent game, was developed under a much tighter budget than prior projects. You would be hard-pressed to truly tell though, as the studio aimed to deliver what it called an “independent AAA game.” Their goal was to make a game with all the recognizable qualities and production values of any AAA game on the market, but with the creativity and freedom that come with being independent of publishers.
Ninja Theory succeeded and released Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice on PlayStation 4 and PC (and later Xbox One and Nintendo Switch) to widespread critical acclaim. Hellblade contains a brutal and violent world. It’s one of desolation and agony, where the protagonist Senua carries around the decapitated head of her late husband, seeking to save his soul from damnation from the Norse gods.
It was genuinely the first time that I’d personally seen mental illness tackled respectably in a game. Senua’s not some unrelatable alien to be cast aside. She’s the center of attention, and her emotional state is not a curse but rather the result of her painful past.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Ninja Theory

What a small team of around 20 people managed to accomplish is nothing short of monumental. Whether you look at its audio/visual design, world detail, combat, or character performances, Hellblade can hang with some of the best AAA games out there. Ninja Theory’s ambitions were made clear.
With the 2018 acquisition by Microsoft in the rear-view mirror, players were left wondering what the narrative-centric studio would do next. There’s seemingly more than a single team inside Ninja Theory at the moment, with one getting close to launching the multiplayer brawler Bleeding Edge and another on the just announced Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.
Though an argument can be made that a sequel is unnecessary, Hellblade IIrepresents an extremely exciting opportunity. Finding all the runes within the first game unlocks a bonus ending that leaves the door wide open for Senua’s journey to continue. There is a lot of bad blood between her and her abusive father, with speculation that he might have been responsible for what befell her and her husband’s village at the hands of Norsemen.
There are questions to be answered and vengeance to be had. After understanding that she was not responsible for her husband Dillion’s death and the acceptance of loss, is there room for Senua to rejoin her community and lead a counterattack on those that wronged her? There are quite a few things we can glean from Hellblade II‘s announcement trailer.
We see a type of settlement in isolation in a vast open expanse of wilderness. Is that Senua’s village? What do the new markings on her face mean? Her chant is taken from the song “In Maidjan” by Heilung.
The transliteration reads: “Tawol Athodu Ek Erilaz Owlthuthewaz Niwaremariz Saawilagar Hateka Harja,” which translated to English means: “I, the Rune Master, servant of Odin, call upon the one of the Sun to aid our army.”

Is Senua invoking the aid of Odin in her quest to vanquish the Norsemen? Or is there more serious motivation behind her words? Perhaps she seeks to genuinely take on the goddess Hela, who presides over the realm of Helheim? The soldiers behind her apparently indicate her new command of an army now.
I’m incredibly excited for the potential here. Even though the original Hellbladewas easily one of the best games of 2017, the cut corners due to budget and resource constraints were a bit obvious to see. Combat, though solid enough, was fairly one-note. Environments were very linear, and the scope of mechanics across the story was limited.
With the full support of Microsoft’s financial and logistical resources now, Ninja Theory is free to go to town, and that presents a tantalizing prospect. What can a team that delivered Hellblade do with a much higher budget? My immediate presumption would be an expansion of scope. Wider environments, a full team of combat designers to broaden gameplay systems, a larger narrative with multiple areas in-game, and a lengthier campaign are just the tip of the iceberg of what’s possible.
I’d love to see combat fleshed out in all sorts of ways in Hellblade II. Senua was glued to the ground in Hellblade. Widening her move set with different combos and allowing her to jump and carry out aerial attacks could add a lot of verticality to fights. New weapons and a vast increase in enemy variety would add so much diversity to encounters. Hellblade‘s environmental design lends itself well to the implementation of hidden areas off the beaten path. With the extra resources at their disposal, the team can dramatically expand the amount of locations we play through.
It’s 8th century Scandinavia. Let’s explore mountain ranges, trek through forests and rivers, and interact in populated villages. With the story ostensibly including a larger cast of characters now, there’s room for more NPCs and bigger battles with companion characters. Senua also conquered the Darkness that haunted her in the original game. It would be rewarding to see her take in the world around her in a completely new light with newfound confidence, this time utilizing the light to overcome whatever obstacles await her. The list of ideas goes on and on.
These are exciting times ahead. Ninja Theory is but one of several first-party Xbox studios known for their narrative prowess. One thing is certain: Microsoft will no doubt aim for Hellblade to become a high caliber story-driven franchise within Xbox Game Studios, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is one of the first hats thrown into the ring.
 
Hellblade 2 Will Show How "Suffering Shapes Myths, Gods, And Religion," Says Dev


Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is one of the three upcoming projects coming from Ninja Theory designed under the developer's mission to craft life-changing art with game-changing tech--the third of which, Project: Mara, was just announced. In a YouTube dev diary, Ninja Theory revealed what type of story Hellblade II will tell.

"While Hellblade gave us a very personal insight into psychosis, this sequel builds on that to show how madness and suffering shapes myths, gods, and religion," Ninja Theory co-founder Tameem Antoniades said. "Our goal is to make an experience comparable to the epic myths and sagas of old."

Antoniades continued: "The team will be about twice the size of Hellblade's team--still very small by triple-A standards, but it aims to prove that small teams can achieve great things using procedural technologies and smart tools." Earlier in the dev diary, Ninja Theory commercial director Dom Matthews said that the team behind the original Hellblade was composed of 20 people, so we can infer about 40 people are on the team working on Hellblade II.
 
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The power of Xbox Series X was first demonstrated with the unveiling of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
The team will be building the game on Unreal 5 and leveraging the power of Xbox Series X to bring the Hellblade franchise to levels never before seen. The footage shown was captured in-engine and reflects the power of Xbox Series X available to developers to deliver new universes, experiences and games in ways you have never imagined.
 
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The power of Xbox Series X was first demonstrated with the unveiling of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
The team will be building the game on Unreal 5 and leveraging the power of Xbox Series X to bring the Hellblade franchise to levels never before seen. The footage shown was captured in-engine and reflects the power of Xbox Series X available to developers to deliver new universes, experiences and games in ways you have never imagined.

Wasn't it original confirmed to be on Unreal Engine 4? Guess they changed their minds....
 
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Wasn't it original confirmed to be on Unreal Engine 4? Guess they changed their minds....
They said they will be upgrading it to UE5 from UE4 during development.