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[IGN Preview] Hellblade 2 Prioritizes Narratives and Story over Gameplay

StueyDuck

Member
i mean i could of told you that and I haven't even played the game.

the give away is that we still haven't really seen a game yet, mostly a woman shouting at you with a zoomed in camera.

and the audio gimmick of whispers in your ear was interesting the first time around but it is just a gimmick.
 
Tetris might also not be the perfect recommendation for a dudebro gamer. Games are thankfully different, and not everything needs to be truly gamey.
If the narrative is worth something it should be interesting (for some). I just finished Lake, which is a walking simulator with some decelarated Paperboy elements and choices that result in 3 endings, but is was a lame story and had generic af characters. But it is chill af, so might also be for some people an actually nice game, sorta like all those machine/profession simulators.
 
I don't get some gamers offence to games like this.

It's not my cup of tea either but when you start saying it should be book that's just silly.

Games can be whatever the designer wants them to be that includes games that you don't like.
 

Topher

Gold Member
So now that MS is going to release a cinematic game this is a bad thing? Gaf never ceases to amaze me.
Bingo! An over the shoulder story driven cinematic game but because its not currently on PS (probably next year) it's a bad thing 🤣

That works both ways though. One could point out that we are not seeing Xbox fans pan this game as a "movie game" as seen in the past. But that's just a silly generalization either way.
 
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Punished Miku

Gold Member
That works both ways though. One could point out that we are not seeing Xbox fans pan this game as a "movie game" as seen in the past. But that's just a silly generalization either way.
Again, I don't honestly think it's a equal split of griefing on both sides here. Almost anyone that has ever criticized Sony for making too many of these kinds of games has obviously played many of them. I played almost all of them. I think it would be nice if Sony did something a little more varied. Not only are the games part of a certain style or genre, many have similar tone and dialogue styles. Many have similar gameplay mechanics of light stealth in bushes, shooter combat. Some have a lot more in depth combat like God of War, which I think is the best one they've made.

MS on the other hand really hasn't put out any games like this since Quantum Break. Most Xbox gamers did enjoy Plague Tale, and a lot of the ones that post here (there's really only a handful of us left) like story games like Pentiment, As Dusk Falls, and more. I don't think anyone really has said that they hate any and all cinematic games. I figured I wouldn't be into this game but I played part 1 last month. It doesn't have the annoying modern dialogue. It's more unsettling and strange and just weird. It has a lot more art/experimental sensibility compared to some of the mainstream cinematic games I've seen with the focus of subject matter, the weird use of film like in Alan Wake 2 (many Xbox gamers also enjoyed that). I think it's a lot more interesting than something like Spider Man 2 or God of War Ragnarok just going off the trailers (I did buy Ragnarok and tried to play it). Saying you aren't allowed to like this game if you ever criticized a Sony game is like saying you aren't allowed to like The Northman if you think Thor Love and Thunder sucks. It's just a disingenuous false equivalence. No one was talking shit on Alan Wake 2 like this really, or saying it focuses on story over gameplay. And this has a more in depth combat system than Alan Wake.
 
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SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
Everything I've read leads me to believe this is going to feel like a direct continuation of the first game. Which is certainly okay since the first game was very good, but is also definitely not going to make this Microsoft's God of War killer the way some hoped.
 

Topher

Gold Member
Again, I don't honestly think it's a equal split of griefing on both sides here. Almost anyone that has ever criticized Sony for making too many of these kinds of games has obviously played many of them. I played almost all of them. I think it would be nice if Sony did something a little more varied. Not only are the games part of a certain style or genre, many have similar tone and dialogue styles. Many have similar gameplay mechanics of light stealth in bushes, shooter combat. Some have a lot more in depth combat like God of War, which I think is the best one they've made.

MS on the other hand really hasn't put out any games like this since Quantum Break. Most Xbox gamers did enjoy Plague Tale, and a lot of the ones that post here (there's really only a handful of us left) like story games like Pentiment, As Dusk Falls, and more. I don't think anyone really has said that they hate any and all cinematic games. I figured I wouldn't be into this game but I played part 1 last month. It doesn't have the annoying modern dialogue. It's more unsettling and strange and just weird. It has a lot more art/experimental sensibility compared to some of the mainstream cinematic games I've seen with the focus of subject matter, the weird use of film like in Alan Wake 2 (many Xbox gamers also enjoyed that). I think it's a lot more interesting than something like Spider Man 2 or God of War Ragnarok just going off the trailers (I did buy Ragnarok and tried to play it). Saying you aren't allowed to like this game if you ever criticized a Sony game is like saying you aren't allowed to like The Northman if you think Thor Love and Thunder sucks. It's just a disingenuous false equivalence. No one was talking shit on Alan Wake 2 like this really, or saying it focuses on gameplay over story. And this has a more in depth combat system than Alan Wake.

Like I said, it is a silly generalization either way. GAF isn't a hivemind. Anyone can contrive any hypocrisy they want out of "GAF said". If we were talking about specific people contradicting themselves then that have at it, but that's not what this is.
 

Bergoglio

Member
Nobody wants a God of War killer.

Everyone wants Xbox to deliver what its studios want to create. It's up to its customers to decide if they like what is produced. I find it childish to look at what others do and expect the same copy, the same formula, the same game.
 

Punished Miku

Gold Member
Nobody wants a God of War killer.

Everyone wants Xbox to deliver what its studios want to create. It's up to its customers to decide if they like what is produced. I find it childish to look at what others do and expect the same copy, the same formula, the same game.
To be totally transparent, I initially wanted a God of War killer in 2019 when this was revealed. I had just rated God of War (2018) my GOTY that year and figured why not? I tried playing Hellblade 1 and only played about an hour and bounced off it.

Since then I think my tastes have changed over the last 5 years. We had a lot more games pseudo-similar to God of War, and a direct sequel. And I've played a lot more experimental indie games over the years (especially since getting GP). Stuff even as out there as Immortality was interesting, despite literally being a movie. So I guess I've broadened my taste a bit and now I'm kind of glad this is retaining it's strange, smaller and more focused approach.

If we were talking about specific people contradicting themselves then that have at it, but that's not what this is.
Sure, I can agree with that.
 
Nobody wants a God of War killer.
xbox fanboys/warriors
Everyone wants Xbox to deliver what its studios want to create. It's up to its customers to decide if they like what is produced. I find it childish to look at what others do and expect the same copy, the same formula, the same game.
One could argue that they have done that, and that is the disconnect between people who talk just like consumers and people who are trying to analyze the situation.
 

Schmendrick

Member
I mean...was this ever not clear with this being a sequel? Did people actually expect a vastly different game than what the first was beyond the audiovisual presentation?
 
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Girl Eye Roll GIF
 
Yeah, the other gripe I had was this game takes 7 years, it should be more than just great improvement in graphics.
That is the MS Effect in action. They buy successful studios and suddenly out put goes to shit and creativity isn’t what it used to be. Seven years waiting for this…..a gamepass inspired title at best.
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
So it's an interactive Unreal 5 tech-demo. Got it.

No! It's a video game that isn't played like a Mario game. It has more gameplay than Pentiment. And nobody calls Pentiment a tech-demo.
 
Most of the praise for the first was because of its depiction of mental illness, which was good to get an understanding for those of us ignorant to these kind of illnesses. The game itself was bang average though. Repetitive, shallow and boring. Just my personal opinion though, so xbox fans, don't start getting twitchy.
 
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Nankatsu

Gold Member
Snooze fest inbound. Still 10/10 because story depicts mental illness and protagonist is a super powerful female character.

More news at 10.
 
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Moochi

Member
I tried to play the first game. But I didn't get more than an hour in because of boredom. If I want to watch a movie, I'll watch a movie. I want to be excited about 2 because graphics, but I'll never be able to justify buying it.
 

djjinx2

Member
Most of the praise for the first was because of its depiction of mental illness, which was good to get an understanding for those of us ignorant to these kind of illnesses. The game itself was bang average though. Repetitive, shallow and boring. Just my personal opinion though, so xbox fans, don't start getting twitchy.
The game was on PC and PS4 too no? Why are you mentioning Xbox fans in regard to the first game?
 
The game was on PC and PS4 too no? Why are you mentioning Xbox fans in regard to the first game?

Because hellblade is a Microsoft ip now and xbox fans feel the need to defend any criticism against it. Doesn't matter how valid it is. PC and PS4 players don't give a shit and have a fair assessment because there's no bias. It's only xbox fans who come at you.
 
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Raven77

Member
Have is going to be a huge flop. It was obvious after every preview kept showing the same tech demo looking section over and over.

All style and story over gameplay. Why? Because it's cheaper. Drag a games "play time" out with lengthy relatively simple in game cutscenes.
 
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