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Ninja Theory dev on Hellblade II demo It's all real-time, no tricks

Are you blind? Where does he say it's all gameplay? It's a real time in-engine demo. We all know what that means, and it's not actual gameplay. Never was, never will be. Will the game look like that? Sure, maybe, most likely it will still suffer some downgrades for optimizations but will prolly look similar but that was not gameplay at all.
 

Bernkastel

Ask me about my fanboy energy!
Are you blind? Where does he say it's all gameplay?


jQpCthN.png
 
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Kssio_Aug

Member
Are you blind? Where does he say it's all gameplay? It's a real time in-engine demo. We all know what that means, and it's not actual gameplay. Never was, never will be. Will the game look like that? Sure, maybe, most likely it will still suffer some downgrades for optimizations but will prolly look similar but that was not gameplay at all.
He says real time, no tricks, this is real. Not sure how could he word that more clear.
 
He says real time, no tricks, this is real. Not sure how could he word that more clear.

Call it actual gameplay, not demo, not real time, not beating around the bush. Demo means a lot of things and as a dev he knows that or at least should know that. "Gameplay" in the video means absolutely nothing. If that is actual 100% user input gameplay and the game has no interface then I'll eat my words when it comes out.
 

Portugeezer

Member
Call it actual gameplay, not demo, not real time, not beating around the bush. Demo means a lot of things and as a dev he knows that or at least should know that. "Gameplay" in the video means absolutely nothing. If that is actual 100% user input gameplay and the game has no interface then I'll eat my words when it comes out.
Take the crossgen glasses off.

This is next gen only; it's gameplay. You don't need a HUD for this to be gameplay.
 

TBiddy

Member
Call it actual gameplay, not demo, not real time, not beating around the bush. Demo means a lot of things and as a dev he knows that or at least should know that. "Gameplay" in the video means absolutely nothing. If that is actual 100% user input gameplay and the game has no interface then I'll eat my words when it comes out.

The first game had no HUD.
The audio director clearly says this is real.

It's not that hard.
 

Great Hair

Banned
If you extract an image of the trailer, apply a DF conform zoom, you will not find any jaggies. The missing GUI elements, the slow camera movement when switching from "cinematic" to "gameplay" are all "dead giveaways".

Looked like an in-engine target render, a cutscene with impeccable zero jaggies aka SSAA (super sampling anti aliasing).

mel brooks we aint found shit GIF


edit: watching it at 4K .. having my doubts. The skin textures of the giant, the grass popping at the beach or fog.
 
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FingerBang

Member
Yes, it's "gameplay" and yes it's "real time", but they should stop fucking with us. That is a heavily scripted, limited scene. The technology is impressive and I'm sure the game will look great, but that's again not representative of the gameplay.

Unless, you know, the entire game is running away from giants to throw shit at them.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Never any doubt it was running real-time in engine, but given the very precise way everything flowed and was framed (tightly scripted and basically on rails) the distinction between "gameplay" and "in-engine cut-scene" is razor thin.

You can make something go from looking good to great by carefully controlling the lighting, framing and edit. Which isn't to say its "cheating" because what it represents is purely more work on the part of the devs, just that realistically it implies constraints to player agency. As I pointed out in another post, a QTE is both gameplay and an in-engine cut-scene because although the event is triggered by the user its still a "canned" event.
 

MOTM

Banned
Are you blind? Where does he say it's all gameplay? It's a real time in-engine demo. We all know what that means, and it's not actual gameplay. Never was, never will be. Will the game look like that? Sure, maybe, most likely it will still suffer some downgrades for optimizations but will prolly look similar but that was not gameplay at all.

Call it actual gameplay, not demo, not real time, not beating around the bush. Demo means a lot of things and as a dev he knows that or at least should know that. "Gameplay" in the video means absolutely nothing. If that is actual 100% user input gameplay and the game has no interface then I'll eat my words when it comes out.

If you extract an image of the trailer, apply a DF conform zoom, you will not find any jaggies. The missing GUI elements, the slow camera movement when switching from "cinematic" to "gameplay" are all "dead giveaways".

Looked like an in-engine target render, a cutscene with impeccable zero jaggies aka SSAA (super sampling anti aliasing).

mel brooks we aint found shit GIF

Yes, it's "gameplay" and yes it's "real time", but they should stop fucking with us. That is a heavily scripted, limited scene. The technology is impressive and I'm sure the game will look great, but that's again not representative of the gameplay.

Unless, you know, the entire game is running away from giants to throw shit at them.

Never any doubt it was running real-time in engine, but given the very precise way everything flowed and was framed (tightly scripted and basically on rails) the distinction between "gameplay" and "in-engine cut-scene" is razor thin.

You can make something go from looking good to great by carefully controlling the lighting, framing and edit. Which isn't to say its "cheating" because what it represents is purely more work on the part of the devs, just that realistically it implies constraints to player agency. As I pointed out in another post, a QTE is both gameplay and an in-engine cut-scene because although the event is triggered by the user its still a "canned" event.
It plays exactly like the first game (see below) which also had no HUD. Not that you care though, you’ll still be in denial and spin it 1000 ways. The fact that it got you shook this hard means Ninja Theory knocked it out the park 👏👏

 
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skit_data

Member
I don’t see the controversy. Yes it’s gameplay, this is how the original game played as well.

1. Running/walking
2. Non-interactive scene
3. Solve pussle by walking to specific spot
4. Non-interactive scene
5. Combat by pressing 2 buttons
6. Non interactive scene
Repeat steps above.
 

Mister Wolf

Member
I mention game engines because take for example Pragmata:

Pragmata-5.jpg


Its a 2023 game like Hellblade 2(assumed), not crossgen but the character models look nowhere near as good. Is that an engine limitation?
 
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supernova8

Banned
I don’t see the controversy. Yes it’s gameplay, this is how the original game played as well.

1. Running/walking
2. Non-interactive scene
3. Solve pussle by walking to specific spot
4. Non-interactive scene
5. Combat by pressing 2 buttons
6. Non interactive scene
Repeat steps above.

Yeah the original doesn't look like it had much in terms of gripping gameplay. Looks like more of an interactive story/movie, which is cool (people like that stuff, let them play it).
 

skit_data

Member
Yeah the original doesn't look like it had much in terms of gripping gameplay. Looks like more of an interactive story/movie, which is cool (people like that stuff, let them play it).
I know people that love it. I watched my cousin play through the whole game and he really liked it but I felt it was a little bit too simplistic for my taste (and I don’t shy away from more cinematic games in general). But it looks stellar, that’s for sure.

I might need to replay the original. I had issues with it crashing two times in a row making me have to restart from 30-45 minutes from the spot it crashed.
 

P.Jack

Member
Still not impressed by these scripted gameplay, Ninja Gaiden 2004 has more depth, I see this game as another Ryse son of Rome scenario. Also film grain is disgusting even if your game looks like real life. I'm going to be critical because according to them this is an action game.
You could say that about almost every game though?
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
It plays exactly like the first game (see below) Not that you care though, you’ll still be in denial and spin it 1000 ways. The fact that it got you shook this hard means Ninja Theory knocked it out the park 👏👏



What are you on about? There's no criticism because as I point out the advantages gained are all a product of trading off player agency for directorial control - which is WORK. The fact that the first game works similarly just proves my point, because that showed how you could get AAA visuals on a budget through making smart creative choices and scoping stuff economically.

I've never been less than super positive about the demo, Its terrific work. But I'm just pointing out why it looks so good and why people shouldn't expect every game coming up to look at the same level, because its largely a product of what they are trying to accomplish. There are no free lunches, the more dynamic and variable the scenario gets the less likely it becomes that you can make everything look perfect.
 
The amount of salt this game is creating is unreal. Just look at this thread and the gameplay reveal thread, it’s amazing to see.

When an Xbox game causes this much of a stir you know it’s got to be good. Some people in these forums are just shook.

Loved the first game for the story alone, cinematic and minimal gameplay, but a great game nonetheless.

Phil done good by buying Ninja Theory.
 

Hezekiah

Banned
I don’t see the controversy. Yes it’s gameplay, this is how the original game played as well.

1. Running/walking
2. Non-interactive scene
3. Solve pussle by walking to specific spot
4. Non-interactive scene
5. Combat by pressing 2 buttons
6. Non interactive scene
Repeat steps above.
The original was on my to-do list, and I was hoping it played more like Heavenly Sword. This feels more like a Heavy Rain/tech demo experience.
 
Yeah the original doesn't look like it had much in terms of gripping gameplay. Looks like more of an interactive story/movie, which is cool (people like that stuff, let them play it).
Indeed. And in this Hellblade 2 video I literally at first thought it was CG. They are really nailing now the interactive movie look.

The amount of salt this game is creating is unreal. Just look at this thread and the gameplay reveal thread, it’s amazing to see.
It was hilarious when suddenly Hellblade became a bad game when MS acquired Ninja Theory :messenger_tears_of_joy:
 
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Kssio_Aug

Member
I don’t see the controversy. Yes it’s gameplay, this is how the original game played as well.

1. Running/walking
2. Non-interactive scene
3. Solve pussle by walking to specific spot
4. Non-interactive scene
5. Combat by pressing 2 buttons
6. Non interactive scene
Repeat steps above.
You can simplify any game like that.

Call of Duty:
1. Running/walking
2. Non-interactive scene
3. Shoot and hide
4. Running/walking
5. Shoot and hide
6. Non-interactive scene
Repeat above steps.

God of War:
1. Running/walking
2. Non-interactive scene
3. Solve puzzle by throwing hammer
4. Non-interactive scene
5. Combat by pressing 2 buttons
6. Non interactive scene
Repeat above steps.

Dark Souls:
1. Running/walking
2. Combat by attacking and rolling
3. Running/walking
4. Combat by attacking and rolling
5. Collect item from dead body
6. Read random note
Repeat above steps.

I could go on... but you get the picture.
 

lh032

I cry about Xbox and hate PlayStation.
I mention game engines because take for example Pragmata:

Pragmata-5.jpg


Its a 2023 game like Hellblade 2(assumed), not crossgen but the character models look nowhere near as good. Is that an engine limitation?
how do you know what is the gameplay like?
Pragmata may not be linear, who knows.
Or it may have other factors like more physics and such which we wont know.

Ratchet and clank look incredible as well, but theres not alot of thing you can "interact" in the world.

I personally do believe Hellblade 2 footage is gameplay, but then I never played the first one, so im not sure how much is the interactivity in the world.
 
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