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VGC: HELLBLADE 2 COULD BE XBOX’S MOST IMPORTANT EXCLUSIVE

Here We Go Again GIF
 

cireza

Member
OP is hyping the game here on neogaf so we can confirm in one year that the game was indeed overhyped.

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Melchiah

Member
now that the shoe is on the other foot, it's imperative that its exclusivity becomes as important to Xbox as its predecessor was to PlayStation. Xbox's plan is for those same PS4 fans who boasted about Hellblade's exclusivity to now be the ones watching on as its sequel becomes the game picking up multiple awards.
Imagine being so pathetic, that you're still butthurt about a mere timed exclusivity back in 2017-2018. I bet he got his panties wet when writing that drivel about yet another game that's supposed to save his precious box, conveniently forgetting the original wasn't really a system seller either. It was a good looking game with interesting themes, and very mediocre combat, just like every other game from the studio.
 

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
This is genuinely brilliant because I'm sure we had the exact same headline as this for starfield.

These people need to put the crack pipe down and stop writing this shit unless they are either a. Trying to make a joke or b. Purposefully trying to sabotage the title.

They can't really think this stuff.
 

geary

Member
This is genuinely brilliant because I'm sure we had the exact same headline as this for starfield.

These people need to put the crack pipe down and stop writing this shit unless they are either a. Trying to make a joke or b. Purposefully trying to sabotage the title.

They can't really think this stuff.
Choose Paramount Network GIF by Yellowstone
 

ShaiKhulud1989

Gold Member
Hellblade concept in general, while lovely and unique, is doomed to be niche and constrained to work effectively. Especially since the game, if recent trailers told us anything, is the same set of little arenas with slowly walking Jurgens in-between.

Expectations like that are putting the crosshair on game's back and priming the wider audience for another letdown. Hellblade was never meant to be Uncharted or Zelda.
 


This is the most hyped game ever📶
The hype around Hellblade 2 is massive and growing🎏
Yep most important release ever for MS.

Just like Halo Infinite, Redfall, Starfield, etc. Every release is going to be more most important ever because quality on all of the games so far is extremely middling.

Hope is still alive at some Ms paid journalist it seems 🤣
 
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hinch7

Member
That's a daft take from these journos. At this point it has to be CoD, once it goes console exclusive.

I mean they could've called out TES (if Bethesda pulls its fingers out) or a Halo reboot but nope, lol... fucking Hellblade 2 :messenger_tears_of_joy:
 
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midnightAI

Member
That's a daft take from these journos. At this point it has to be CoD, once it goes console exclusive.

I mean they could've called out TES (if Bethesda pulls its fingers out) or a Halo reboot but nope, lol... fucking Hellblade 2 :messenger_tears_of_joy:
Agreed, at least I doubt it will be anything this gen.

The only way to disrupt Sony in my opinion is to start next gen with such a bang that it may persuade people to get XBox over PlayStation. To do that they would have to announce early and have loads of must have games right out the gate with promise (with proof somehow as Microsoft's promises of games currently don't hold much weight) of many more games every year.

Of course the chances of them doing the above are slim, they are more likely to just keep doing what they are doing and hope people change.
 

acm2000

Member
One of the few games I can't wait for in 2024 currently, first one was my goty for 2017 due to it's subject matter and incredible way of immersing the player into that head fuck world of mental illness.
 
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Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Yep most important release ever for MS.

Just like Halo Infinite, Redfall, Starfield, etc. Every release is going to be more most important ever because quality on all of the games so far is extremely middling.

Hope is still alive at some Ms paid journalist it seems 🤣
This. Watch them say the exact same thing about Fable once Hellblade 2 releases and goes away with little impact.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Agreed, at least I doubt it will be anything this gen.

The only way to disrupt Sony in my opinion is to start next gen with such a bang that it may persuade people to get XBox over PlayStation. To do that they would have to announce early and have loads of must have games right out the gate with promise (with proof somehow as Microsoft's promises of games currently don't hold much weight) of many more games every year.

Of course the chances of them doing the above are slim, they are more likely to just keep doing what they are doing and hope people change.
While I totally understand this sentiment and point, even that is practically improbable.

PlayStation Studios went big in ~2020 at the PS4 last year and PS5 console launch: TLOU 2, Demon's Souls, Miles Morales, Ghost of Tsushima, etc. Now they are almost recharged and ready to deliver another strong batch of games in 2025 and 2026.

If Xbox does launch its new generation of consoles (which I doubt) in 2025 or 2026, they will have to compete with TLOU 3, Ghost of Tsushima 2, Cory's new IP, new Astrobot, Wolverine, etc.

And we already know a lot of the Xbox lineup for around that time period: Perfect Dark, State of Decay 3, Indiana Jones, Gears 6, etc. If people were not excited by that lineup a few years ago and didn't buy an Xbox Series X or S, I doubt they will buy the next Xbox for these same games.
 
Gotta keep moving the goal posts if they wanna keep saying they're shooting on target.

Senua was a very mediocre game, I don't expect this to be much better, but the next XBOX exclusive, that'll be the one that will make everything right, I just know it.
Senua was made on a tiny budget and to help save the company.

I fully expect Senua to equal and surpass God Of War for graphics and storytelling. For me Fable is more of the next big exclusive and will show if XBox handle handle an update to a classic IP and also how it grew a studio internally after the buyout and the game that will be the graphical showcase for the Series X
 

midnightAI

Member
While I totally understand this sentiment and point, even that is practically improbable.

PlayStation Studios went big in ~2020 at the PS4 last year and PS5 console launch: TLOU 2, Demon's Souls, Miles Morales, Ghost of Tsushima, etc. Now they are almost recharged and ready to deliver another strong batch of games in 2025 and 2026.

If Xbox does launch its new generation of consoles (which I doubt) in 2025 or 2026, they will have to compete with TLOU 3, Ghost of Tsushima 2, Cory's new IP, new Astrobot, Wolverine, etc.

And we already know a lot of the Xbox lineup for around that time period: Perfect Dark, State of Decay 3, Indiana Jones, Gears 6, etc. If people were not excited by that lineup a few years ago and didn't buy an Xbox Series X or S, I doubt they will buy the next Xbox for these same games.
Oh, I agree, unlikely. But I wasn't saying they would necessarily release early, I mean just announce it early and announce it with loads of first party games at launch (even if that means giving up on this gen to a point)

The best years they had were the 360 years, that launched big, they were just unable to sustain it for the full gen, that and the missteps Sony took with the PS3 (at the beginning) of course. (And it's unlikely Sony will allow that to happen again). But they did have a 12 month window to get as many consoles as they could put of the door before PS3 was launched do releasing early may not be a bad thing. Oh and the RROD didn't help MS that gen either.

It's just tough for MS and I don't think any single game will change that either way.
 

Boss Mog

Member
Senua was made on a tiny budget and to help save the company.

I fully expect Senua to equal and surpass God Of War for graphics and storytelling. For me Fable is more of the next big exclusive and will show if XBox handle handle an update to a classic IP and also how it grew a studio internally after the buyout and the game that will be the graphical showcase for the Series X
I find it telling that you said "graphics and storytelling" but not gameplay (which is what matters most for, you know, a game). I expect the gameplay to be mediocre and far behind God of War's but I hope the devs can prove me wrong.
 

yamaci17

Member
it will be a repetetive single mechanic only 5 hrs game that will score around 80 at best
i have 0 belief towards any xbox game having any sorts of goty potential from this point onwards. they are/will be designed to be game pass fillers at their heart. this much is clear at this point
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
Senua was made on a tiny budget and to help save the company.

I fully expect Senua to equal and surpass God Of War for graphics and storytelling. For me Fable is more of the next big exclusive and will show if XBox handle handle an update to a classic IP and also how it grew a studio internally after the buyout and the game that will be the graphical showcase for the Series X
It better pass God of War's graphics, considering it's cross gen vs next gen (we've been here before).

Storytelling? Maybe. That's Ninja Theory's cup of tea, but then, taking on Santa Monica would be quite the feat. Thankfully, they don't feel how you do and are much more humble than that.
 
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Killjoy-NL

Member
No, you people turning on this studio the second MS bought them was the only thing to be expected. You guys loved and admired the first one when it was a PS exclusive and this one will be better in every way, now somehow it's just a "piece of trash", but hey I'd hate to be a ps only gamer too knowing it all goes downhill after wolverine😂😂
I think you're missing the point:

People seem to "turn on this studio", because xbox fans have been hyping this game up to be gen-defining game since it got announced.

When in reality, anyone who has played Ninja Theory games knows it's not going to change the gaming landscape.

They make good games and that's all there's to it. All their games are of similar quality and it's safe to assume Hellblade 2 won't be different.

No proper gameplay reveal after all these years is most likely a dead giveaway.
 

Giallo Corsa

Gold Member
No, you people turning on this studio the second MS bought them was the only thing to be expected. You guys loved and admired the first one when it was a PS exclusive and this one will be better in every way, now somehow it's just a "piece of trash", but hey I'd hate to be a ps only gamer too knowing it all goes downhill after wolverine😂😂

Man, the persecution complex is stronger than ever.

Ninja Theory is one of the most - if not the most - mediocre companies out there, it's all flash, no substance.

I've been saying this since I first saw/played Heavenly sword in all its 20-something FPS, jagged /aliased glory on the PS3 , said it when I tried to play Enslaved on the X360, said it when I played DmC on the PS4, said it again when I gave that MP game a go on the XONEX.
Their games are the epitome of "mediocre" to the point that I can't understand how someone would actually jump to their defence.

In retrospect, Hellblade 1 (played it on a XONEX) was the "game" which I -somewhat- enjoyed but A) it doesn't say much and B) it can't be considered as high praise taking into account such a mediocre catalogue of games.

You know what ? same thing applies to Bethesda, and it has nothing to do with the fact that they got bought by MS, their output since Skyrim has been dubious and tech-wise, they're lagging by a good decade (if not more) when compared to other studios out there.
I drew the line when I tried to play Fallout 4 on my PS4, I was just done with their shitty writing, terrible, outdated engine and animations, gazillion of bugs, horrendous voice overs etc etc after barely 8 hours of playtime...
This is yet another company that's been resting on its laurels for a good decade+ due to the goodwill they created in the past.

So, it's got nothing to do fanboyism as you're clearly implying but dubious, mediocre output.

You ain't got a problem with it ? It's fine /more power to you but...don't cast stones at others.

Merry xmas
 
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Skifi28

Member
They haven't even really shown anything yet. It's not good to hype it up, maybe the visuals will be stellar but what if it's another 5 hour game with terrible combat?
 
Man, the persecution complex is stronger than ever.

Ninja Theory is one of the most - if not the most - mediocre companies out there, it's all flash, no substance.

I've been saying this since I first saw/played Heavenly sword in all its 20-something FPS, jagged /aliased glory , said it when I tried to play Enslaved, said it when I played DmC, said it again when I gave that MP game a go on the XONEX.
Their games are the epitome of "mediocre" to the point that I can't understand how someone would jump to their defence.

In retrospect, Hellblade 1 was the "game" which I -somewhat- enjoyed but A) it doesn't say much and B) it can't be considered as high praise.

You know what ? same thing applies to Bethesda, and it has nothing to do with the fact that they got bought by MS, their output since Skyrim has been dubious and tech-wise, they're lagging by a good decade (if not more) when compared to other studios out there.
I drawed the line when I tried to play Fallout 4 on my PS4, I was just done with their shitty writing, terrible, outdated engine and animations, gazillion of bugs, horrendous voice overs etc etc...
This is yet another company that's been resting on its laurels for a good decade+ due to the goodwill they created in the past.

So, it's got nothing to do fanboyism as you're clearly implying but dubious, mediocre output.

You ain't got a problem with it ? It's fine /more power to you but...don't cast stones at others.

Merry xmas
I agree with all this, however I do hope this is Ninja Theory’s Returnal moment. A small/mediocre team like Housemarque finally makes something great after proper funding. But I have my doubts. We’ll see.
 
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Zannegan

Member
That's unfortunate, because the whole cinematic, A-to-Awesome, linear adventire thing pretty much guarantees I'll hate it. At least they'll have Starfield, which I'm pretty sure I'll have a blast with... but not finish the main questline on (as per ushe with Bethesda ARPGs).
 
It better pass God of War's graphics, considering it's cross gen vs next gen (we've been here before).

Storytelling? Maybe. That's Ninja Theory's cup of tea, but then, taking on Santa Monica would be quite the feat. Thankfully, they don't feel how you do and are much more humble than that.
I think some of the Cross gen titles look right up there with anything on the current. I still think Doom Eternal has the best example of Raytracing in any current gen console game.
I think Hellblade 2 will set a new standard for charter modelling and animation and hoping for GOD style massive end of boss battles , story telling should be better but then that leads to my issues with the last GOW and Hellblade They felt more like a walking talking game rather than a high end action title.

I much rather the old style GOW games and also Ninja Theory action style seen in Enslaved myself
 
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I find it telling that you said "graphics and storytelling" but not gameplay (which is what matters most for, you know, a game). I expect the gameplay to be mediocre and far behind God of War's but I hope the devs can prove me wrong.
Gameplay is up in the air at the moment though it looks to be much the same only with much better graphics and also big boss battles. Like I said before I much rather the old style GOD war games to the new ones, which like Hellblade felt like a walking and talking game rather than the massive action titles of the 4 games on the PS2 and PS3.

I would also rather see Ninja go back to the action seen in Enslaved but I doubt it. Still, its on Gamepass so nothing to lose and no doubt it will set the new standard for character graphics
 

Topher

Gold Member
No, you people turning on this studio the second MS bought them was the only thing to be expected. You guys loved and admired the first one when it was a PS exclusive and this one will be better in every way, now somehow it's just a "piece of trash", but hey I'd hate to be a ps only gamer too knowing it all goes downhill after wolverine😂😂

Right.....cuz Xbox gamers were such huge Ninja Theory fans before the acquisition.

200.gif


Works both ways my man
 
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nemiroff

Gold Member
Gaf is becoming way too depressingly predictable. The mere mention of a certain "codeword" and it's immediately low-iq posts all over (thank you to those of you who made an effort), only good for boosting the videogamer stereotype. Is this the forum community you all wanted..? I don't get it.

Hellblade 2 has a lot on its shoulders. We all know it had big highs and big lows, and additionally NT is a small studio. There are clearly challenges. The biggest issues many of us had was 1) Combat 2) Puzzles. The reason I'm hopeful is that the developer is 1) Clearly talented 2) Early on acknowledged the issues in the first Hellblade 3) Everything they've shown and said so far has been promising.
 
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Thirty7ven

Banned
I think some of the Cross gen titles look right up there with anything on the current. I still think Doom Eternal has the best example of Raytracing in any current gen console game.
I think Hellblade 2 will set a new standard for charter modelling and animation and hoping for GOD style massive end of boss battles , story telling should be better but then that leads to my issues with the last GOW and Hellblade They felt more like a walking talking game rather than a high end action title.

I much rather the old style GOW games and also Ninja Theory action style seen in Enslaved myself

Wait… you like the old GOW games better, and current GOW is walk and talk, because current GOW is like Hellblade, but Enslaved…

Did you play enslaved? Or modern GOW? Sounds like you are taking your cues from random posts on the internet.
 
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Astray

Gold Member
This type of silver bullet thinking is what's brought the Xbox brand to the brink of collapse in the console market. You get the sense that Microsoft is absolutely gagging for a big Sony error they can point their lemmings towards to amplify. But so far it doesn't exist.

Microsoft has failed to understand that you don't win on a single title or a single feature, you don't win because your opponent made a single massive error (literally happened in the PS3 era, and Sony managed to recover), the way forward is to actually accrue smaller wins over time, this is what happened at the tail end of the PS3 era, Sony accumulated a bunch of small wins and turned around their business.

It's like they learned the worst fucking lessons from that XB360/XBONE eras.
 
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